Ecclesiology:
After having briefly presented to you the nature of the covenant of grace, we promised to discuss three subjects more extensively:
1)
the Surety of the covenant;
2)
the partakers of the covenant, who constitute the church; and
3)
the ways whereby the Lord Jesus leads His partakers of this covenant to glory, or the benefits of which the Lord makes them partakers. The first subject we have already discussed in chapters 17–23, and we will now proceed to discuss the second subject: the partakers of the covenant. When considered together, they are referred to as the
church
or
congregation
.
The Church: Known from the Word of God
First, it is necessary to state clearly and succinctly what the church is in her essential nature, in order that everyone may know which congregation he ought to join. They who belong to the true church ought to rejoice, exclaiming, “Christ is here!” for Christ only dwells in the true church. Only there, by His Spirit, is He engaged in the work of conversion, consolation, and sanctification. “For there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore” (Psa. 133:3).
Therefore one must search the Word of God to discern which congregation constitutes the church. I repeat, search the Word, for the veracity of God’s Word is not determined by the church, even though she preserves, protects, and proclaims the Word entrusted to her (Rom. 3:2), and thus is called “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). The true church, however, is identified by the Word of God, for she is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Eph. 2:20). Scripture also teaches that one must first be instructed before one can be admitted to the sacraments, that is, be admitted into the church community. This is confirmed in the following texts: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them” (Matt. 28:19); “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized” (Acts 2:41); “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus...and the eunuch said...what doth hinder me to be baptized?” (Acts 8:35–36).
Since there are so many churches which call themselves the Christian church , we are at present all the more obligated to search the Word of God in order to ascertain which is the true church, and which congregation holds to the truth. He who therefore