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| Series Introduction | |
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| Preface | |
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| Abbreviations | |
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| Foundational Issues | |
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| Introduction to Ecclesiology | |
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| Ecclesial Background and Experience | |
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| Basic Idea of the Church | |
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| Ecclesiology as a Doctrine | |
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| The Scope of Ecclesiology | |
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| The Sufficiency of Scripture | |
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| Other Sources | |
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| The Methodology for Ecclesiology | |
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| Continuity and Discontinuity between the Testaments | |
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| Biblical Language: Prescription versus Description | |
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| Basic Approaches to Ecclesiology | |
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| Concluding Question: Is Ecclesiology an Important Doctrine? | |
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| The Church of the New Covenant | |
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| The Concept of the Church | |
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| The Concept of Covenant | |
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| Covenants That Were Operative before Christ | |
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| The Church of the New Covenant | |
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| The Inception of the Church | |
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| The Relationship of the Church and Israel | |
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| The Relationship of the Church and the Kingdom of God | |
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| The Identity of the Kingdom of God | |
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| The Church and the Kingdom as God's Universal Rule and Eternal Dominion | |
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| The Church and the Kingdom as Israel | |
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| The Church and the Kingdom as Belonging to the Son of Man/Davidic King | |
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| The Church and the Kingdom as an Inaugurated Reality | |
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| The Church and the Kingdom as an Eschatological Reality | |
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| The Biblical Vision-Characteristics of the Church | |
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| Characteristics Regarding the Origin and Orientation of the Church | |
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| Introduction | |
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| The Church Is Doxological | |
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| The Church Is Logocentric | |
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| Logos: Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word of God | |
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| Logos: Scripture, the Inspired Word of God | |
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| The Church Is Pneumadynamic | |
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| Affirming the Church as Doxological, Logocentric, and Pneumadynamic | |
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| Characteristics Regarding the Gathering and Sending of the Church | |
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| Introduction | |
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| The Church Is Covenantal | |
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| The Church in New Covenant Relationship with God through Christ | |
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| Church Members in Covenant Relationship with One Another | |
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| The Church as Covenantal: Some Specifications | |
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| The Church Is Confessional | |
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| Personal Confession of Faith in the Saving | |
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| Lordship of Jesus Christ | |
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| A Common, Corporate Confession of the Church's Faith | |
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| A Proposal | |
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| The Church Is Missional | |
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| The Church Is Spatio-temporal/Eschatological | |
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| The Vision Actualized-The Growth of the Church | |
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| The Purity and Unity of the Church | |
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| The Purity of the Church | |
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| The Reality of More-Pure and Less-Pure Churches | |
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| The Unity of the Church | |
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| Foundations of Church Unity | |
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| Maintaining Church Unity | |
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| Church Discipline | |
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| Definition and Its Biblical Support | |
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| Two Key Texts and Their Application to Church Discipline | |
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| Matthew 18:15-20 | |
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| 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (with 2 Corinthians 2:5-11) | |
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| Other Matters Requiring Church Discipline | |
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| Heretical Teaching | |
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| Divisiveness | |
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| Idleness | |
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| Leadership Failures | |
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| The Practice of Church Discipline | |
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| The Government of the Church | |
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| The Offices of the Church | |
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| The Office of Apostle | |
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| The Apostles and Their Qualifications | |
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| The Ministries of the Apostles | |
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| The Cessation of the Office of Apostle | |
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| The Office of Elder | |
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| Qualifications | |
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| Responsibilities | |
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| The Limitation of the Office of Elder to Qualified Men | |
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| The Complementarian Position | |
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| The Egalitarian Position | |
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| Responses to the Egalitarian Position | |
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| A Challenge from the Complementarian Position | |
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| The Office of Deacon/Deaconess | |
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| The Office of Service | |
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| Qualifications and Responsibilities | |
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| The Accessibility of the Office of Deacon to Both Men and Women (Deaconesses) | |
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| Types of Church Government | |
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| Introduction | |
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| The Supreme Headship of Jesus Christ | |
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| Historical Types of Church Government | |
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| Episcopalianism | |
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| Description | |
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| Biblical and Theological Support | |
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| Misapprehensions and Misgivings | |
