The Church and Infant Baptism, Part 2

Introduction and Prayer for Illumination

0:00 This adult Sunday school class was held on January 22, 1984, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Now let's draw near to the Lord, seek His face in prayer, asking that once again He would come, teach us, instruct us from the Scriptures by the presence of the Holy Spirit, and then write His word upon our hearts. Let's pray. Our Father, we give You thanks for Your Holy Word, which teaches us concerning the Church of Jesus Christ and its identity.

0:42 We pray, Lord, that as we come this morning to study the identity of the Church of Christ as it is presented in the Scriptures, that we may know the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon us, that we may know Your blessing, that we may know Your grace, that You would assist us and draw near to us. And then come to us. And then come to us by the Spirit and write Your word upon our hearts, that we may see the spiritual implications of those things that we study today, and that we may live in the light of them. We ask these mercies in the name of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Recap: The Paedo-Baptist Argument and the Incompatibility Thesis

1:18 Now today we continue what we began last week, the study of the fourth major unit or division of thought with respect to the question of infant baptism, or infant baptism, or infant baptism, or infant baptism, or infant baptism, or infant baptism, or infant baptism, or infant baptism, or infant baptism. And we are considering this matter as it relates to the biblical doctrine and teaching concerning the Church of Jesus Christ.

1:54 And last week I presented to you the necessity for treating this topic, showing you, I trust, from the writings of the leading Paedo-Baptist authors, who are evangelistic, and from whom we have learned so much in our theology, that their argument is such that they see the unity between the Church of Jesus Christ in the New Testament and the nation of Israel in the Old Testament as rooted in the promise made to Abraham, and that they regard this unity as really the basis and foundation for their practice, in the context of infant baptism.

2:39 And so we saw that it is totally inadequate to deal with the subject of baptism and the subjects of baptism and who should be included in that ordinance unless one also deals with the matter of the identity of the Church of Jesus Christ, that this issue must be addressed if we are to deal adequately and thoroughly with the topic at hand. So having said that then as a way of introduction, and presented to you the Paedo-Baptist argument as they themselves have laid out their perspective on this issue. We came then last week to make a basic assertion, and that was that infant inclusion in New Covenant Israel,

3:24 that is in the Church of Jesus Christ, is incompatible with three clear lines of biblical data respecting the Church. First of all, I said that I'll show from the Word of God that it is incompatible with the biblical descriptions of the growth of the Church. And then secondly, that this is incompatible with the biblical descriptions of the membership of the Church. And finally, that it is incompatible with the biblical descriptions of the spiritual experience of the Church.

3:58 We come to examine the thesis. We come to examine...

4:03 the assertions of our Paedo-Baptist brethren with respect to infant inclusion in the Church of Christ, to examine their argument in the light of the biblical data, and I've attempted to organize what I regard as the flaws or fallacies in their approach to this whole matter. That their argument, that their position is inconsistent with the biblical descriptions of the growth of the Church, the membership of the Church, the spiritual experience of the Church, and I also...

4:33 was about to add a fourth one, and I still may do this, if time permitting, it depends on how far we get, that the whole approach is incompatible with the biblical description of the origin of the Church. And the text about which I may say a few things in closing is Matthew chapter 16. Upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And that may be the bottom line.

Review: Church Growth by Evangelism and Conversion

5:04 Something I thought of that really needed to be said, and last week I hadn't made provision to say it. Well, we come this morning, and then probably also next week, to consider the second of these. We looked last week at the biblical descriptions of the growth of the Church, and we saw that the Church grew when the disciples multiplied, when believers were added to the Lord, the number of the disciples was growing, believers were growing, and we saw that the Church grew, not by marriage and procreation, according to the scriptural witness, but that the Church grows by evangelism and conversion. You remember we said in closing that there are two ways to make a Jew.

5:47 And what were the two ways to make a Jew? Who remembers that? Howard, what were the two ways to make a Jew? Alright, that's one way.

6:00 Circumcision and regeneration. How do we get that? Well, alright, the two ways that I mentioned anyway were, first of all, marriage and procreation. The Jew was made by birth.

6:11 Remember we saw that that passage in Acts chapter 7 indicated that the people multiplied exceedingly in Egypt. Well, how did they multiply? They multiplied because God gave that nation great fecundity. That is, they married and they had a lot of children.

