This article shows that the church is the most precious institution on earth, because it demanded the highest price ever paid for anything—the blood of Christ. Furthermore, the church is like heaven on earth, in the sense that this is where God's will is done on earth.

This article provides some reasons why Christians need to be members of a church.

Why should Christians go to church? This article explains.

God uses the church, both its leadership and its members, as his agent of evangelism.

The background to this article is the view sometimes still promoted that Paul was not converted, and that the Damascus Road experience was only a call to ministry. However, the way Luke portrays Paul in Acts 8-Acts 10 shows Saul to lack a right relationship with God. Luke accomplish this picture in part by contrasting the pre-conversion Saul with Stephen, the Ethiopian eunuch, and Cornelius.

What is the relationship between the New Testament church and the Old Testament people of God? Can we speak in any way of an Old Testament church? The thesis of this article is that throughout the history of the church there was a strong emphasis on the unity of the church with the Old Testament people of God. These convictions are expressed in most of the confessions produced in the time of the Reformation.

This article takes a fresh look at the apostle Paul's reference to the church as the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12 . He argues that this is just one of a number of images and analogies and that one should not press the analogy beyond the limits of Paul's intention.

What is the essence of the church? From 1 Timothy 3:15 this article shows that the essence of the church is that she upholds the truth. This article shows how the church upholds the truth in her worship, confessions, preaching, and eldership.

What is the nature of the ministry of the church in relation to the nature of the church? In this paper, the author wants to present an accurate picture of the nature of the Christian ministry as Paul conceived of it.

This paper is on Paul's view on the church, which comes out in different images he uses.

How is the church portrayed in the book of Acts? Giles responds to the idea that Acts represents a form of early catholicism. He argues that in such things as baptism, communal meals, and forms of leadership, the theology of Luke is simple and non-sacramental.

This article explains what it means that the Lord Jesus is present in the midst of those gathered as his church. In the explanation, the author includes describing this gathered group as an institution of God's redemptive grace. Also included are the requirements needed to constitute such a gathering and the promises that God gives to his people who are part of such a gathering.

This article examines an important document that functions in Anglican-Roman Catholic relations. The document was produced by ARCIC, i.e., the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission. Their statement on salvation and the church was generally received with little criticism.

The author discusses the evils of error, heresy, ignorance, and dissension that can be found in the church. As far as error is concerned, the author is convinced that no one hardly lives without error of some kind.

In this article, the contribution of J. Gresham Machen to understanding the relationship between the church and contemporary culture is discussed. His vision of Christian involvement in cultural life was different from the pietistic and revivalistic otherworldliness of many fundamentalists of his time.

What exactly is the mission of the church? This article suggests there are three aspects: the church exists to glorify God, build up the saints, and evangelize the world.

Christ promised to gather his church. This article explains that the gathering of the church in this earth points to the separation of believers from unbelievers.

Why did God use the metaphor of the body to describe the church? This article looks at 1 Corinthians 12:12 to show how understanding this metaphor helps in finding your gifts.

This article dwells on the fact that as God told Israel at times not to show pity, so the same remains for the church of Jesus Christ today, particularly where there is deliberate disobedience.

There are six reasons why the local church matters. Does the local church matter to you? Check the reasons for the importance of the church.

What is the function of the imperatives in Ephesians 6:10-18? Are they simply a call to personal piety? Reinhard argues that it is important to understand the larger message of this pericope that comes from its relationship to the rest of the letter. Individuals are empowered as members of the church to strive to become who they already are in Christ. Believers should recognize their place within the body of Christ.

The church does not exist for evangelism nor for discipleship. What then is the purpose of the church? This article explains.

What is the church? The author wants to reflect on what he calls the "essence of the church," by which he means something more than just the functions of the church. He wants to look at the church in terms of carrying on the mission of Jesus. He develops his approach following the paradigm of the offices Jesus fulfilled while he was on earth: prophet, priest, and king. His purpose is to give a Christological understanding of the church.

Whose task is it to do theology? How and where must it take place? Friedrich Schleiermacher's views on revelation as feeling and dialectical conversation are critically discussed. His view on the church as a "dialectical community" is considered, and appreciation is expressed for his view that theology is ultimately the task of the church.

There are two essential grounds for maintaining unity in the church: the authority of Scripture and the terms of the gospel. This article looks at the meaning of the church and whether schisms are justified within the church.

