Questions on the Doctrine of the Church:
By Brian H. Wagner (last edited 4-24-14)
Questions Covered – (Hyperlinked to Answers Given)
1. What is the usage of ekklesia in Classical Greek and the LXX?
2. What is ekklesia developed sense within the New Testament?
3. Does the NT indicate the local church should have a board of lay-elders?
4. Is there any congregational partnership with elders in the governing of the church?
5. Do I Timothy 3:11 and Romans 16:1 teach an order of deaconesses?
6. Why is baptismal regeneration not taught in John 3:5, Mk.16:15; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16?
7. Why is infant baptism an unsound teaching and a harmful practice?
8. What is the diffe e e et ee Joh the Baptist s p a ti e of aptis a d Ch istia
baptism practiced by the Church?
9. Why do some denominations use Trine immersion in Christian baptism?
10. What is alien baptism?
11. What is proxy baptism (cf. 1Cor.15:29)?
12. What a e the diffe e t ie s o the Lo d s “uppe i Ch iste do ?
13. Wh do Ch ist s o ds, This is od a d This is lood i Matt. : -28, not
give support to the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation?
14. Should wine, oinos, ei g used i the Lo d s “uppe ?
15. Ca othe ele e ts esides i e a d u lea e ed ead e used i the Lo d s “uppe ?
16. What is closed communion, as practiced in Landmark Baptist congregations?
17. Why do some denominations reject the practice of baptism or both baptism and the
Lo d s “uppe ?
18. Why should not foot washing also be a church ordinance according to John 13:1-17?
19. What spiritual gifts are not for the church today?
20. Is there the gift of exorcism today?
21. Can a Christian be indwelt by a demon?
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1. What is the usage of ekklesia in Classical Greek and the LXX?
The Nature of the Church s Ea l D. ‘ad a he 1 provides a thorough word study of
ekklesia in Classical Greek, the Septuagint (LXX) and the koine Greek of the New Testament.
Concerning the use ekklesia i Classi al G eek, ‘ad a he o ludes, The lassi al ekklesia
as al a s lo al a d auto o ous, ut it had o eligious asso iatio s. 2
He also points out,
The lack of the definite article in classical writings indicates that something about the
essential nature of the religious ekklesia [i.e. as found in the NT] found no analogy in the
secular ekklesiai [i.e. as found in Classical Greek]. Thus, whatever similarities may be
found, they are only external, organizational similarities. . . . But it must be remembered
that these were simply organizational similarities without religious meaning. 3
As to the LXX use of ekklesia, Radmacher points out that it is only one among several
other Greek words used to translate the Hebrew qahal. He the states, The e fa t that
qahal is translated by seven different Greek words demonstrates the breadth of the word and
demands a complete study in order to understand what facet of the word is brought out when
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it is so often translated by ekklesia. After his thorough research of LXX usage of ekklesia he
concludes:
A comparison of the seventy-seven passages in which ekklesia is used [i.e. in the OT LXX]
has revealed that an ekklesia may meet for any purpose (religious, political, military,
judicial, national, or racial), but there always seems to be some deliberative purpose for
its meeting. The word itself does not signify the nature or purpose of its constituency: it
only points to the group identity and autonomous prerogatives. Second, the
qualifications for the constituency may vary to a great extent, yet one qualification is
constant: to be a member of an ekklesia a person must be physically present at the
assembly. The ekklesia is never contemplated as a spiritual fact, independent of spatial
and temporal limitations [i.e. as found in NT usage].5
1
Radmacher, Earl D. The Nature of the Church (Hayesville, NC: Schoettle Publishing Co.,
1996)
2
Ibid., p. 371.
3
Ibid., p. 121.
4
Ibid., p. 124.
5
Ibid., p. 372.
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Radmacher wants the reader to see this as definitive proof that by the time of first century,
ekklesia had not yet developed as a term for the entire community of the redeemed. It would
only develop this nuance of meaning by the apostles after the beginning to the divine ekklesia
at Pe te ost, afte Ch ist s Passio . It would therefore be theologically inconsistent to try and
see the NT idea of ekklesia found anywhere in the OT based on the use of this word.
