Biblical Doctrine of Church Membership 1

This week, we only got as far as discussing some of the reasons that biblical church membership has fallen upon hard times, while examining especially how the differences in commonly held presuppositions from those of Scripture.

Hopewell 101 Study Class, November 19, 2017
“Membership”

1. Personal relationship vs corporate relationship
2. Neglect of the “corporateness” of the ordinances of the church is a symptom of consumerism. Service involves not just doing things but being something.
3. Christ’s commitment and ours
   a. To whom did Christ commit Himself? The Lord is not ashamed of His church—but our age is endemic with people and congregations who are
   b. In and among whom do we commit ourselves to Him?
   c. Unanimous testimony of the New Testament: to belong to the body of Christ means, in all cases, to belong to a local body of Christ. Christ only has one expression of His church on earth: assemblies (local congregations, assemblies of elders)