6:27 And that's how the nation of Israel grew. But they also grew by adding proselytes to their number, by people being converted, as it were, to the Jewish religion. And this was the minor method, but it was still nevertheless a method. So there were two methods of making Jews.

6:46 You made Jews by getting married and having little Jewish children. And they were also made by being proselytes, that is, by being brought into the commonwealth of Israel. But there's two ways to make a Jew. But there's only one way to make a disciple.

7:02 There's only one way to make a disciple. And that was clear. The only way to make a disciple is by evangelism and by the application of redemption, by conversion. You don't make disciples by marriage and procreation.

7:15 Disciples don't procreate disciples. Disciples procreate sinners. But you only make disciples by preaching the gospel and by having people converted. That's the only way that disciples are made.

The Biblical Concept of Definite Church Membership

7:33 And the church grows when disciples are multiplied. Now this morning we come to consider the biblical descriptions of the membership of the church. Now what I'm going to do is to go through many of the passages that we looked at last week, not all of them. Last week we were emphasizing what these passages teach concerning growth.

8:00 Now we're going to consider what they teach about membership and the identity of the membership. Now we're going to consider what these passages teach about the membership of the church. Now before I do that, I want to say something about the concept of membership. Because there is a teaching in our day that's around that says that there was no concept of a definite membership in the churches that were established by the apostles.

8:28 Well I say that that, first of all, is incompatible and inconsistent with the biblical data. First of all, the members of the churches could be counted. They were numbered. Now how can you number those added to the church if you don't have a definite membership?

8:48 That's impossible. But you could count them, because in some passages in the New Testament they are counted and numbered. And so this practice of numbering can only be explained by the fact that there was a definite membership in the church. Either you were a member or you were not.

9:08 If you were a member, you were counted. If you weren't a member, you weren't counted. Now if there's no definite membership, how can you number the disciples? So the practice of numbering indicates that a definite membership in the church of Jesus Christ exists.

9:24 And how do you know? Because you number them, you count them. Secondly, the practice of oversight. We read in several of those passages that elders were appointed for them in every church.

9:42 And we also read that the elders are told to tend the flock of God. Now who were they supposed to tend? If you don't have a definite membership, for whom are the elders responsible? They watch for your souls as those that shall give account.

9:58 For whom are they going to give account? How do they know? Who were they supposed to feed? Who were they supposed to tend?

10:04 Who were they supposed to shepherd? For whom are they accountable? If you do not have a definite membership, that's incompatible with the existence of oversight and the responsibilities laid upon the overseers for those for whom they were appointed. And thirdly, the matter of discipline.

10:24 If you do not have a definite membership, that is incompatible with the practice of church discipline. Who are the ones who are subject to church discipline? Those who are the members of the church. Why?

10:38 What have ye to do to judge those that are without? Those that are without, God judges. How do you know who's without and who's within? If you don't have a definite membership.

10:49 If you don't have those who are subject to church discipline and those who are not. And so I say, these three things, the numbering of the members, the oversight of the members, and the discipline of the members, these things which are clearly, explicitly taught in the word of God, indicate that indeed the church founded by Jesus and his apostles did have a definite, identifiable membership. And I submit that this current idea that churches are to have no definite membership is unscriptural and that the members of the church

Pastoral Application: The Sin of Avoiding Church Membership

11:33 are known by their commitment to one another. And I suspect that what lies behind much of this current notion is an unwillingness to be committed, an unwillingness to be responsible, and unwillingness to be liable to church discipline, to be accountable to biblical oversight. That's the point. Why did it say in Acts chapter 5 that no one dared to join?

12:11 What was the fear? What was it that kept people from joining, from having their name counted and having themselves numbered with those who were in the church? What was it? Well, it was what happened to Ananias and Sapphira.

12:29 It was the presence of God in the midst of the people. It was the reality of the liability to discipline and judgment and oversight. That's what they were afraid of. And I suspect that things have not changed much in the last 2,000 years.

12:46 And the reason for this current notion is the same old fear. No man dared join himself to them. Why? Because people are afraid to be liable to discipline and unwilling to be subject to oversight.

13:03 How could I be addressing some if I may just digress a moment here? Could I be addressing some? Could I be addressing some here this morning who are like that? Do you justify, you say you're a Christian, but you justify your unwillingness to be identified with the church of Christ thinking that the church has no definite membership?

