Church Membership

Systematic Theology - Lesson 104 - The Doctrine of the Church: Membership - 1 Cor. 12:13; Acts 2:42. When an individual is saved, he becomes a member of the body of Christ. Because he is united with Christ and the other members of the body in this way, he is therefore qualified to become a member of a local expression of that body – a member of a local church. To become a member of a local church is to formally commit oneself to an identifiable body of believers who have joined together for a specific, divinely ordained purpose. The Biblical foundation for church membership, while not contained in a specific command, does permeate the New Testament. This basis can be seen in 1) the example of the early church, 2) the existence of church government, 3) the exercise of church discipline, and 4) the exhortation to mutual edification.