The Church, the Means of Grace and the People of God

What you'll learn

Explain the church as the one people of God across the covenants, united to Christ, and state the three marks of a true church
Describe the means of grace and explain baptism and the Lord's Supper, including the paedobaptist and credobaptist Reformed positions and the spiritual presence view
Compare the Reformed view of the Supper with transubstantiation and memorialism, and outline the main forms of church government

The doctrine in one sentence

The church is the one people of God, chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son and gathered by the Spirit from every nation and age, united to Christ as his body and bride; God builds and keeps this people through ordinary means of grace, namely the Word, the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, and prayer, in local congregations marked by faithful preaching, right administration of the sacraments and loving discipline.

Many modern Christians think of salvation as a private transaction and the church as an optional support group. Scripture does not. Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Eph 5:25). He promised, I will build my church (Matt 16:18). To belong to Christ is to belong to his people. Cyprian of Carthage, a third-century bishop, called the church the mother of believers, and Calvin echoed him, because God normally gives spiritual birth and nourishment through her ministry.

Why does the section reject the idea that the church is an optional support group for privately saved individuals?Show answer

Scripture says Christ 'loved the church and gave himself up for her' (Eph 5:25) and promised 'I will build my church' (Matt 16:18), so to belong to Christ is to belong to his people. Cyprian, later echoed by Calvin, called the church the mother of believers, because God normally gives spiritual birth and nourishment through her ministry of Word, sacraments and prayer.

Christ loved and builds the church
belonging to Christ = belonging to his people
church as mother
God works through her means

One people of God across the covenants

The church did not begin as an afterthought at Pentecost. From the beginning God has been gathering one people under one covenant of grace, promised in Genesis 3:15, given shape in the covenant with Abraham (Gen 12:1-3; 17:7), administered through Moses and David, and fulfilled in the new covenant in Christ (Jer 31:31-34; Luke 22:20). The Hebrew word qahal (assembly) in the Old Testament is often rendered ekklesia (and sometimes synagoge) in the Greek translation; Stephen even calls Israel the congregation in the wilderness (Acts 7:38).

Paul's olive tree in Romans 11:17-24 is the key picture. There is one tree, rooted in the promises to the patriarchs. Unbelieving branches of Israel were broken off; believing Gentiles were grafted in; and Paul hopes for many Jewish branches to be grafted back. Gentile believers are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise (Gal 3:29), and the dividing wall has been broken down so that Jew and Gentile are one new man in Christ (Eph 2:11-22). Peter applies Israel's titles to the church: a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 Pet 2:9; compare Exod 19:5-6).

This is the heart of Reformed covenant theology: one people of God, one way of salvation by grace through faith in the promised Messiah, under different administrations. It does not mean God is finished with Jewish people. Romans 11:25-29 holds out a future mercy for Israel, and Reformed interpreters differ on its exact shape. Dispensationalists, by contrast, generally treat Israel and the church as two distinct peoples with distinct programmes. That is an in-house evangelical debate, but it affects how one reads prophecy (see Lesson 9).

What unites this people is union with Christ. The church is his body (1 Cor 12:12-27; Col 1:18), his bride (Eph 5:25-32; Rev 21:2), and a temple in which the Spirit dwells (1 Cor 3:16; Eph 2:21-22). Every image is relational: we are joined to Christ and therefore to one another.

How does Paul's olive tree in Romans 11 show that God has one people across the covenants?Show answer

There is one tree rooted in the promises to the patriarchs. Unbelieving branches of Israel were broken off, believing Gentiles were grafted in, and Paul hopes for Jewish branches to be grafted back. So Gentile believers become Abraham's offspring (Gal 3:29), and Jew and Gentile are one new man in Christ (Eph 2:11-22).

one tree, patriarchal root
branches broken off and grafted in
Gentiles become Abraham's offspring
one new man

Does Reformed covenant theology mean God is finished with the Jewish people? How does it differ from dispensationalism on Israel and the church?Show answer

No: Romans 11:25-29 holds out a future mercy for Israel, though Reformed interpreters differ on its exact shape. Covenant theology sees one people of God and one way of salvation under different administrations, whereas dispensationalists generally treat Israel and the church as two distinct peoples with distinct programmes. This is an in-house evangelical debate, though it affects how prophecy is read.