13:26 Is that so? Could it not be closer to the truth that the reason that you won't be identified is that you're afraid like those people were afraid in Acts chapter 5? Could it be that you're afraid? What are you afraid of?

13:40 Afraid to be liable to discipline? Afraid? Afraid to be subject to oversight? Unwilling to be submissive to oversight?

13:49 Well, if those are the real reasons that keep you from church membership, you are sinning against God. Because in the very same text that indicated that people were afraid and unwilling to be joined to the church and to the Lord, the scripture says, but believers were the more added to the Lord. What does that indicate about your so-called faith in Christ? It indicates that the reality of it is very questionable because of your unwillingness to be added to the Lord, unwillingness to be identified with his people.

14:25 Your profession of faith in Christ is a very questionable profession indeed because in the very context in which people like you were unwilling to join the church, believers, people different than people like you, no matter what you say, people different than people like you called believers were prepared to be added to the Lord. You see? So please, do not deceive yourselves. Do not deceive yourselves.

15:04 Recognize that God has constituted a definite membership in his church and that an unwillingness to be identified with the people of God throws great question upon the credibility of your professed faith in Christ. Now, having said that, by way of introduction, we come then to the biblical data. The biblical descriptions of this definite, numberable group who are the members of the church of Christ are diverse and are rich

Church Membership in the Gospels: Matthew 18

15:49 in their imagery and in the terminology. And now, once again, remembering that we're not in the academy, I don't intend to give you an exhaustive survey of the passages I intend to be selective. The reason for my selectivity is not because I have something to hide, but for your sake, I don't want to give you more than you're able to bear. Right now, the first passage is in Matthew chapter 18.

16:19 Matthew chapter 18. Beginning in verse 15. It says, And if your brother sin against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.

16:55 But if he does not hear you, take with you one or two more, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refused to hear them, tell it to the church. And if he refused to hear the church too, let him be to you as the Gentile and the publican. Verily I say to you, what things soever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and what things soever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

17:34 Again I say to you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Well, you notice that the word church is used twice in verse 17. Now there may be some who right on the surface of things would object to even quoting this passage because this passage is found in the gospels prior to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

18:12 But I would just like to say, that people are not quite as fastidious when it comes to quoting verse 19. Again I say to you that where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them. And they're not nearly as fastidious about quoting verse 15. And if your brother sin against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone.

18:42 But when it comes to quoting verse 17, people become fastidious. I find that difficult. Because just as verse 15 applies to us and verse 19 and 20 applies to us, so also verse 17 as well, having said that. Now, however, we need to recognize that Jesus was speaking here in a restricted context.

19:07 And that is true. Notice verse 17. If he refused to hear the church, let him be to you as the Gentile and the publican. Now obviously that was not written to the churches in Galatia.

19:20 It was not written at Corinth. It would not have been appropriate to be written in Corinth or Galatia. Jesus was speaking to an exclusively Jewish audience. Now that is true.

19:29 If he were not speaking to an exclusively Jewish audience, this language about Gentile and publican would be totally out of place and unwarranted. So there is a limitation with regard to the audience. And it is also true that the church mentioned here has to do obviously with an exclusively Jewish composition. But we must recognize that it's at that point in redemptive history when the gospel had not yet spread out to the Gentiles and Jesus was speaking to Jews and to Jews alone.

20:04 But notice that the church is identified here as the community of the disciples of Jesus Christ. Now that is clear. It's identified here as the entire group, the entire multitude of the disciples of Jesus Christ. And when did Jesus start to make disciples from the Jewish nation?

20:23 It's true he didn't start to make Gentile disciples until after Pentecost, way after Pentecost as a matter of fact. That's true. But when did he begin to make disciples from among the Jews? Well it didn't happen at Pentecost and it didn't happen at the cross.

20:39 But when did it happen? John chapter 4 and verse 1. Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John. At the beginning of his public ministry Jesus began to call and to make disciples.

20:59 And we read in John 6, upon this many of his disciples walked with him no more. There was a group, there was a multitude of people who were identified with Jesus as Jesus' disciples from the time that Jesus began to manifest himself in Galilee at the time of Jesus' baptism and his public revelation to Israel. And that group of disciples is called the church of Jesus Christ in this text. And it is that group of disciples which of course is involved in the practice of church discipline.

