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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 | |