Comments on: The Invisible Church Contains Hypocrites http://biblicalhorizons.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/the-invisible-church-contains-hypocrites/ Biblical Theology For the Future Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:02:58 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: James Jordan http://biblicalhorizons.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/the-invisible-church-contains-hypocrites/#comment-116 James Jordan Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:54:16 +0000 http://biblicalhorizons.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/the-invisible-church-contains-hypocrites/#comment-116 I believe the WCF equivocates on the term "church." On the one hand, it is a gathering of living human beings. On the other, it is nothing but an idea in the mind of God, since many in this "invisible 'church'" do not yet exist. I submit that to use the word "church" to refer to the roll of the elect in the mind of God is confusing and erroneous. But, to rehabilitate the WCF, the notion of an actual church-community consisting of all the elect, is actually the eschatological church at the end of time. Which is to say, the WCF actually implies the distinction many of us have made over the last 30 years between the Historical Church and the Eschatological Church. I believe the WCF equivocates on the term “church.” On the one hand, it is a gathering of living human beings. On the other, it is nothing but an idea in the mind of God, since many in this “invisible ‘church’” do not yet exist.

I submit that to use the word “church” to refer to the roll of the elect in the mind of God is confusing and erroneous.

But, to rehabilitate the WCF, the notion of an actual church-community consisting of all the elect, is actually the eschatological church at the end of time. Which is to say, the WCF actually implies the distinction many of us have made over the last 30 years between the Historical Church and the Eschatological Church.

]]> By: once more with feeling » The Church is not the visible church? http://biblicalhorizons.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/the-invisible-church-contains-hypocrites/#comment-115 once more with feeling » The Church is not the visible church? Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:33:45 +0000 http://biblicalhorizons.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/the-invisible-church-contains-hypocrites/#comment-115 [...] [Despite the length of this post, I left out some thing I meant to say.  I completed my thoughts about Gerstner’s essay here.] [...] [...] [Despite the length of this post, I left out some thing I meant to say.  I completed my thoughts about Gerstner’s essay here.] [...]

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