In this article Beale argues that some Old Testament and early Jewish references to a heavenly temple in the latter-days have contributed to the depiction of the Holy Spirit appearing as fire and other associated features in Acts 2.

This article continues the argument that certain Old Testament and early Jewish references to a temple form the background for the Holy Spirit appearing as of fire and associated features in Acts 2. It examines a number of Old Testament citations in Acts 2 in order to determine whether or not they relate to a temple theme.

Jesus is King over creation and over his Church. The article discusses how this truth should influence our daily worship of this awesome King.

One threat facing the church today is that of egalitarianism or democracy, which has an effect on the church office. We need to promote the right view of office and authority.

The church can repeat the sin of Jeroboam when it dethrones the King of the church from His rule of His church. This can be done by using the church for a political agenda or movement.

What should the relationship between the church and politics look like? This question is rooted in a bigger struggle; namely, the struggle of the church to relate to society in general. Sometimes politics is used by church members to try influence society. The author looks at church history to better understand how the church should relate to society. He focusses his discussion on freedom of religion and the difficulty in establishing a moral consensus.

Is the Holy Spirit working in this church? This article gives fourteen signs of the Holy Spirit from Acts 2 which should characterize the church of God.

Looking at John 17:6-11, this article shows that in His prayer Jesus pointed to the preservation of the church as the work of God, because God is glorified in the salvation of His people.

God refers to the church as a mystery. What is this mystery? The mystery is that from the beginning God intended to gather His church from all nations and tribes. He wanted His church to be international (a universal church), and not limited to the tribe of Israel. This mystery was made clear in Christ and forms the heart of mission work.

When a church identifies herself as the only church which holds to the truth of scripture it is refered to as denominational isolationism. This article shows the dangers of denominational isolationism; namely, that it leads to separatism and doctrinal pride. Confessing one holy catholic church sets the church free from such isolationism. 

"I believe in one holy, catholic and apostolic church." This confession was wholeheartedly embraced by the reformers. The reformers confessed that true unity can only be found in the truth of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Scriptures. This article calls today’s church to follow in the reformers' footsteps.

This article is an exposition of Lord's Day 21 of the Heidelberg Catechism, looking at the catholic church, the communion of saints, and the biblical teaching of forgiveness.

Why did God create the family unit? This author maintains that God created families for the sake of the church. The family serves the church and the church serves the family. The family also serves in the kingdom of God because it is the training ground for life in the church.

What is the relationship between believers and the seminary? The author makes it clear that believers serve the seminary and the seminary serves believers. The one cannot exist without the other. The seminary is the work of the church preparing ministers of the Gospel, and true faith depends on the preaching of the Gospel, which is what makes the believer. In this sense seminary and saints are sine qua non.

What is the relationship between believers and the seminary? The author makes it clear that believers serve the seminary and the seminary serves believers. The one cannot exist without the other. The seminary is the work of the church preparing ministers of the Gospel, and true faith depends on the preaching of the Gospel, which is what makes the believer. In this sense seminary and saints are sine qua non.

John Wycliffe was called the forerunner of the Reformation. What caused him to have that title? This article focuses on the struggle Wycliffe faced within the Roman Catholic Church. His view of the church and God’s predestination caused him to stand up against the heresy and corruption within the Roman Catholic Church.

Why do believers gather in church for worship? In worship, God bestows His grace and blessings on believers.

This article is about evangelism and welcoming new converts into the church.

This article is about the importance for Christians to become a member of the church through profession of faith.

The church is the bride of Christ. The author of this article discusses the means of grace, church ordinances, church government and discipline from this perspective.

The mother of God’s children, the bride of Christ, is the church. This church is also described as the new Jerusalem in Revelation.

This article addresses the topic of Christian education in the local church, which serves to stimulate church growth. The author identifies the origins of Christian education as being rooted in Jesus Christ’s teaching, and outlines eight ways to strengthen local Christian education efforts.

This article discusses preaching and church mission. There can be the temptation to evangelize in a way which appeals to our current culture, using ways other than preaching to interest people in the gospel. However, powerful spiritual gospel preaching is the essence of evangelism.

This article speaks about people leaving a church and the reasons why they leave. It discusses the history of Martin Luther leaving the Roman Catholic Church, Dr. J. Gresham Machen leaving the Presbyterian Church, and Pastor Bill Hill leaving the Southern Presbyterian Church. In light of this history, the author comes to a conclusion about when it is appropriate and necessary to leave the church.

