The Church of Christ: A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today

Front Cover
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1996 - 443 pages
The Church of Christ develops the affirmation that Christ is not complete without his people. It grounds ecclesiology in Christology and soteriology. Beginning with the Old Testament basis of the New Testament teaching about the church, the book gives a consistent correlation of Christ with the church's nature, membership, assemblies, ministry, and life.

This is not a historical study but a doctrinal study. The aim is to present a biblical theology of the church. A doctrinal approach, however, does not mean a doctrinal scheme is imposed on the text; rather, the effort is to let the doctrinal teaching arise out of the text itself.

The systematic treatment of the topics traditionally covered in studies of the doctrine of the church are here brought together in relationship to Christ, who is seen as providing the nature of the church and of its membership and as providing not only the example for the church but also a living continuation of himself in its worship, polity, and ethics.

The "Today" in the subtitle does not imply a tailoring of biblical ecclesiology to the interests of the present, but is meant to emphasize that biblical ecclesiology is viable today; it is also an acknowledgment that the questions addressed are in part shaped by contemporary as well as historical issues in ecclesiology. In light of these considerations, Ferguson unveils a comprehensive model of the church that is both biblically centered and relevant to today's world.

From inside the book

Contents

III
1
IV
2
V
18
VI
33
VII
36
VIII
56
IX
71
X
72
XXVIII
231
XXIX
236
XXX
243
XXXI
247
XXXII
281
XXXIV
290
XXXV
298
XXXVI
318

XI
73
XII
91
XIII
103
XIV
114
XV
121
XVI
124
XVII
129
XVIII
135
XIX
137
XX
148
XXI
163
XXII
203
XXIII
207
XXIV
208
XXV
212
XXVI
218
XXVII
226
XXXVII
329
XXXVIII
333
XXXIX
337
XL
344
XLI
346
XLII
349
XLIII
350
XLIV
351
XLV
364
XLVI
373
XLVII
390
XLVIII
396
XLIX
399
L
411
LI
418
Copyright

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About the author (1996)

Everett Ferguson is professor emeritus of Bible anddistinguished scholar-in-residence at Abilene ChristianUniversity, Abilene, Texas. Among his books areBackgrounds of Early Christianity, now in itsthird edition, and The Church of Christ: A BiblicalEcclesiology for Today (both Eerdmans).

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