21:39 And that's why, though here we have a pre-Pentecostal, pre-international description of the church, nevertheless we have principles here which apply to us and we all recognize that. This description of the proper method of carrying on church discipline and dealing with offenses is as applicable to us as it was to the disciples of that day and of the Jewish nation. This promise concerning two or three being gathered in his name is as applicable to us as it was to them. And so also this conception of the church as the community of the disciples of Jesus,

22:21 liable and subject to the discipline which Christ has instituted is also as applicable to us as it is to them. Now notice, the church is thought of as a community of brethren. If your brother sinned, go show him his fault. And if he refused to hear the two or three witnesses, tell it to the church.

22:53 The church is conceived of as having the ability to hear and understand the testimony even as the one or two brothers was able to hear and understand the testimony. The church is able to reach a judgment concerning that testimony and to express its mind the church can hear and the church can speak. Notice, tell it to the church, the church can hear and also the church can speak. If he refused to hear the church, the church can speak, the church can hear.

23:25 Even as that individual brother could speak and hear, so also can the church because the church is the community. The church is the group of the disciples of Christ. That's what characterizes the church. And all of those who are in the church are subject to the discipline of the church.

Church Membership in Acts: The Early Church in Jerusalem

23:44 And so in this first passage, this passage in the gospel which describes the church in its infantile form, the church is the community of the disciples, those who are subject to church discipline. It's a group that's committed to one another and a group that is liable to mutual discipline. Then also in Acts chapter 2 and verse 47, this community begins to grow in an unusual way, as you all know, upon the day of Pentecost. And you remember we saw

24:29 and have seen in the past as we've considered this text that the apostle Peter preached the gospel. There were 120 disciples of the Lord gathered together. The gospel was preached and many were converted and added to the church. That is, added to the community of the disciples.

24:51 And notice as we saw last week, praising God and having favor with the people and the Lord added to them daily those that were being saved. And again, these people who were added, described in verse 47 as those being saved as their distinguishing trait. In verse 44, they're described as those that believe and all that believed were together and had all things common. In verse 41, then those that received his word were baptized.

25:23 In verse 38, and Peter said, repent and be baptized. They were those who had repented, those who had believed, those who had received the word, those that were being saved. These are the ones who were added to the community of the disciples. Now again, next passage, Acts chapter 4.

25:48 But many of them that heard the word believed and the number of the men came to be about 5,000. The only group here that is quantitatively described is the men. But it says that growth occurred when those that heard the word believed because a distinguishing trait of this community or group is that they are believing. And again, Acts chapter 4 and verse 32.

26:31 Acts 4 and verse 32. And here's another description of the multitude. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and soul. And notice that this group that believes is the group identified with the apostolic witness and power.

26:54 And with great power the apostles gave their witness to the resurrection of Christ. And notice that there was a communion among this people with regard to benevolence. Verse 32. And not one of them said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common.

27:17 And again, there was organization and commitment to one another and this benevolence and generosity was expressed in an orderly and organized way. Verse 34. For neither was there among them any that lacked for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the prices of the things that were sold and laid them at the apostles' feet and distribution was made unto each according as anyone had need. Now what's the description of this multitude?

27:52 It's believers. Yet they're committed to one another. They're organized and their benevolence is done in an orderly way. This is a description of the church and is described as those who believe.

28:10 And now, moving over to Acts chapter 5, the passage that we looked at in introducing our time this morning. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all that heard these things. And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. But of the rest no man dared to join himself to them.

28:41 That's join himself to the church. How be it the people magnified them and believers were the more added to the Lord multitudes both of men and women. And here, in verse 14, the apostle is not speaking quantitatively. He is speaking qualitatively or generically telling us that the class of people added are believers, men and women.

Church Membership in Acts: Expansion and Identity

29:14 This describes the composition of the church. Men and women who believe. Then also, Acts chapter 6. Acts chapter 6.

29:30 Now in these days when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a murmuring of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews because the widows were neglected in their daily ministration and the twelve called the multitude of the disciples to them and said, now notice, the multitude which consists of disciples. Consists of disciples. It is composed of disciples. A multitude composed of disciples.

