A seminar that led to a greater understanding of the church and her organization
The Course Description
A seminar on the major issues concerning doctrine and practice of the church from a biblical context. This will include such topics as the relationship between the church and Israel, governance structures of the church, the traditional marks of the church, the ordinances of the church, as well as the church’s mission in the world. In addition, current methodological issues surrounding the doctrine of the church will be addressed.
This Seminar Dr. John Mark Yeats and Jonathan Leema (visiting professor and editor of 9Marks online magazine)
The Course Objectives
- The student will clearly articulate a doctrinal position regarding the nature and purpose of the church.
- The student will clearly articulate the major understandings of the church that have existed throughoutChristian history and how they compare to a Baptist ecclesiology.
- The student will understand the doctrinal relationship between ecclesiology and the other doctrines of theChristian faith that impact ecclesiology.
- The student will be able to articulate clearly the connection between doctrinal positions and practice, so thatthe student can show how the doctrine of the church is to be put into practice.
Reading for the Seminar
1. Bray, Gerald. The Church: A Theological and Historical Account Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2016. 9780801030864 252 pages.
2. Clowney, Edmund P. The Church: Contours in Christian Theology. Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP, 1997 290 pages.
3. Dever, Mark Polity: Biblical Arguments on How to Conduct Church Life, Center for Church Reform, 2001. excerpts 134 pages.
4. Dever, Mark and Jonathan Leeman, ads. Baptist Foundations: Church Government for an Anti-Institutional Age, edited by Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman. Nashville, TN: B&H, 2015. pages 1-46, 331-380.
5. Kung, Hans. The Church. Translated by Ray and Rosalyn Ockenden. New York: Burns and Oates, 1967. 489 pages.
6. Leeman, Jonathan. One Assembly: Rethinking the Multisite and Multiservice Models. Wheaton: Crossway, 2020. 978-1433559594. 112 pages.
7. Leeman, Jonathan. Don’t Fire Your Church Members: The Case for Congregationalism. Nashville: B&H, 2016. 978- 1433686238. 208 pages.
8. Schreiner, Thomas R. and Shawn D. Wright, eds. Believer’s Baptist: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2006. 978-0805432497 293 pages.
9. Schreiner, Thomas R. and Matthew R. Crawford. The Lord’s Supper: Remembering and Proclaiming Christ Until He Comes. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2010. 978-0805447576 352 pages.
10. Merkle, Benjamin L. and Thomas R. Schreiner. Shepherding God’s Flock: Biblical Leadership in the New Testament and Beyond. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2014. 978-0825442568 320 pages.
11. Ott, Craig. The Church on Mission: A Biblical Vision for Transformation among All People. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2019), 978-1540960887 121 pages.
12. Sexton, Jason S. Four Views on the Church’s Mission, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2018, pages 17-52, 63-97. 978- 0310522737.
13. Volf, Miroslav. After Our Likeness: The Church in the Likeness of the Trinity Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997, 280 pages. 978-0802844408.
14. OPTIONAL – Bannerman, James. A Treatise on the Nature, Powers, Ordinances, Discipline, and Government of the Christian Church. Banner of Truth, 2015. 9781848715028 $50.00 1040 pages. NOTE: The readings for this volume will be made available in Canvas from public domain. This overall volume is fantastic and worth the purchase, though if interested.
15. Canvas Readings: articles provided on the Student Portal website.
a. Bannerman, James. The Church of Christ part II; part III.I.I; part III.II.I; part III.III.I; part IV.I.
b. Leeman, Jonathan. “The Old Testament Background to a Doctrine of the Church,” in the Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, edited by D. A. Carson, Gregory Beale, Benjamin Gladd, Andrew Naselli. (Baker. Forthcoming).
c. ________. “The Church: Universal and Local,” essay at The Gospel Coalition, 7 pages.
d. ________. “A Baptist View of the Royal Priesthood of All Believers,” in The Southern BaptistJournal of Theology, 23.1 (2019), 22 pages.
e. ________. “The Relationship of Church and State,” essay at The gospel Coalition, 10 pages.
f. ________. “Churches: Not Lobbying Organizations, but Embassies of Heaven,” in How the Nations Rage: Rethinking Faith and Politics for a Divided Age (Thomas Nelson, 2018), 32 pages.
g. ________. “We Come in Peace: Churches as Gospel Apologetic,” in Primer magazine, 15 pages.
Papers submitted for the course
Paper on Doctrines of the Church (Baptism, Lord’s Supper, etc.)
Moments With Matt 