INVISIBLE CHURCH § 157. The community of the regenerate, or of all those who believe in Christ and are justified by faith,1 is the invisible 2 Church of Christ on earth, the one holy catholic Church,3 in the proper sense …
Category: 1 OUTLINES IN DOCTRINAL THEOLOGY
158 – Visible Churches
VISIBLE CHURCHES § 158. In a tropical sense all those who have and hear the Gospel and profess the Christian religion, true believers and hypocrites together,1 are called the visible church, and in the same synecdochical sense every particular community …
Tagged with: Doctrine
159 – Marks of the Church
MARKS OF THE CHURCH § 159. Since, wherever the Gospel is preached and the sacraments are administered,1 the invisible Church of Christ is sure to be,2 the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the sacraments are the unfailing …
Tagged with: Doctrine
160 – Orthodox Church
ORTHODOX CHURCH § 160. The preaching, teaching, and profession, of divine truth in all its purity, and the administration of the sacraments in full accordance with their divine institution, are the criteria of the true or orthodox visible church of …
Tagged with: Doctrine
161 – Rights of the Church Where Vested
RIGHTS OF THE CHURCH WHERE VESTED § 161. The invisible Church of Christ is endowed with certain spiritual rights, privileges, and powers,1 all of which are vested in every local congregation of believers.2 1.The invisible Church of Christ is endowed …
Tagged with: Doctrine
162 – Rights and Powers of the Church
RIGHTS AND POWERS OF THE CHURCH § 162. The rights and powers of the Church of Christ and of every local congregation are those of preaching the Gospel, the administration of the sacraments, especially the application of the keys of …
Tagged with: Doctrine
163 – Ministerial Office
MINISTERIAL OFFICE § 163. For the public performance of the privileges and duties of the Church in preaching the Gospel and administering the sacraments Christ has instituted the ministerial office in the Church. I Corinthians 12:29 Are all apostles? …
Tagged with: Doctrine
164 – Ministry How Conferred
MINISTRY HOW CONFERRED § 164. The ministerial office 1 is conferred upon its incumbents by God,2 by the Holy Spirit,3 by Christ,4 the Head and Archbishop of His Church,5 through the congregations,6 which, by the call extended through them,7 delegate …
165 – Ordination
ORDINATION § 165. The ministerial office being conferred through the call of the congregation, the ecclesiastical rite of ordination is but a public acknowledgment of that call and of its acceptance, and of the fitness of the person called for …
166 – Qualifications for the Ministry
QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE MINISTRY § 166. The qualifications prescribed by the Head of the Church for those men 1 who are to be called to the ministerial office are soundness of doctrine, aptness to teach, blamelessness of life, and a …