Ecclesiology

Ecclesiology: the Church of Jesus Christ

The church of Jesus Christ alone is the channel for all the means of grace. Paul says, “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone,” (Eph. 2:20). John Calvin called the church the “mother of all the godly” (in light of all those who have God as their Father), for there is no salvation outside of it. He says, “Beyond the pale of the Church no forgiveness of sins, no salvation, can be hoped for, as Isaiah and Joel testify (Isa. 37:32; Joel 2:32.) To their testimony Ezekiel subscribes, when he declares, “They shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel,” (Ezek. 13:9)…By these words the paternal favour of God and the special evidence of spiritual life are confined to his peculiar people, and hence the abandonment of the Church is always fatal,” Calvin, John, Institutes of the Christian Religion, (Edinburgh: The Calvin Translation Society, 1845) 4:1:4. See also Acts 2:40-41, 47, and the 1647 Westminster Confession of Faith, “The visible church, which is also catholic or universal under the gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; and of their children: and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation.” As well, the Belgic Confession says, “We believe, since this holy congregation is an assembly of those who are saved, and that out of it there is no salvation,” (Article 28). Christ has authorized the church, (Eph. 1:22-23), and only the church, working in the power of the Holy Spirit, (Micah 3:8; Luke 4:14; Rom. 15:19), for the gathering of the elect, (Mark 13:27), the edification of the saints, (Rom. 14:17-19), and the building up of His spiritual body (Jude 1:20). He qualifies the church for this great task by endowing her with spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 14:12; Eph. 4:8), and by the institution of the offices (1 Tim. 3:1ff; Eph. 4:11-12), for the administration of the Word (2 Tim. 4:2; Rom. 10:8) and the sacraments, (Psa. 99:7; 1 Cor. 11:2, 20; Luke 22:17ff; Matt. 3:16, 26:26ff; Acts 2:38; 1 Cor. 1:13), which are used to lead the elect to their eternal destiny.

Articles on the Sacraments Here.

The Necessity of Reforming the Church by John Calvin

Discourse, Of the True and Visible Markes of the Catholic Church by Theodore Beza (1579)

Church Membership and Covenanting by C. Matthew McMahon

Duties Of The Church Member To The Church by Thomas Murphy

The Duty of Social Covenanting Edited by David Scott

The Whole is Greater than the Sum of it’s Parts by Scott Bushey

A Solemn Testimony Against Toleration by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

Observations on Personal Covenanting by Thomas Manton (1620-1677)

Personal Covenanting by Thomas Manton Part 1 (1620-1677)

Personal Covenanting by Thomas Manton Part 2 (1620-1677)

A Sermon on Occasional Hearing by Rev. John Anderson, D.D.

The Form of Presbyterian Church Government by the Westminster Assembly

Lawful Ordination of Ministers in History by C. Matthew McMahon

Liberal Theologians by C. Matthew McMahon

Please Don’t Call Me An Evangelical by C. Matthew McMahon

Presbyterian Church Government NOT of the Being of the Church by C. Matthew McMahon

The Evangelical Post-Modern Church? by C. Matthew McMahon

The History of Calvinism by Loraine Boettner

The Pelagian Captivity of the Church by C. Matthew McMahon

Children and Church Membership by Thomas Shepard

Questions for Pastoral Candidates

The Visible and Invisible Church by C. Matthew McMahon

The Three Marks of the True Church by C. Matthew McMahon

Running Goats Out of the Church by D.J. Ward

The Elder and Divorce by C. Matthew McMahon

The Deacon: An Inquiry into the Nature, Duties, and Exercise of the Office of Deacon, in the Christian Church by James M. Willson, A.M.

An Inquiry into Church Fellowship by John T. Pressly

Should Women Keep Silent in Church? by Scott Bushey

Holy Days of Men and Holy Days of God by G.I. Williamson

A Critique of Steve Schlissel’s View of the RPW by GI Williamson and Richard Bacon (PDF)

Faithful Witness-Bearing Exemplified by John Howie

Why a Genevan Robe? by C. Matthew McMahon

The Faithful Elder by Archibald Alexander

The Power of the Church by Louis Berkhof

What is Presbyterianism? An Address by Charles Hodge

The Church in Relation to its Constitution by Sherman Isbell

On Ecclesiastical Polity by Smauel Miller (1833)

A Defense of the Government of the Church of Scotland by Sameul Rutherford (PDF)

Discussions on Church Principles: Popish, Erastian and Presbyterian by William Cunningham

Discussions in Church Polity by Charles Hodge

The Ruling Elder: respecting the Warrant, Nature and Duties of the Office by Samuel Miller

See Articles on Pastoral Theology and the Office of Elder Here

The Government and Order of the Church of Scotland by Alexander Henderson (1641)

A Treatise of Miscellany Questions by George Gillespie (1649)

A Treatise of Ruling Elders and Deacons by James Guthrie (1690)

An Assertion of the Government of the Church of Scotland by George Gillespie (1641)

A Testimony Against the Unfounded Charges of Anabaptism by Greg Price

Presbyterian Federal Holiness by Reverend Jerrold Lewis

13 Differences Between the PCA and the PCUSA by Andy Webb

An Outline on the Distinctives of Presbyterianism by Scott Bushey

The Communion of Believers with Christ and with Each Other by Wilhelmus à Brakel

The Church by Richard Baxter

The Jurisdiction of the Church by John Calvin

Ecclesiola in Ecclesia by Martin Lloyd Jones

De Unitate Ecclesiae: On the Unity of the Church by Augustine

The Doctrine of the Church by Louis Berkhoff

Of the Teachers and Ministers of the Church. Their Election and Office by John Calvin