God not finished with Jewish people
Rom 11:25-29
one people vs two peoples
in-house debate

Invisible and visible, marks and government

Reformed theology distinguishes the invisible church, the whole number of the elect of all ages known fully only to God (2 Tim 2:19), from the visible church, all those throughout the world who profess the true faith, gathered in local congregations. The distinction is not two churches but one church seen from two angles. The visible church includes hypocrites (Matt 13:24-30) and is never perfect, but it is not optional. Hebrews 10:24-25 commands believers not to neglect meeting together.

How do you recognise a true church? The Reformers, facing the claims of Rome, gave three marks, summarised in the Belgic Confession (1561), article 29: the pure preaching of the gospel, the pure administration of the sacraments as Christ instituted them, and church discipline exercised to correct sin. Acts 2:42 shows the pattern: the apostles' teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayers. Discipline (Matt 18:15-20; 1 Cor 5:1-13) is not harshness. Its goal is the restoration of the sinner, the purity of the church and the honour of Christ.

Church government is an area where Bible-believing Christians differ, and it should be held with conviction and charity. Three main forms exist. Episcopal government (Anglicans, Methodists, and in a different sense Rome and the Orthodox) places authority in bishops. Presbyterian government is rule by elders, both in the local congregation (the session) and in wider assemblies (presbyteries and general assemblies), reflecting texts like Acts 15 where elders met together to decide. Congregational government gives final authority under Christ to the local congregation, usually led by a plurality of elders; most Reformed Baptists hold an elder-led congregational polity. All Reformed churches agree that Christ alone is head of the church (Eph 1:22; Col 1:18), that the New Testament recognises the offices of elder (also called overseer or pastor, Titus 1:5-7; 1 Pet 5:1-2) and deacon (Acts 6:1-6; 1 Tim 3:8-13), and that no pope or human ruler has authority to bind consciences beyond Scripture. On who may serve as elders, this course holds the complementarian conviction shared by the teachers it draws on: the office of elder (pastor) is for qualified men (1 Tim 2:12-3:7; Titus 1:5-9), while men and women serve Christ together in many other ministries. Believers who differ on this are not denying the gospel.

What is the difference between the invisible and the visible church, and what are the three marks of a true church?Show answer

The invisible church is the whole number of the elect of all ages, known fully only to God; the visible church is all who profess the true faith, gathered in local congregations, and it includes hypocrites. They are not two churches but one church seen from two angles. The Belgic Confession (art. 29) gives three marks: the pure preaching of the gospel, the pure administration of the sacraments, and church discipline exercised to correct sin.

invisible: all the elect, known to God
visible: professing believers, mixed
one church, two angles
preaching, sacraments, discipline

Describe the three main forms of church government, and say what all Reformed churches agree on.Show answer

Episcopal government places authority in bishops; Presbyterian government is rule by elders locally (the session) and in wider assemblies (presbyteries and general assemblies); Congregational government gives final authority under Christ to the local congregation, usually led by plural elders. All Reformed churches agree that Christ alone is head of the church, that the New Testament recognises the offices of elder and deacon, and that no pope or ruler may bind consciences beyond Scripture.

episcopal: bishops
presbyterian: elders and assemblies
congregational: local congregation
Christ alone head; elders and deacons

The means of grace: Word, sacraments and prayer

God could save and sanctify without means, but he has chosen to work through ordinary, appointed channels. These are called the means of grace. The Westminster tradition names the Word, sacraments and prayer.

The Word is first and foremost, especially when preached. Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Rom 10:17). Peter says believers have been born again... through the living and abiding word of God (1 Pet 1:23). The Second Helvetic Confession (1566) famously says that the preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God, meaning that when Scripture is faithfully expounded, God himself addresses his people. Private reading matters, but the public ministry of the Word in the gathered church is God's chief instrument.