2. What is ekklesia developed sense within the New Testament?
The term ekklesia is found in the NT text 114 times. Five times it is used in a non-
Christian sense: three times generically for a Gentile gathering (Acts 19:32, 39, & 41) and two
times for an OT Jewish gathering (Acts 7:38, Hebrews 2:12). The majority of its uses, over
ninety times, are in a local sense. Some of these can be seen having the Classical Greek or LXX
nuance, i.e. as only in existence when the gathering takes place, e.g. en ekklesia, as in
1Corinthians 11:18, 14:19, 28, 35. But most indicate a recognizable membership associated
together in a recognizable local community like a city, e.g. the church of the Laodiceans
(Colossian 4:16), . . .of the Thessalonians (1Thessalonians 1:1), and . . .of Ephesus (Revelation
2:1). When speaking of a larger geographical area, such as a province, the plural of ekklesia is
always employed by NT authors, e.g. the churches of Galatia (1Corinthians 16:1), . . . of
Macedonia (2Corinthians 8:1), and . . . of Judea (Galatians 1:22).
Though not used as often as it is in the local sense, ekklesia is seen by its context in a
significant number of NT Scriptures revealing a unique theological meaning. It is used over a
doze ti es to i di ate the e e ship of Ch ist s spi itual od of t ue elie e s, hi h
ega at Pe te ost, te da s afte Ch ist s as e sio . It as upo that da that this od , this
church, was formed, by the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts1:5 and 11:15-16). This
baptizing work of pla i g all elie e s i to the od of Ch ist is o fi ed i the Apostle Paul s
tea hi g Co i thia s : . This od ould ot ha e sta ted efo e Ch ist s as e sio , fo it
was in His ascension that He became the Head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22) and then He sent
the Holy Spirit to begin His baptizing work of forming this spiritual body, to give it its life and
gifts. This spi itual e tit , alled the ekklesia , which from God s pe spe ti e a o l o tai
the regenerate, is also metaphorically identified in the NT Scripture as a building of living stones
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(Matthew 6:18, 1Peter 2:4f), a bride chosen by Christ (Ephesians 5:22f), a kingdom of priests
(Revelation 1:4-6) and a flock of Sheep (Acts 20:28f, John 10:16).
In all its uses in the NT, ekklesia is never used for 1) an international denomination, such
as the ‘o a Catholi Chu h , a atio al de o i atio , su h as the Chu h of E gla d,
3) a theological association, su h as a Baptist Chu h , a uildi g, su h as the la ge hu h
o Mai “t eet, o i the plu al fo o e it , su h as the fou la gest hu hes i ‘i h o d.
Though the apostles of Christ are associated with the foundation of the Church (Ephesians 2:20)
and the future millennial rule of Israel (Matthew 19:28), there is no need to see the Church as a
epla e e t fo atio al Is ael o the Chu h s fo atio as a allego i al fulfill e t of lite al
OT promises made directly to national Israel. The Church and Israel are clearly kept separate in
the apostle Paul s tea hi g i ‘o a s 9-11 and 1Corinthians 10:32.
More needs to be done in the area of defining the local church in relation to its NT
usage. The si gula it of the lo al flo k f o God s pe spective for each city or town is plainly
revealed in the Scriptures, though each local church may have had a number of meeting places
or individually recognized congregations. This is especially seen in passages such as Acts 2:46,
20:28, Romans 16, Titus 1:5, and 1Corinthians 1:10.
3. Does the NT indicate the local church should have a board of lay-
elders?
Contrary to what some may teach, 1Timothy 5:17 does not speak of two types of elders,
i.e. a professional teaching elder and a lay non-teaching elder who just rules. It speaks of all
elders as ruling and teaching, though some rule well, or preside well (Gk. proistemi), because
they work harder than the rest in their teaching ministry. All the other verses in the NT speak
of elders as one homogenous group, and linking them with the teaching office of bishop (Acts
20, 1Timothy 3, Titus 1) and with the teaching or feeding ministry of shepherding (pastoring)
(Acts 20:28, 1Peter 5:2). Though there will be, and should be, elders who know how to labor
with their own hands to make money (Acts 20:34-35), the Biblical idea is that there are to be no
lay-elders in the sense of local church leaders who are without the calling and qualifications
listed in 1Timothy 3 and Titus 1, which include being doctrinally sound and able to teach.