This article discusses the true definition of the church, as well as the chief characteristics of the church: holiness and fellowship.

This article on Ephesians 3:10 shows that the meeting of God's people in church serves to teach also the angels. Through the church the manifold wisdom of God's grace and mercy is revealed to the angels.

One danger facing the church today is the belief in napoleonism - that God works only through the big movements, charismatic individuals, etc. However, God also works through His church, through small things and weak people.

If our lives are to mirror the great lessons of yesterday's reformation, we must pursue today's reformation by reforming our minds, family, church, and preaching.

Looking at how Paul dealt with church issues in his letter to the Colossians, this article shows that exalting Christ is the way to deal with problems in the church. The gospel is the solution, and the gospel must be preached to all.

This article on Ephesians 5:22-33 describes Christ's relationship to the church in terms of a marriage relationship. This marriage relationship can be understood in the context of Old Testament arranged marriages.

One mark of the Christian life is loving God's people. Pietism has an emphasis on personal devotion, and its claim that there is no true church undermines this mark of being a Christian.

This article examines replacement theology and the idea that the church has replaced Israel.

This article calls for the recovery of addressing one another as saints, as the Bible calls us to. We are brothers and sisters in Christ, and should view the church as a family. How we describe ourselves affects how we see each other.

God's church exists as a family. This bond means churches have the obligation to carry each other and help one another, wherever God opens the door for the preaching of the gospel. In this article the author uses the example of the church in Malta caring for Paul, because they found their unity in Christ.

This is the second article in a series on the work of the Holy Spirit. The church is the body of Christ, with Christ as the Head. Such a church only exists through the work of the Holy Spirit. This article shows how the Spirit shapes the unity of the church and her worship.

This article discusses three reasons why the church today may not be experiencing revival. The author also states that the church can show her desire for revival through prayer, being a living sacrifice, and fighting sin.

The Bible portrays the relationship of Christ and His church through the image of a shepherd and his sheep. The example of sheep points to the Christian's tendancy to stray, their vulnerability and their need for the flock. In contrast, the image of Shepherd points to Christ as one who protects, nurtures and gathers the sheep.

This article on the Apostles' Creed describes what Christians confess when they say that they believe in the holy catholic church and the communion of saints.

Holiness is an attribute of the catholic church that makes her antithetical to the world. This article shows how this holiness is manifested in a particular church, showing the connection between the catholic church and the individual church.

The fact that Christians are citizens of two cities has an impact on how one understands the mission of the church. This article shows that Christians can witness to the world through being involved in politics.

Spirituality of the church doctrine can be better understood when one studies the link between the two kingdoms in Calvin's theology - the spiritual kingdom and the political kingdom.Should the church address social and political issues?

Reflecting on the modern trend where the self has become the law, this article shows how rebellion against the law can be used by Satan to bring worldliness in the church. The cure can be found in keeping the balance between justification and sanctification. This is the fourth and final article in a series looking at some examples of worldly thinking infiltrating the church. 

This article shows how the church can become worldly by desiring to appear to be normal before the world. In this article, the author shows how Satan uses the desire for normality to bring a worldly influence into the worship service. This is the second in a series of four articles looking at some examples of worldly thinking infiltrating the church. 

The author of Hebrews understood the church to be the people of the wilderness. Therefore, he wrote his letter in order to exhort them to endurance, since as Christians remaining in the wilderness they should have expected suffering. This endurance can only come through Christ, by seeing His superiority, incarnation and superior offering, in keeping with the understanding of promise and punishment.

Starting from the conviction that the church in both the New Testament and Old Testament is one church, this article draws the beginning of the church from Adam and Eve to the New Testament church. From the beginning God intended to build one united church, and the division of the two kingdoms and the exile shows that sin separates God's people.

This article looking at Ephesians 2:11-22 shows how in Christ God has made the church to be a uniting place. In Christ, the church has become the Israel of God, a people of God not limited by race, colour nor place. Racism can truly be abolished by the gospel, ushering in the new nation where unity and diversity can be celebrated.

Looking at Ephesians 2:1-10, this article shows that the church consists of people whose lives have been changed by God's grace, so that they become doers of good and the portrait of God's grace.

Looking at Luke 7, this article shows that the church consists of forgiven sinners gathered together by God's grace, who encourage each other to fight against sin in their lives.