The sacraments are signs and seals added to the Word. A sign points to something (as a wedding ring points to marriage); a seal confirms and authenticates it (as a seal on a legal document). Abraham received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith (Rom 4:11). The sacraments do not work automatically (ex opere operato, the Roman Catholic phrase for by the work worked), nor are they empty symbols. By the Spirit, through faith, they really strengthen believers in Christ. Protestants recognise two sacraments, because only two were instituted by Christ with a visible sign and a gospel promise: baptism (Matt 28:19) and the Lord's Supper (1 Cor 11:23-26). Rome counts seven.

Prayer is the third means. It is not only something we do; it is a way God gives grace. You do not have, because you do not ask (James 4:2). Corporate prayer was part of the life of the first church (Acts 2:42; 4:23-31).

Why does the section call the preached Word the chief means of grace?Show answer

Faith comes from hearing the word of Christ (Rom 10:17), and believers are born again through the living and abiding Word (1 Pet 1:23). The Second Helvetic Confession says the preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God, meaning that when Scripture is faithfully expounded, God himself addresses his people. Private reading matters, but the public ministry of the Word is God's chief instrument.

faith comes by hearing
born again through the Word
preaching is the Word of God
public ministry chief instrument

What is the difference between a sign and a seal, and how does the Reformed view of sacraments differ from both 'automatic' and 'empty symbol' views?Show answer

A sign points to something, as a wedding ring points to marriage; a seal confirms and authenticates it, as on a legal document (Rom 4:11). The sacraments do not work automatically (ex opere operato), nor are they empty symbols; by the Spirit, through faith, they really strengthen believers in Christ. Protestants recognise two, baptism and the Lord's Supper, because only these were instituted by Christ with a visible sign and gospel promise.

sign points; seal confirms
not automatic
not empty symbols
two instituted by Christ

Baptism: two Reformed positions

Baptism is the sign and seal of entry into the visible church and of union with Christ, cleansing from sin, new life by the Spirit and belonging to God (Rom 6:3-4; Gal 3:27; Col 2:11-12; Titus 3:5). Reformed Christians agree that baptism does not itself regenerate, that it should be administered with water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and that it is not to be repeated. They disagree on who should be baptised, and both positions stand within the Reformed tradition.

Presbyterian and continental Reformed churches (the Westminster Confession and Heidelberg Catechism) baptise believers who were not baptised as children and also the infants of believers, as covenant children. The argument runs through covenant continuity: God commanded the sign of the covenant (circumcision) to be given to Abraham's children (Gen 17:7-12); the new covenant is not narrower than the old in this respect; Peter says the promise is for you and for your children (Acts 2:39); Paul calls the children of a believer holy (1 Cor 7:14); and whole households were baptised (Acts 16:15, 33; 1 Cor 1:16). Baptism in Colossians 2:11-12 is linked to circumcision. This view is called paedobaptism (infant baptism).

Reformed Baptists (the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689) hold the same Reformed doctrines of grace and a covenant theology, but baptise only those who make a credible profession of faith. They argue that the new covenant is made with those in whom the law is written on the heart, who all know the Lord (Jer 31:31-34; Heb 8:8-12), so its sign belongs to those who show evidence of that; that every clear New Testament baptism follows repentance and faith (Acts 2:41; 8:12; 18:8); and that household texts do not demonstrate infant baptism. This view is called credobaptism (believer's baptism), usually practised by immersion.

Both sides read the same Bible with the same commitment to sola Scriptura. Well-known paedobaptists include R. C. Sproul; well-known credobaptists include John Piper and John MacArthur. Many Presbyterians and Reformed Baptists cooperate gladly in conferences, missions and apologetics. Know your own church's position and its reasons, and be able to state the other side fairly.

