Regenerate Church Membership
As taught in the Baptist tradition
Teaching that the local church should consist only of those who have given credible evidence of faith.
The question that defines the Baptist ecclesiological tradition above almost any other is this: "Who has the right to be a member of the local church?" While other traditions—specifically those in the Magisterial Reformation like the Lutherans, Anglicans, and Presbyterians—have historically viewed the church as a "mixed body" (corpus mixtum) consisting of both the wheat and the tares, the Baptist tradition has stood firmly on the conviction of "Regenerate Church Membership." This doctrine asserts that the local church, as a visible manifestation of the Kingdom of God on earth, must be composed exclusively of those who have personally experienced the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, have made a credible profession of faith in Jesus Christ, and have submitted to believer's baptism.
By the end of this lesson
- **Identify** the biblical distinction between the "Visible Church" as a gathered congregation and the "Invisible Church" as the sum of all the redeemed.
- **Distinguish** between the "Believer's Church" model (Regenerate Membership) and the "National Church" or "Parish" model (Mixed Membership).
- **Explain** how baptism serves as the "public boundary" or "initiation" into regenerate church membership according to Baptist theology.
- **Articulate** the relationship between church membership and church discipline as presented in Matthew 18:15-17 and 1 Corinthians 5:11-13.
- **Trace** the historical development of the doctrine from the 17th-century English Separatists to the Southern Baptist Convention's "Baptist Faith and Message 2000."
- **Defend** the necessity of a credible profession of faith as a prerequisite for membership against the practice of "Easy Believism" and infant baptism.
- **Apply** the principles of regenerate membership to the practicalities of church life, including voting, leadership, and corporate worship.
- **Compare** the Baptist reading of "Separation" (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) with other traditions' views on the church's engagement with the world.
Scripture
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