Church
Membership:
is it an Option?By
Jack Kettler
From
a Reformed theological perspective, the requirement
for church membership can
be robustly defended on several grounds, including
scriptural mandate,
covenantal theology, ecclesiastical accountability,
and the communal nature of
Christian life.
Scriptural
Mandate:
1.Hebrews
10:24-25
explicitly encourages believers not to forsake the
assembling
together, as is the habit of some, but to exhort one
another. This passage
underscores the necessity of communal worship and
mutual edification, which are
foundational to church membership.
2.1
Corinthians
12:12-27 likens the church to a body with many parts,
each part integral to the
functioning of the whole. This metaphor supports the
idea that each member has
a role within the church, suggesting an organized and
committed membership.
3.Acts
2:41-47
describes the early church where those who received
Peter’s word were baptized,
and they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching,
fellowship, the breaking
of bread, and prayer. This passage indicates a form of
membership where
individuals were recognized as part of a distinct
community.
Covenantal
Theology:
Reformed
theology
emphasizes the continuity of the covenant from the Old
Testament to
the New. Just as the covenant community in the Old
Testament was marked by
circumcision and participation in the feasts, the New
Testament church is
marked by baptism and participation in the Lord’s
Supper. Membership in the
church is thus seen as participation in the new
covenant community, where
believers are bound together under the covenantal
headship of Christ.
·Baptism
serves
as the entry rite into the visible church, symbolizing
the covenantal
relationship between God and His people. This
sacrament necessitates a formal
recognition within the church body, hence the need for
membership.
·The
Lord’s
Supper is reserved for those within the covenant
community, reinforcing the
idea that membership is not merely a social contract
but a covenantal
commitment.
Ecclesiastical
Accountability:
Membership
provides
a framework for pastoral oversight and discipline,
which are essential
for the sanctification of believers:
·Matthew
18:15-17
outlines a process for dealing with sin within the
church community,
which requires a clear recognition of who is under the
church’s jurisdiction.
Without membership, this discipline would be
ambiguous.
·Hebrews
13:17
calls for obedience to church leaders who keep watch
over souls, implying a
structured relationship where leaders are responsible
for the spiritual welfare
of those they lead, which is facilitated through
membership.
Communal
Nature
of Christian Life:
·The
Christian
life is not meant to be lived in isolation but in
community, where members are
to use their gifts for the common good (1 Corinthians
12:7). Church membership
formally recognizes these gifts and roles:
·Ephesians
4:11-16
speaks of the equipping of the saints for the work of
ministry, for
building up the body of Christ. Membership ensures
that individuals are
integrated into this equipping process, contributing
to and benefiting from the
collective spiritual growth.
·Galatians
6:2
instructs believers to bear one another’s burdens,
which is practically enabled
through the structure of church membership, where
needs and capabilities are
known and coordinated.
Main
Arguments Against Church Membership:
One
of the primary arguments against formal church
membership is the notion that it
is unbiblical. Critics argue that:
1.The
Bible does
not explicitly command formal church membership. They
point out that there are
no clear scriptural directives for joining a church
with a formal process or
signing a membership covenant.
2.Membership
can
lead to legalism or exclusivity. Some argue that
formal membership might create
an “us versus them” mentality, potentially excluding
those who might benefit
from the church community but do not wish to commit
formally.
3.The
emphasis
should be on the universal church, not local
institutions. There’s a belief
that the focus should be on the spiritual unity of all
believers under Christ
rather than on local, organized memberships.
Biblical
Refutation:
Scriptural
Implication
of Membership:
·Hebrews
10:24-25:
While not using the term “membership,” this passage
commands
believers to meet together, which implies some form of
organized commitment to
a local assembly. The warning against forsaking the
assembly suggests a
recognizable group to which one belongs.
·Acts
2:41-47:
After Peter’s sermon, those who believed were baptized
and added to their
number. The phrasing “added to their number” suggests
a formal recognition of
new believers within the church community, which could
be seen as an early form
of membership.
·1
Corinthians
5:1-13: Paul addresses the need for church discipline,
which presupposes a
defined body of believers where accountability can be
maintained. The command
to put out the immoral brother indicates a clear
membership boundary.
·Legalism
and
Exclusivity Refuted:
·Galatians
6:1:
Here, the call to restore those caught in sin with
gentleness is directed
towards “you who are spiritual,” which implies those
recognized within the
community. Membership isn’t about exclusivity but
about fostering a community
where mutual care and correction are possible.
·Matthew
18:15-17:
The process for dealing with sin involves going to
“the church.” If
the church is merely an informal gathering without
structure, this process
would be impractical. Membership ensures there’s a
body to whom one can appeal
for reconciliation and correction.
Universal
Church
and Local Church:
·Ephesians
4:11-16:
This passage discusses the roles within the church for
building up the
body of Christ, which refers to both the universal and
local expressions of the
church. The local church is where these roles are
lived out practically,
suggesting the need for a committed body where these
gifts are recognized and
utilized.