30:05 That's its identity. That's the biblical description of the membership. That's the composition of the membership. A multitude composed of disciples.

30:15 Disciples. That's what that church was. A multitude composed of disciples. And again and again, Luke moves back and forth.

30:27 One term, another term, brethren, those who believed, those who believed, disciples. And in this passage and in the next passages which follow, the emphasis is upon disciples. All right. Now also, Acts chapter 9 and verse 31, another passage that we looked at last week.

30:48 So the church throughout all Judea, Acts 9, 31, so the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace being edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit was multiplied. Now again, the composition of the church must be understood from the context. As we saw, the conversion of Saul is that which introduces this whole chapter. But Saul, yet breathing, threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, verse 1, and verse 2, asked letters to Damascus unto the synagogue

31:33 that if he found any that were of the way, here's another description, those who were of the way, whether men or women, there's a generic description of the composition of those who were of the way in terms of their age and sex, men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. And then also in verse 10, one of the ones who was of the way, now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. And again, in verse 19, no, I'm sorry, yes, the end of verse 19, and he arose

32:17 and took food and was strengthened and he was certain days with the disciples that were at Damascus. And then in verse 21, and all that heard him were amazed and said, is not this he that in Jerusalem made havoc of them that call on this name? Those that are of the way, disciples, those that call on his name. And then verse 26, crucial passage, and when he was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself

33:00 to the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. What did he try to join? He tried to join the church.

33:15 And they wouldn't let him join the church. There are some people who would like to join the church and the leadership of the church won't let them join the church because they're not convinced that they're qualified to join the church. And that's not wrong. Now in this instance, they had good reason to be afraid and they had good reason to be suspicious.

33:39 They had good reason not to trust this man. Nevertheless, it turned out that God had truly converted him. But they didn't behave improperly. They needed good, solid evidence from people they could trust that this man's conversion was real.

33:55 And they got it. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how he had seen the Lord, had spoken, preached boldly, and then they received him. And then verse 30. Again, this church is described.

34:15 It says, And when the brethren knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea and set him forth to Tarsus. So the church. Well, who's the church? Throughout all Judea, Galilee, Samaria, those who had been persecuted.

34:32 Who were those? Those were the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ concerning whom Saul was breathing out slaughter and to whom Saul sought to join himself after he was converted. And then they had peace. Acts chapter 8 and verse 3 underscores this.

34:53 Again, speaking of Saul. But Saul laid waste the church. What did he do? Saul laid waste the church, entering into every house and dragging men and women committed them to prison.

35:16 Again, the church described qualitatively, generically, in terms of those who composed it, men and women. There's a parallel between Acts 8.3 and Acts 9.1.

35:27 He laid waste the church, 8.3, 9.1, breathing, threatening, and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord to bring them bound, men or women. So in this passage, it's abundantly clear that the church consists of, is composed of, the disciples of the Lord who suffered the persecution from Saul, whether men or women.

Church Membership in Acts: Antioch and Beyond

35:57 That's the composition of the church. Right, again, the next passage, Acts 11, verses 21, 22, 24, 26. And then those, therefore, that were scattered abroad upon the tribulation that arose about Stephen, went all over, we read, preaching the gospel. And they spoke to none but the Jews.

36:27 But some people spoke to the Greeks, preaching the Lord Jesus. Verse 20 and verse 21. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord. Now here you find they're described as those that turned to the Lord, those that turned to the Lord from their own ways.

36:54 And then in verse 24. For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and much people was added to the Lord. And verse 26. And when he had found Paul, he brought him to Antioch.

37:17 And it came to pass that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, or in the church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. Now you see the word of God has spread beyond the Jews. It's come to the Greeks. Many of those that were previously identified with the Jewish synagogue turned to the Lord.

37:53 And now Paul and Barnabas are teaching them in Antioch. And we find that the word church is used here as well. They gathered together with the church and taught much people. Now he turns the phrase.

38:08 What were these people called who were taught in the church? And of what did they, of what group of people were they composed? And the disciples, that's the composition. And what were they called?

38:22 They were first called Christians at Antioch. Now the point is this. No one has any Biblical grounds to be called a Christian unless he's a disciple of the Lord. Other groups of people have been called Christians, but it wasn't at Antioch that it occurred.