Summarise the Presbyterian argument for baptising the infants of believers.Show answer

It argues from covenant continuity: God commanded the covenant sign of circumcision to be given to Abraham's children (Gen 17:7-12), and the new covenant is not narrower than the old in this respect. Peter says 'the promise is for you and for your children' (Acts 2:39), Paul calls believers' children 'holy' (1 Cor 7:14), whole households were baptised (Acts 16:15, 33), and Colossians 2:11-12 links baptism to circumcision.

covenant continuity
circumcision given to children
Acts 2:39; 1 Cor 7:14
household baptisms; Col 2:11-12

Summarise the Reformed Baptist argument for believer's baptism, and state what both sides agree on.Show answer

Reformed Baptists argue that the new covenant is made with those who have the law written on their hearts and all know the Lord (Jer 31:31-34; Heb 8:8-12), so its sign belongs to those who show evidence of that; every clear New Testament baptism follows repentance and faith; and household texts do not demonstrate infant baptism. Both sides agree that baptism does not itself regenerate, should be done with water in the triune name, and is not repeated, and both read the same Bible under sola Scriptura.

new covenant members all know the Lord
NT baptisms follow faith
households don't prove infants
agreement: not regenerating, triune name, once

The Lord's Supper: what happens at the table?

Jesus took bread and said, This is my body, and the cup, This cup is the new covenant in my blood (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor 11:23-26). Paul adds that the cup is a participation in the blood of Christ and the bread a participation in the body of Christ (1 Cor 10:16). Christians have understood this in four main ways.

Transubstantiation is the Roman Catholic view: at consecration the whole substance of the bread and wine is changed into the body and blood of Christ, while the outward appearances (the accidents) remain (Fourth Lateran Council, 1215; Council of Trent, session 13, 1551; CCC 1376). The Mass is also understood as a sacrifice that makes present the one sacrifice of Calvary (CCC 1366-1367). The Reformers rejected this because Christ's body is now in heaven (Acts 3:21), because his sacrifice was once for all (Heb 9:25-28; 10:10-14), and because Jesus' words use the ordinary language of signs (I am the door). See Roman Catholicism, Lesson 3.

Lutheran theology teaches that Christ's body and blood are truly present in, with and under the bread and wine, without the bread ceasing to be bread. Memorialism, associated with Huldrych Zwingli and common in many evangelical churches, sees the Supper mainly as a remembrance and a confession of faith by the church: Do this in remembrance of me.

The Reformed or spiritual presence view, taught by John Calvin and confessed in Westminster, Heidelberg and the 1689 Confession, holds that the bread and wine remain bread and wine and that Christ's body remains in heaven, yet believers truly feed on Christ, his body and blood and all the benefits of his death, not physically but spiritually, by faith, through the Spirit who lifts us to Christ. The Supper is more than a memory; it is real communion with the living Christ. It nourishes faith, renews covenant, expresses the unity of the body (1 Cor 10:17) and proclaims the Lord's death until he comes (1 Cor 11:26). Because it is a covenant meal, it should be received in self-examination and repentance, not by those living in unrepentant sin (1 Cor 11:27-32).

Why did the Reformers reject transubstantiation?Show answer

Transubstantiation holds that the substance of bread and wine is changed into Christ's body and blood while the appearances remain, and that the Mass makes present the sacrifice of Calvary. The Reformers rejected it because Christ's body is now in heaven (Acts 3:21), because his sacrifice was once for all (Heb 9:25-28; 10:10-14), and because Jesus' words use the ordinary language of signs, as when he says 'I am the door'.

Christ's body in heaven
sacrifice once for all
ordinary language of signs

What is the difference between the memorial view and the Reformed 'spiritual presence' view of the Lord's Supper?Show answer

Memorialism, associated with Zwingli, sees the Supper mainly as a remembrance and a confession of faith by the church. The Reformed view, taught by Calvin and the confessions, agrees that the bread and wine remain bread and wine and that Christ's body is in heaven, but holds that believers truly feed on Christ and his benefits, spiritually and by faith, through the Spirit who lifts us to him. So the Supper is more than a memory; it is real communion with the living Christ.

memorial: remembrance and confession
spiritual presence: real feeding by faith
through the Spirit
real communion, not just memory

Life together, and where others depart

The New Testament has dozens of one another commands: love one another, bear one another's burdens, forgive one another, encourage one another. They cannot be obeyed alone. The local church is where gifts are used for the common good (1 Cor 12:7), where the strong carry the weak (Rom 15:1), where elders shepherd and watch over souls (Heb 13:17; Acts 20:28), and where a watching world sees the gospel lived out (John 13:35). For an apologist this matters greatly. Arguments are heard through lives, and the strongest apologetic for the gospel is often a congregation that loves well across lines of class, age and ethnicity.