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| Presbyterianism | |
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| Description | |
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| Biblical and Theological Support | |
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| Misapprehensions and Misgivings | |
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| Congregationalism | |
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| Description | |
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| Biblical and Theological Support | |
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| Misapprehensions and Misgivings | |
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| Varieties of Congregationalism | |
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| Single Pastor with Board of Deacons | |
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| Plurality of Elders | |
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| A Model of Church Governance | |
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| Support for Strong Connections among Congregational Churches | |
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| Biblical Examples | |
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| Lessons Learned from Episcopalianism and Presbyterianism | |
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| Historical Precedents | |
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| Intense Longing for Cooperation | |
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| A Proposal for the Governance of Congregational Churches | |
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| Excursus: Multisite Churches | |
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| Biblical Support | |
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| Theological Support | |
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| A Multisite Church Model | |
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| The Ordinances of the Church | |
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| Baptism | |
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| Sacraments and Ordinances: General Discussion | |
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| A Brief History of the Development of Baptismal Theology and Practice | |
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| Baptism in the Early Church | |
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| The Turn to Infant Baptism | |
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| Reformation Changes to Baptism | |
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| Martin Luther | |
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| Huldrych Zwingli | |
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| The Anabaptists | |
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| John Calvin | |
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| Post-Reformation Developments | |
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| The Current Theological Divide between Paedobaptism and Believer's Baptism: Who Is to Be Baptized? | |
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| Key Tenets of Infant Baptism (or Paedobaptism) | |
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| Key Tenets of Believer's Baptism (or Credobaptism) | |
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| Evaluation of Believer's Baptism by Paedobaptism, and Rejoinders by Believer's Baptism | |
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| Evaluation of Paedobaptism by Believer's Baptism, and Rejoinders by Paedobaptism | |
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| The Practice of Believer's Baptism | |
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| The Mode of Baptism | |
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| The Meaning of Baptism | |
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| Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation? | |
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| Miscellaneous Matters for Believer's Baptism | |
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| The Lord's Supper | |
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| Historical Development: The Early and Medieval Church | |
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| The Five Principal Views of the Lord's Supper | |
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| Catholic Transubstantiation | |
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| Lutheran Consubstantiation (or Sacramental Union) | |
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| Zwinglian Memorial View | |
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| Calvinist Spiritual Presence View | |
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| Anabaptist and Baptist Views | |
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| Biblical and Theological Framework | |
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| The Institution by Jesus Christ | |
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| The Pauline Tradition | |
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| My Perspective and Matters of Application | |
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| The Nature of the Lord's Supper | |
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| Regular Observance with Biblically Prescribed Elements | |
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| Participants in the Lord's Supper | |
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| Participation in a Worthy Manner | |
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| A Symbol of Church Unity | |
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| A Proleptic Celebration | |
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| The Ministries of the Church | |
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| Ministries of the Church | |
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| Divine Enablement for Ministry: Spiritual Gifts | |
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| Apostles/Apostleship | |
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| Prophets/Prophecy | |
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| Teachers/Teaching/Pastor-teachers | |
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| Evangelists | |
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| Utterance of Wisdom and Utterance of Knowledge | |
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| Exhortation | |
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| Leading/Administration | |
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| Faith | |
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| Service/Helping | |
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| Giving | |
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| Acts of Mercy | |
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| Gifts of Healing | |
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| Working of Miracles/Miracles | |
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| Distinguishing of Spirits | |
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| Kinds of Tongues | |
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| Interpretation of Tongues | |
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| Other "Gifts" | |
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| The Church Worships the Triune God | |
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| Defining Worship | |
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| Regulative Principle versus Normative Principle | |
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| The Church Proclaims the Word of God | |
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| The Church Engages Non-Christians with the Gospel | |
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| The Church Disciples Its Members | |
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| Christian Education | |
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| Community Life | |
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| The Church Cares for People | |
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| Prayer | |
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| Giving | |
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| Financial Support of Pastors | |
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| Assistance for Those in Need | |
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| The Church Is for and against the World | |
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| Conclusion | |
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| Sojourners and Strangers | |
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| Scripture Index | |
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| General Index | |