38:38 And there's no Biblical basis for calling people Christians who are not disciples. And the church was composed of disciples, and the church composed of disciples was called a church composed of Christians. Again, Acts chapter 14, verses 21 to 23. There really are no exceptions to this, what to me is overwhelming testimony of the Biblical data.

39:08 And you see the pieces are starting to fit together, I trust. Verses 21 to 23. And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they preached the gospel, they made disciples. How did they make disciples?

39:23 By preaching the gospel. And when they had preached the gospel, they made many disciples, and they returned to Lystra, Iconium, to Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed for them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord on whom they had believed. The church is composed of disciples.

40:02 Those who were confirmed were disciples. Now this is a different kind of confirmation than is often practiced in our day. The description of those who were confirmed? Disciples.

40:16 They had already believed on the Lord, and these are the ones who were confirmed in their faith and exhorted to continue in their faith. These are the ones for whom elders were appointed in every church, which is a community composed of these disciples who believed in the Lord. Acts 15, verse 23. Then it seemed good to the apostles and elders with the whole church to choose men out of their company.

40:52 The whole group of the disciples along with the elders and the apostles determined to send these men. And again, verse 36 of Acts 15. And after some days, Paul and Barnabas said, let's return and visit the brethren, here's the word brethren used, in every city where we proclaim the word of the Lord and see how they fear. And then verse 4 of chapter 16.

41:23 And as they went on their way through the cities, they delivered the brethren, they delivered them. The decrees to keep which had been ordained of the apostles and elders were at Jerusalem, so the churches were strengthened in the faith. And again, you see the picture. All of these churches composed of groups of disciples that had elders ordained for them and now they go back through the churches and they give them the decree that came from the apostles, the elders and the company of brethren, the company of disciples at Jerusalem.

41:56 So there's the one group of disciples at Jerusalem, there are the apostles and the elders. There are the other groups of disciples scattered throughout the city, who have been scattered throughout the area, who have been produced by the evangelism of Paul and Barnabas. And now Paul and Silas go back and they confirm these brethren and they give them the decrees which came from the elders and the apostles at Jerusalem. There's an organic unity.

42:21 There are all of the churches and these churches constitute the one organic holy catholic church of Jesus Christ with the apostles and elders residing over it, sending their decrees to them. There's the overall community of the disciples and there is each local community of the disciples. And these constitute the church of Jesus Christ, intimately related and organically functioning. All right, then the final passage in the book of Acts, Acts chapter 20, Acts chapter 20, verses 17 and 28.

Church Membership in Acts: Ephesus and the Flock

43:03 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church, the elders of the church. And when they were come to him he said, etc. And then verse 28, he says, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you bishops to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood. Now clearly the flock over which those elders had responsibility is called the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood.

43:43 Because they were to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood. Now what's the identity of that flock? Well, you look back, he's obviously speaking about the elders at Ephesus. If you look back, concerning the origins of the church at Ephesus, Acts chapter 19, first of all, Apollos had been there, had made some disciples to John's baptism.

44:11 Then Paul came, Acts 19, 8, and he entered into the synagogue and spoke boldly for the space of three months, reasoning and persuading as to the things concerning the kingdom of God. But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the way before the multitude, he departed and separated the disciples. Reasoning daily in the school, he said to them, I am the son of Tyranus. And this continued for the space of two years, so that all that dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

44:51 And Paul wrought miracles, etc. And then again, chapter 19 and verse 18, and many of them that had believed came, confessing and declaring their deeds. And then again, chapter 20 and verse 18, verse 1, And after the uproar ceased, Paul, having sent for the disciples and exhorted them, took leave of them and departed into Macedonia. And then finally, chapter 20 and verse 30, in the very context, who is the church?

45:35 Beginning in verse 29, I know that after my departing, grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock, there's the flock over whom the elders had responsibility, and from your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Wherefore, watch, remembering that by the space of three years I did not cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears. Whom did he separate? The disciples, who were the ones that were identified, those that believed.

46:17 What constitutes the flock? The disciples. Those are the ones who are called the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, for whom the elders had responsibility. Now, there's another description of the church which is found mostly in the epistles.

