This document discusses several topics in systematic theology related to ecclesiology, including: 1) Whether the Salvation Army can be considered a church given definitions of a church as both a sodality and modality. 2) Different definitions of what constitutes a church, focusing on where God's word is taught and sacraments administered. 3) Views of dispensationalism and covenant theology regarding the relationship between Israel and the church. 4) Different forms of church government such as episcopalian, presbyterian, and congregational. 5) The main purposes of the church as worshipping God, ministering to believers, and ministering to the world through evangelism and social services.

1. Topics in Systematic Theology
Ecclesiology

2. Ecclesiology
1. The Salvation Army as a church
2. What makes a church?
3. Dispensationalism and Covenantal Theology
4. Forms of Church Government
5. The Purposes of the Church

3. 1.The Salvation Army as a Church
1. Are we a church?
a. Sodality - Church
b. Modality - Parachurch
Can both be the right answer?

4. 2. What makes a church?
Definitions:
“The church is the community of all true believers for all time.”
-Grudem, ST, 853
“The congregation of saints in which the gospel is rightly taught and the
sacraments rightly administered”
-Augsburg Confession
“Wherever we see the Word of God purely preached and heard, and the
sacraments administered according to Christ’s institution, there, it is not
to be doubted, a church of God exists.”
–John Calvin

5. 2. What makes a church?
Are the historical definitions missing something?
Perhaps a better definition of the church is:
“A congregation of believers where the Word of God is consistently and
correctly taught, where the sacraments are rightly administered, and where
the love of Christ is genuinely shown to the entire world.”

6. 3. Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology
1. Dispensationalism
a. Israel and the Church are two different entities. The Church is not the new Israel. Israel
was not the church.
2. Progressive Dispensationalism
a. Israel and the Church make up the same people of God. Israel is not the Church, and the
Church is not the new Israel
3. Covenant Theology
a. The Church and Israel are the same people of God. The Church is the New Israel.
Believers in the OT are part of the Church.
b. OT Promises to Israel will be fulfilled in the New Israel, namely, the Church
4. Dave’s Theology
a. The nation of Israel by their sin was disqualified from their Mosaic covenant. (Jer 11:10,
22:9, 34:18; Ezek 17:15-19; Amos 1:9; Mal 2:8, 2:10; Heb 8:6-13)
b. God’s promise was for a New Covenant that came about in Christ. (Isaiah 55:3, 61:8; Jer
31:31-40, 50:5; Ezekiel 16:20, 37:26; Luke 22:20)
c. All the people of God now are those that are under the New Covenant through their
faith in Christ.

7. 4. Forms of Church Government
1. Episcopalian
2. Presbyterian
3. Single-Elder Congregationalism
4. Plural-Elder Congregationalism

8. 5. The Purposes of the Church
1. To Worship God
2. To Minister to Believers
3. To Minister to the World
a. Evangelism
b. Social Services
So is the Salvation Army a Church?
YES!