Theology of the Church, Mentor's Guide, MG03

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T H E O L O G Y O F T H E C H U R C H

Please take as much time as you have available to answer these and other questions that the video brought out. Understanding how the Church has defined the criteria of authentic assembly can help us in every phase of our ministry in the Church. While these marks of the Nicene Creed, the Reformation, and the Vincentian Rule are not explicitly organized around specific Scripture, they are all based on clear teachings of Jesus and the apostles, and offer us an invaluable aid to understand the nature of the Church. Make certain, then, that you understand the various dimensions that these criteria represent. As always, be clear and concise in your answers, and where possible, support with Scripture! 1. Briefly describe each of the four criteria mentioned in the Nicene Creed regarding the nature and function of the Church. How does each one help us understand the work of the Church in its relationship to God and the world? 2. Why is the Nicene standard of Church so critical for us to understand and defend today? 3. Of all the various criteria mentioned in the Nicene Creed, do you believe that one of them is predominant over the others? If so, which one(s)? 4. How did the Reformers understand the nature of authentic Christian assembly–what are the three criteria they recognized to be central in identifying true Church life? 5. As you meditate on the three Reformation marks of the Church, how ought we to understand them relating to each other? How do these marks relate to the marks of the Nicene Creed? 6. State clearly the tenets of the Vincentian Rule for evaluating the truthfulness of theological claims for the Church. Why would it be important for the Church to have such a rule to evaluate the various conflicting claims regarding its belief and practice? 7. How does the Nicene criteria of apostolicity relate to the Vincentian Rule? Why ought these two rules always inform and be related to one another in order to do justice to what the Church has historically believed? 8. Who in our congregations ought to be most concerned about applying these rules and criteria within our churches? How might we come to use them most effectively in urban churches?

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Student Questions and Response

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