Church Membership in the Epistles: Saints and Callers on the Lord

46:32 And would you turn with me, please, to 1 Corinthians chapter 1, just two more passages and then we'll be done. We went through 15 passages this morning, so we had to go quickly. And some of them we've been through before, and you should be familiar with them. 1 Corinthians chapter 1.

46:50 Paul called an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God and Sosthenes, our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, even them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all that call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in every place, their Lord and ours. Now, we're going to get to passages like this later when we look at the spiritual experience of the church which is described here. There are certain things here about the spiritual experience of church members which is right patent on the surface of the passage. I'm not going into that this morning.

47:31 I just want you to notice the description of the members of the church. How are they described? Well, they are called saints. They're called saints.

47:40 The church is the community of the saints with all that call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Again, this phrase calling on the name of the Lord is used to describe the membership of the church. They're described as those who are saints. And this same terminology is also used in another place in 1 Corinthians in which it's even more clear in 1 Corinthians 14.33.

48:08 And here he speaks about the composition of the church and it's not just one church, but it's the entire Catholic Church which is composed of the various churches throughout the world. He says, For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. Let the women keep silence in the churches. It's not permitted for them to speak, but let them be in subjection as also says the law.

48:47 Now the point of the text that we're interested in is how he describes the composition of the churches. Because he's not simply speaking now about the church at Corinth, but he's making a broad sweeping statement about all of those churches scattered throughout the world and he says, as in all the churches of the saints. All the churches composed of the saints. It is the saints.

49:12 It is the holy ones. Those who have been set apart from sin and separated unto God. These are the ones of whom the church of God is composed. And so now if I may then summarize what we've seen this morning from the word of God.

Summary and Conclusion: The Application of Redemption

49:29 Various descriptions of those who constitute the church of Christ. The members of the church are described as the proper subjects of church discipline, as brethren. They're described as those being saved. They're described as those who believe.

49:52 They're described as disciples and called Christians. They're described as those who call on his name. Those who are of the way. Those who turn to the Lord.

50:01 They're described as the saints. And that is the terminology that is used to describe the distinguishing traits of those who compose the membership of the church. And this is done repeatedly and this is done emphatically and this is done without exception. Repeatedly, emphatically, without exception.

50:23 How does the church grow? It grows through evangelism. And by spiritual regeneration. That is emphasized again and again of what is the church composed.

50:36 It is composed of those who are the proper subjects of discipline. Those who are being saved. Those who believe. Disciples, brethren, saints who call on his name.

50:45 Who are of the way. Who turn to the Lord. What's the common denominator? Those who have had redemption applied to them.

50:55 And there is not a single passage, not a single passage in which it is asserted, implied, nor is there a single example in the New Testament in which those whose only distinguishing trait is that they are the physical offspring of the disciples are included in the church of Christ because that's their distinguishing trait. You won't find that in the New Testament anywhere. It's just not there. The distinguishing trait of church members and that which constitutes the criterion of membership

51:39 is the application of redemption. And only such of our physical offspring concerning whom we may assert that redemption has been applied to them have right to be included in the church of Jesus Christ. Now all of the Paedo-Baptists, as many as I have read, that is as many as I have read, I qualify it, in all that I have seen, I have not seen one yet who produces a single text which can refute what has been said this morning. And as a matter of fact, when we come next week

52:23 to attempt to answer some of the objections that are raised to this, I want to begin by quoting from James, James Bannerman, in his classic work. He's a Paedo-Baptist, but his classic work on the church of Christ is used as our textbook in the academy, by the way. And he begins his classic work, the systematic treatise of the church, interestingly, with a study of the word ekklesia. And can you imagine what he finds when he studies ekklesia?

52:53 He finds exactly and precisely the same thing that we found. And if you wonder how then does he come with a different definition of the church, wait until next week, in which I will tell you the answer to that question. Let us pray. Lord, our God, we give you thanks for the way that you have shown to us the glory of the church of Christ and given us the great privilege, Father, of being members in such a community.

53:33 We thank you for the community of the saints. We thank you for the community of disciples. We know that many righteous men in the past longed for the day when that community would be erected, longed for the day when there would be a community of the righteous upon the earth. We bless you, O Lord, that we have been given the unspeakable privilege of living in such a day.

53:57 We pray, our God, that our hearts may be filled with appreciation for the church of God, that we may never have in our hearts anything in which we would despise your holy church. We ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.