What makes a healthy church? In this episode of Logos Live, I talk with Mark Dever about the Bible’s vision for the church.
Ecclesiology
The Keys of the Kingdom (Matthew 16:19) | Jonathan Leeman
What does Jesus mean by the “keys of the kingdom,” and to whom does he give them? Jonathan Leeman joins me on What in the Word? to discuss the Matthew 16:19.
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Baptist Ecclesiology as Continued Reform, an Extension of the Reformation
Hercules Collins’ An Orthodox Catechism is a Baptist adaptation of the Reformed Heidelberg Catechism. In his, preface, Collins compares the theological development by these early Baptists to the reforms under Joshua, Hezekiah, and Ezra and Nehemiah, as they went back to scripture to recover “true worship” as prescribed by God. Collins specifically mentions that these Particular Baptists agree with the other “orthodox divines” in the “fundamental principles.” They simply differ on some things about “church-constitution” (ecclesiology). In other words, Collins sees the Baptists as providing further reformation (like Joshua, Hezekiah, Ezra, Nehemiah) specifically in the realm of ecclesiology (“church-constitution,” “the true form of God’s house”). In other words, early Baptists saw themselves as simply continuing in the spirit of the Protestant Reformation, extending Reformation principles to ecclesiology.
I will quote the entirety of his explanation:
Continue readingWhat Does it Mean to Be Baptist?: Baptist Distinctives, Origins, Significant Figures, and More
“What comes to mind when you hear the word “Baptist”? I asked this question online, and to no great surprise I received an array of answers. Some think of an energetic church choir with colorful robes. Others think of solemn, even stuffy Sunday services where expressions of emotion are frowned upon. Some think of fiery, revivalistic preaching complete with weekly altar calls. Others think of detailed doctrinal expositions. One friend remarked that, in his experience, when some folks try to describe Baptists, they have an easier time listing things some Baptists don’t believe in (alcohol, dancing) than providing what Baptists do believe!
These responses are all quite understandable. Baptists are a diverse bunch.
So who are Baptists? And what do Baptists actually believe? In this article, we seek to answer theses question, giving the reader a basic primer on the Baptist tradition—with a view to using its resources for one’s study of Scripture.”
Who Can Take the Lord’s Supper?: Understanding Close Communion (with Dallas Vandiver)
Who ought to be allowed to partake of the Lord’s Supper? Maybe this question has never occurred to you, or you’ve always assumed the answer was obvious! Well, in this episode, Dr. Dallas Vandiver joins me to talk about a historic position known as ‘close communion,’ that the Lord’s Supper ought to be reserved for baptized members in good standing of a gospel-believing church.
Access the episode here. (Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and more.)
Dallas Vandiver’s book, Who Can Take the Lord’s Supper?: A Biblical-Theological Argument for Close Communion.
Dallas Vandiver’s shorter article summarizing the arguments of the book:
Kirk E. Miller 