Briefly, where others depart. Roman Catholicism identifies the true church with the communion governed by the Pope and the bishops in union with him (CCC 816), counts seven sacraments, and teaches baptismal regeneration and transubstantiation; see the Roman Catholicism module. Jehovah's Witnesses identify God's channel with the Watchtower organisation and its Governing Body, observe the Memorial once a year where most attenders do not partake, and teach that only the 144,000 are in the new covenant; see the Jehovah's Witnesses module. Latter-day Saints teach a Great Apostasy, a restored church with priesthood authority and temple ordinances including baptism for the dead (D&C 128); see the Latter-day Saints module. Hebrew Israelite groups often make ethnic identity and Mosaic law-keeping the boundary of God's people; Galatians 3:28-29 and Ephesians 2 answer this, and racial division has no place in Christ's body; see the Hebrew Israelites module. Rabbinic Judaism sees the Jewish people as God's covenant people apart from Jesus; we honour Israel's place in God's purposes while proclaiming Jesus as Israel's Messiah, and we reject every form of antisemitism; see the Judaism module. Islam's ummah is bound by submission to Allah and the Sunnah of Muhammad, with no sacraments or mediator; see the Islam module.

Why does the section say the local church matters so much for an apologist?Show answer

The New Testament's many 'one another' commands cannot be obeyed alone, and the local church is where gifts serve the common good, the strong carry the weak and elders shepherd souls. A watching world sees the gospel lived out there (John 13:35). Arguments are heard through lives, and the strongest apologetic is often a congregation that loves well across lines of class, age and ethnicity.

'one another' commands need a church
world sees the gospel lived
arguments heard through lives
love across class, age, ethnicity

Choose two groups from the section and explain how each draws the boundary of God's people differently from Scripture.Show answer

Hebrew Israelite groups often make ethnic identity and Mosaic law-keeping the boundary of God's people, but Galatians 3:28-29 and Ephesians 2 answer this, and racial division has no place in Christ's body. Jehovah's Witnesses identify God's channel with the Watchtower organisation and teach that only the 144,000 are in the new covenant, so most attenders do not partake of the Memorial. (Other examples: Rome identifies the true church with the communion under the Pope; Rabbinic Judaism sees the Jewish people as God's covenant people apart from Jesus.)

Hebrew Israelites: ethnicity and law
Gal 3:28-29; Eph 2
JWs: organisation and 144,000
Scripture: one people in Christ

Key texts

Matthew 16:18: I will build my church: the church belongs to Christ and cannot be destroyed. Use it to show the church is his project, not a human club.
Romans 11:17-24: The olive tree: one people of God rooted in the patriarchal promises, with Gentiles grafted in. The key text for continuity between Israel and the church.
Ephesians 2:11-22: Jew and Gentile reconciled into one new man and built into a holy temple. Shows the church's unity across ethnic lines and its Trinitarian life.
Acts 2:38-42: Repentance, baptism, the promise for you and for your children, and the church devoted to teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer. Both baptism views appeal to this passage.
Romans 4:11: Circumcision was a sign and seal of the righteousness of faith. The foundation for understanding sacraments as signs and seals.
Colossians 2:11-12: Circumcision made without hands and burial with Christ in baptism. Central to the Presbyterian argument from covenant continuity, and read differently by Reformed Baptists.
1 Corinthians 10:16-17: The cup and bread are a participation in Christ's blood and body, and we who are many are one body. Supports real spiritual communion and church unity in the Supper.
1 Corinthians 11:23-32: The words of institution, proclaiming the Lord's death until he comes, and the call to self-examination. The main text for the practice of the Supper.
Matthew 18:15-20: Christ's own pattern for church discipline, from private rebuke to the whole church. Shows discipline as a mark of a true church and an act of love.

Objections and answers

Try answering each one yourself before you open the response.