Defining the church both from the Old Testament and New Testament, this article shows that the church started in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament we see the continuation of the church. The author discusses how the church is the gathered people of God who worship God and listen to His Word. Believers, therefore, find their identity in being part of this group of people.

Regardless of the size of the church, every church within the church federation forms the body of Christ. Therefore, no church should accept members from another church without the consent of the church where the members are coming from. In this way the boundaries of churches in the federation are respected.

The present essay links the “greater works” passage in John 14:12 with other passages in John’s Gospel with similar wording or similar theological or terminological content. After a brief survey of the history of interpretation of the reference to believers’ “greater works” in John, an effort is made to draw implications from the present study’s findings for the self-understanding and practice of the contemporary church’s task and mission.

The aim of this article is to provide some indication of the fruitfulness of exegetical study of one particular text, 1 Peter, for the counselor's task. It wants to motivate the counselor to integrate ever more completely the study of Scripture with pastoral care. The author discusses the Christian's position in this world, suffering, the church as household of God, and the task of elders.

What does it mean that the the church must be "always reforming"? This is a call expressed in the well-known saying ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda. In this article Andrew Atherstone argues that the motto lays down a challenge to both radicals and conservatives in today’s church. It is a motto which sums up the sense of restless and continual energy of the church reforming seeking to be what the Lord wants her to be.

Congregations, so long the normative form of church life, are under threat. Haddon Willmer demonstrates how the threats come from social and economic forces. The situation is made worse by the internal loss of bearings in churches themselves. In particular he identifies the flight from a critical intellectual life and the problems of inculturating faith in our twenty-first century world.

"How can I find a church where I will hear Christ preached from his Word? Where is his glory not camouflaged under lots of fluff and distractions?" We can appreciate the concern and even frustration that accompanies the search for the right place to worship. In the first place however, as with product labels, it is important to recognize what church labels mean and don't mean.

This article on the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 31 is about church membership and the church.

This article on the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 26:2 is about communion of saints and the church.

This article on the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 26:2 is about the church.

This article on the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 26:1 is about the communion of saints and the church.

This article on the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 25:6 is about the church and the papacy.

This article on the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 25:4 and 5 is about the church.

This article on the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 25:3 is about salvation and the church.

This article on the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 25:2 is about salvation and the church.

This article on the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 25:1 is about the church and church membership.

In this article about the relation of Israel and the church, the author looks at the separation of Israel and the church, the place of the church and the kingdom in the history of God, and God's one purpose of salvation.

How should the minister view the congregation? How should the preacher address sin in the congregation? The author looks at the way Paul addresses the church, and what it means that the pastor is preaching to the church of Christ. He also looks at the place of the promises of God, faith and repentance in the preaching.

This article about homosexuality first looks at the question: what does the Bible say about homosexuality? It then discusses how the church should deal with the place of homosexuals within its fellowship. Lastly it looks at homosexuality in society.

This article is about the future of the reformed faith, truth in theology and commitment in the church.

This article is about the importance of doctrine, and the place of love and truth in the church. The teaching task of the church is also discussed.

In this article on 1 Peter 2:4-5, the church as fellowship of believers is discussed, as well as the service of the church.

This article is about the church and election. The author looks at the visible church and invisible church distinction, the relation of church and faith/believers, and church membership. Jesus Christ and the church is also discussed.

From the viewpoint of the Reformation, the author looks at the centrality of the church, the one church (and seeking unity), the basis for church unity, and the form of this unity.

Why does the church exist? For the world or for the glory of God? There is a danger that the church does not see its mission task, but also that it becomes man-centered.

In this article the catholic (universal) character of church is discussed. The relation of the church to the Triune God also receives some attention.

This article is about the doctrine of the church as we see it in the Reformed confessions and in the time of the Reformation. It also looks at distinctions such as the visible and invisible church and the true and false church.

This article is about the church's duty and calling to do mission work.

This article is about the place of the church in evangelism, and the necessity for the church to see this calling.

This article is about communication in the church. The author looks at differences in the church, listening and our convictions, pride, and suspicions in the church.

This article is about church and pride, and exclusiveness in the church.

This article is about the relation of family and church. In the education of our children parents and church work together. The author also looks at home schooling.

Are we justified because we associate with certain people? This article looks at justification by faith, our association with Jesus Christ, our association with the church and the lordship of Jesus Christ.

This article is about Thascius Cyprian (200 to 258 A.D.), his relation to Decius, and his view on the church.