·1
Corinthians
12:12-27: The comparison of the church to a body with
many parts underscores
the necessity of each member contributing to the
whole, which is most
effectively done in a local context where
relationships are deep, and roles are
clear.
·Titus
1:5: Paul
instructs Titus to appoint elders in every town,
indicating organized local
churches where leadership and oversight are
established, further supporting the
concept of local church membership as part of the
broader church.
·Thus,
while the
term “membership” isn’t explicitly used in Scripture,
the principles and
practices that accompany it—such as commitment to a
local body, accountability,
mutual edification, and the exercise of spiritual
gifts—are implicitly
supported. Formal membership can be seen as a
practical application of biblical
principles rather than an unbiblical addition.
In
Summary:
From
a Reformed perspective, church membership is not
merely an administrative
convenience but a theological imperative grounded in
Scripture, reflecting the
covenantal nature of God’s relationship with His
people, providing a framework
for accountability, and fostering the communal life
that is intrinsic to
Christianity. It is a formal acknowledgment of one’s
commitment to a local body
of believers, where one can both give and receive
spiritual care, ensuring the
health and growth of the church as a whole.
The
Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA)
requires individuals
seeking membership to affirm several vows. These vows
are derived from the
denomination’s commitment to its doctrinal standards,
historical practices, and
the biblical mandate for Christian living. Here are
the membership vows as
typically presented by the RPCNA, along with the
reasons for each:
Membership
Vows
of the RPCNA:
1.Vow
of Belief in Scripture:
·Vow:
“Do you
believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments
to be the Word of God, and
the only infallible rule of faith and life?”
·Reason:
This
vow underscores the RPCNA’s adherence to sola
scriptura, affirming the Bible’s
authority as the primary and sole rule for belief and
practice, which is
foundational to Reformed theology.
2.Vow
of Faith in Christ:
·Vow:
“Do you
believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God
and the only Redeemer of
men, and do you confess Him publicly as your Saviour
and Lord?”
·Reason:
This
reflects the central confession of the Christian
faith, acknowledging Jesus
Christ’s unique role as both Savior and Sovereign
Lord, aligning with the
Reformed understanding of the person and work of
Christ.
3.Vow
of Public Profession and Covenanting:
·Vow:
“Do you
believe that it is the duty of Christians to profess
publicly the content of
faith as it applies to the particular needs of each
age and situation, and that
such public profession, otherwise called covenanting,
should be made formally
by the churches and other institutions as well as
informally by each believer
according to his ability?”
·Reason:
This
vow emphasizes the RPCNA’s historic practice of
covenanting, reflecting a
commitment to publicly affirm and live out one’s faith
in response to cultural
and societal contexts, a practice rooted in the
Scottish Covenanter tradition.
4.Vow
of Doctrinal Adherence:
·Vow:
“Do you
believe in and accept the system of doctrine and the
manner of worship set
forth in the Westminster Confession of Faith, the
Larger and Shorter
Catechisms, and the Testimony of the Reformed
Presbyterian Church, as being
agreeable to, and founded upon, the Scriptures?”
·Reason:
This
vow commits members to the doctrinal standards of the
RPCNA, which include the
Westminster Standards and the church’s own Testimony,
ensuring unity in
doctrine and worship that is biblically grounded.
5.Vow
of Submission to Church Government:
·Vow:
“Do you
promise subjection in the Lord to the courts of this
church, and engage to
follow no divisive courses from the doctrine and order
which the church has
solemnly recognized and adopted; and do you promise to
submit to all the
brotherly counsel which your brethren may tender you
in the Lord?”
·Reason:
This
vow affirms the Presbyterian form of church
governance, emphasizing the
importance of unity and submission to the church’s
leadership for the sake of
order, discipline, and mutual edification, in line
with biblical teachings on
church authority (Hebrews 13:17).
These
vows are intended to:
Affirm
Biblical
Truth: Ensuring that members are in doctrinal
agreement with the
church’s teachings.
·Foster
Community:
By committing to covenant with one another, members
pledge to
support and be accountable to the body of Christ.
·Promote
Order
and Discipline: Structured membership allows for the
proper exercise of church
discipline and pastoral care, which are crucial for
the spiritual health of the
congregation.
·Encourage
Public
Witness: The vows encourage members to live out their
faith publicly,
which is vital for the church’s mission in the world.
·Maintain
Historical
Continuity: They connect members with the historical
and theological
heritage of the RPCNA, maintaining continuity of faith
and practice through
generations.
These
reasons reflect the RPCNA’s commitment to a biblically
faithful, covenantal,
and communally oriented Christian life.
The
above study was Groked, under the direction of Jack
Kettler, and perfected
using Grammarly AI.
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman
that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth.” (2 Timothy
2:15)
Mr. Kettler is an author who has previously
published articles in the Chalcedon Report and Contra
Mundum. He and his wife, Marea, are active
Westminster, CO, RPCNA Church
members. Mr. Kettler’s extensive work includes 18
books defending the Reformed
Faith, which are available for order online at Amazon.