“I love Jesus but I don't need organised religion. Can't I just follow him on my own?”Show a response

Jesus did not leave us that option. He promised to build a church (Matt 16:18), gave it ordinances that can only be kept together (baptism and the Supper), appointed elders to shepherd it (Acts 20:28; Heb 13:17), and commanded his followers not to neglect meeting together (Heb 10:24-25). The New Testament letters were written to congregations, full of one another commands that cannot be obeyed alone. To love Christ is to love what he loves, and he loved the church and gave himself up for her (Eph 5:25). Churches are flawed because they are full of forgiven sinners, but that is exactly where we learn to forgive, to serve and to be corrected.

“Jesus said This is my body. Why don't you take him literally like Catholics do?”Show a response

Literal reading means reading as the author intended, including figures of speech. When Jesus said I am the door or I am the vine, no one thinks he became wood or a plant. At the Last Supper he stood bodily before the disciples while holding the bread, and he called the cup the new covenant in my blood, plainly using sign language. After the words he still called it this fruit of the vine (Matt 26:29). His body has now ascended and remains in heaven until he returns (Acts 3:21). Yet the Reformed view is not a bare symbol: through the Spirit, believers truly share in Christ (1 Cor 10:16). So we honour the reality without requiring a change of substance.

“If Presbyterians and Reformed Baptists disagree on baptism, doesn't that show the Bible is unclear?”Show a response

Scripture's clarity means that what is necessary for salvation is plain enough for anyone to grasp through ordinary means (WCF 1.7). It does not mean every question is equally easy. Both sides agree on the gospel, the Trinity, the authority of Scripture, salvation by grace alone through faith alone, and that baptism is a sign and seal of union with Christ. They differ on how to relate the old and new covenants when applying the sign, a genuinely hard question. Disagreement among sinful readers also proves nothing against the text itself; people disagree about plain things too. The right response is careful study, humility, and charity toward brothers who differ.

“Churches are full of hypocrites. Why would I want to join one?”Show a response

You are not wrong that churches contain hypocrites; Jesus said they would. In the parable of the wheat and weeds he warned that the visible church would be mixed until the harvest (Matt 13:24-30). The visible church is never perfect. But notice two things. First, the church was never meant to be a club for the already good; it is a hospital for sinners who know they need grace, and that includes the person who joins it. Second, Christ has given his church discipline, not to crush people but to restore sinners and protect the honour of his name (Matt 18:15-20). The question is not whether you will find flawed people in church; you will, starting with the pastor. The question is whether Christ, who 'loved the church and gave himself up for her' (Eph 5:25), wants you there. He does (Heb 10:24-25).

“Why do Protestants accept only two sacraments? The Catholic Church has seven, and things like marriage and confession are clearly in the Bible.”Show a response

Marriage and confession of sin are certainly biblical, and Protestants honour both. Marriage was instituted by God at creation (Gen 2:24), and Christians are commanded to confess their sins (1 John 1:9; Jas 5:16). The question is not whether something is good or biblical, but what makes something a sacrament. The Reformers asked which ordinances Christ himself instituted with a visible sign and a gospel promise attached, as a sign and seal of the covenant of grace. Only two meet that test: baptism (Matt 28:19) and the Lord's Supper (1 Cor 11:23-26). That is why Protestants count two, not because the other practices are unimportant, but because the church has no authority to make new signs and seals that Christ did not give. Our disagreement with Rome here is about the authority to institute, which goes back to sola Scriptura.

Written task

A friend raised in a church that practises the other baptism view from yours asks you to explain, without point-scoring, what your church believes about baptism and the Lord's Supper and why. In 300-400 words, explain your church's view of baptism with its main Scripture arguments, state the other Reformed view fairly in two or three sentences, and then explain the Reformed spiritual presence view of the Lord's Supper, contrasting it briefly with transubstantiation and memorialism.

Hand this in to Mr Scott. He will look for:

States one baptism position accurately with at least three relevant Scripture references and its covenantal reasoning
Represents the other Reformed baptism view fairly and charitably, acknowledging both are within the Reformed tradition
Explains the spiritual presence view correctly (Christ's body in heaven, real feeding by faith through the Spirit) with 1 Cor 10:16 or similar
Contrasts accurately with transubstantiation and memorialism without caricature
Shows why the sacraments matter for assurance, worship and church life