Church Manual, Designed for the Use of Baptist Churches

p. 5THE term Church occurs in the New Testament more than a hundred times. The word thus translated means congregation or assembly ; but it does not indicate the purpose for which the congregation or assembly meets. Hence it is used, Acts 19 : 32, 39, 41, and rendered assembly. In every other place in the New Testament it is translated church. In its application to the followers of Christ, it refers either to a particular congregation of saints, or to the redeemed in the aggregate. It is employed in the latter sense in Ephesians 1 : 22; 3 : 21 ; 5 : 25, 27. Here we have the expressions, " Head over all things to the Church ? ; " To him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end " ; " Christ loved the Church and p. 6gave himself for it . . . that he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it. should be holy and without blemish." In these passages, and a few more like them, it would be absurd to define the term Church as meaning a particular congregation of Christians, meeting in one place for the worship of God.

Our business, however, is with the other signification of the word church. In a large majority of instances it is used in the Scriptures to denote a local assembly, convened for religious purposes. Thus we read of " the church at Jerusalem/' " the church of God which is at Corinth/' " the church of the Thessalonians," " the church of Ephesus," " the church in Smyrna," " the church in Pergamus," etc., etc. Nor are we to suppose that it required a large number of persons to constitute a church. Paul refers to Aquila and Priscilla and " the church that is in their house." to Nymphas and " the church which is in his house," and in his letter to Philemon he says, " to the church in thy house." A congregation of saints, organized according to the New- Testament, whether that congregation is large or small, is a church.

p. 7The inspired writers, as if to preclude the idea of a church commensurate with a province, a kingdom, or an empire, make use of the following forms of expression, " the churches of -Galatia," " the churches of Macedonia," " the churches of Asia/' " the churches of Judea " ; but they never say the church of Galatia, the church of Macedonia, etc. Wherever Christianity prevailed in apostolic times there was a plurality of churches.

p. 7In answer to the question, What is a church?/ it may be said: A church is a congregation of Christ's baptized disciples, acknowledging him as their Head, relying on his atoning sacrifice for justification before God, and depending on the Holy Spirit for sanctification, united in the j belief of the gospel, agreeing to maintain its I ordinances and obey its precepts, meeting together for worship, and cooperating for the extension of Christ's kingdom in the world. If any prefer an abridgment of the definition it may be given thus : A church is a congregation ( of Christ's baptized disciples, united in the belief of what he has said, and covenanting to do ^what he has commanded.

If this be a correct description of a church of Christ, it is manifest that membership must p. 8be preceded by important qualifications. These qualifications may be considered as moral and ceremonial.

Moral. Among moral prerequisites to church-membership may be mentioned Repentance. John the Baptist, whose ministry was " the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ," preached, saying to the people, " Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." His was the baptism of repentance. When John was cast into prison Jesus " came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, " The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand : repent ye and believe the gospel." When the apostles were sent forth they " preached that men should repent." The Lord Jesus after his resurrection said : " Thus it is written and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations." Peter on the day of Pentecost said, " Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins " ; and Paul, who testified at Ephesus for three years " repentance top. 9ward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ," proclaimed in Athens, " God commandeth all men everywhere to repent/' The New Testament is full of the doctrine of repentance. It is a doctrine of the gospel. The law knows nothing of it. The language of the law is, Do and live — not Repent, that you may be pardoned. Repentance involves such a change of mind in regard to sin as is indispensable to a proper appreciation of the blessings of the kingdom of Christ. Hence no impenitent sinner can constitutionally enter into the kingdom. There is no place more inappropriate for the impenitent than a church of Christ.

p. 9Faith. This is another moral qualification for church-membership. Great importance is in the Scriptures attached to faith in Christ, as will appear from the following passages : " He that believeth on him is not condemned." " He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." " These things are written that ye may believe ttiat Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye may have life through his name." " He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." " By him all that believe are justified from all things." " Whom God hath p. 10set forth as a propitiation through faith in his blood . . . that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." " Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. "