Pastor Terrie Beede's "Studies in Theology" series continued with its 32nd session, The Doctrine of The Church Part 3: The Marks of the True Church and True Biblical Preaching, reiterating the anchor text 1 Timothy 4:16, which emphasizes a minister's duty to "take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine" for both personal salvation and the salvation of hearers. Beede underscored that Christian doctrine is not "dry and dead" but "vibrant and living".
This session followed a review of previous topics on the church, including its inauguration at Pentecost (Acts 2, with 3,000 souls added), its definition as all reconciled believers, its membership (born again, participating), its scope (universal, local, transcendent of gender, race, nationality, terrestrial, and temporal boundaries), and its fundamental oneness. The focus of this session was on the "marks or notes of the church", an older term for the identifiable characteristics of a true church, distinguishing them from the "attributes" (unity, holiness, catholicity, apostolicity) discussed previously. Creeds, though "words of men," were presented as valuable teaching tools that "proclaim, appeal to and point to the word of God".
The traditional view of these marks, held by orthodox Christianity for centuries, identifies three: true preaching of the Word of God, proper administration of the sacraments, and the faithful exercise of discipline. The biblical basis for these marks was found in Acts 2:41-47, which describes the early believers' steadfastness in the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread (ordinances), and prayers, alongside the "fear" (reverence) that led to implicit church discipline.
The session delved extensively into the "true preaching of the word of God" as the foremost mark of a true church:
• Centered in Scripture: Biblical preaching must be rooted in the scriptures taught by the apostles, as these are "able to lead a man to salvation". Teachings that use scripture merely as a "launching point" or wrap man's "thesis" with scriptural references, while incorporating external sources like psychology, business, or philosophy, are non-apostolic, unscriptural, and implicitly deny the sufficiency of scripture.
• Includes the Whole Counsel of God: A preacher is not obligated to cover the "entire council of God" in every sermon, but the general direction of teaching must encompass all of scripture, as the "whole of scripture speaks of Christ" and is necessary for "man's perfection and maturity".
• Centered on Jesus Christ: The message must consistently center on Jesus Christ, the "living word," not merely human needs or other topics, as the gospel itself addresses human need through Christ.
Beede identified three legitimate forms of biblical preaching:
1. Exegetical preaching: Drawing meaning out of the original text, a scholarly yet God-honoring form often found in classrooms but lamentably less in pulpits.
2. Expository preaching: Explaining the meaning of a passage in "plain terms," which should hold primary place in Christian churches. This is the approach generally taken at Calvary Chapel, teaching "chapter by chapter, book by book".
3. Topical preaching: Addressing what "all the scripture has to say about certain subjects." While valid and often used by assistant pastors, it carries the risk of teaching only "favorite doctrines" or avoiding unpopular ones, unless controlled by a set goal or in conjunction with expository teaching.
The session concluded by emphasizing that adherence to the word extends beyond the pulpit to every believer, who has a responsibility to "hear the word of the Lord daily," to "meditate upon it," and be "transformed by it". This requires a personal "investment" and preparedness to receive God's word, rather than being "dull of hearing". The importance of reflecting God's union and communion by not "forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" was stressed. The next session was planned to continue this discussion, examining the other marks of the church, including fellowship, ordinances, discipline, and praise/worship.