The Church: The Gospel Made Visible [Kindle Edition]

Mark Dever (Author)

Book Description

Christians face lots of practical questions when it comes to life in the local church: How is the gospel displayed in our lives together? What are we supposed to do and believe? Different followers answer differently—even as they preach the same gospel! What should we think about such differences?

A church’s life, doctrine, worship, and even polity are important issues. Yet they are so rarely addressed. The Church is Mark Dever’s primer on the doctrine of the church for all who see Scripture alone as a sufficient authority for the doctrine and life of the local church. He explains to the reader what the Bible says about the nature and purpose of the church— what it is, what it’s for, what it does.

Indeed, Scripture teaches us about all of life and doctrine, including how we should assemble for corporate worship and how we’re to organize our corporate life together. God has revealed himself by his Word. He is speak- ing to us, preparing us to represent him today, and to see him tomorrow! A congregation of regenerate members, fulfilling the responsibilities given to us by Christ himself in his Word, regularly meeting together, led by a body of godly elders, is the picture God has given us in his Word of his church.

Editorial Reviews

Review

 “Mark Dever has rendered an invaluable service to the Body of Christ in this book. Its biblical grounding is sure, and its theological insights are spot on! Few address the issues of ecclesiology better than this pastor/theologian. This work will help us better understand what the church is and what the church does when it is faithful to Scripture.”

Daniel L. Akin, President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Mark Dever has taught me more about the church than any other living human being. He’s a keen observer and insightful practitioner. In The Church: The Gospel Made Visible, Dever helps us to see how the good news goes cinematic in the nitty-gritty lives of local congregations. What joy comes from recognizing the embodiment of the gospel in our very ordinary congregations!”

Thabiti Anyabwile, Senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Grand Cayman Islands

“The church today desperately needs to think more deeply about the church. That’s why I’m incredibly thankful for Mark Dever. No one writes as passionately, as winsomely, as biblically, or as practically about the church. This book is a wonderful example of all those traits. Even though my theology is different on a few important points like baptism and congregationalism, I always learn from Mark when he talks ecclesiology. If you love the church, you’ll love this book. And if the doctrine of the church sounds terribly unimportant, then you need to read this book even more.”

Kevin DeYoung, Senior pastor, University Reformed Church, East Lansing, Michigan

“I’m not sure that I know anyone who has read more on ecclesiology, from the whole breadth of the Christian tradition, than Mark Dever. So, his exegesis is not done in isolation but in conversation with twenty centuries of Christian thinking. As a Presbyterian, I would encourage non-Baptists and non-congregationalists to read and engage with Mark’s work, not only because it is so welldone, biblical, and helpful, but also because of a huge evangelical blind spot the book addresses. Ecclesiology is indisputably one of evangelicalism’s great weaknesses, in part because of subjectivism, individualism, and pragmatism. Mark offers a robust corrective to this, and even where you may disagree you will find yourself edified and instructed. Mark approaches this subject not simply as a skilled historical theologian and systematician, but also as a local church pastor who has fostered a vital and healthy embrace of biblical polity in his own congregation, with happy results. He is no “dry- land sailor” or impractical theoretician but a faithful shepherd. The growth and life and fruitfulness of his flock testify to this.”

Ligon Duncan, Senior minister, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi

“Trust me, if you talk with my friend Mark Dever for more than five minutes, the local church will come up in the conversation—not only because it is the focus of his impressive academic work, but because the church is to him as it was to Charles Spurgeon, ‘the dearest place on earth.’ Over many discussions Mark has taught me much about the church, and even in areas where we disagree, I’ve been affected by his passion for the church. This book allows you to have a similar conversation with Mark, and I have no doubt that your heart will be stirred with love for the church universal and for your local church in particular.”

C. J. Mahaney, President, Sovereign Grace Ministries

“For far too long, the church has suffered for its lack of attention to ecclesiology. Thankfully, that neglect has given way to a new age of rediscovery, and Mark Dever has been a key catalyst for the recovery of biblical ecclesiology. In this book, you will find a faithful, truthful, thrilling understanding of the church. But be warned: Once you read this book, you will never be satisfied until you are a part of a church that is growing into this kind of faithfulness and life.”

R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

About the Author

Mark Dever is senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC and president of 9Marks. He holds degrees from Duke University (B.A.), Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.), The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Theol.), and Cambridge University (PH.D.).

Product Details

• File Size: 972 KB
• Print Length: 208 pages
• Publisher: B&H Academic (March 8, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007K8JJHK
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,550 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #43 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Theology > Ecclesiology

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Modern Baptist Ecclesiology June 4, 2012

By Corey Sosebee

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Have you been searching for a modern Baptist ecclesiology? Look no further. Mark Dever says in the opening pages that he decided to rewrite and expand his chapter from Akin's A Theology for the Church into book length because nothing has been produced like this from a Baptistic perspective. There just aren't any works that we can point people to. So, now you have a new resource. This is not a long book either. It's very manageable. Dever, a true scholar, made this book very accesible. Neither does he need many words to express what he has to say. The words he does use are powerful. It's one of those books that you will want to underline almost every sentence.

It's densely packed with insight from a pastor-theologian who has built his preaching ministry around the Word of God. Dever's passion is for healthy churches. He believes that God's Word is sufficient for every aspect of the church. This is the first part of the book. I. What Does the Bible Say? Here he gives us the biblical foundations of the church. Then he looks at historical issues related to the life of the church in II. What Has the Church Believed? Finally Dever answers in the final part III. How Does It All Fit Together? This is the modern application for church life.

While I did initially expect the book to be longer, Dever packs it with footnotes and points the reader to many reference sources. It's a great primer on Ecclesiology. I would recommend it if you're familiar with Dever's previous works on healthy churches because this treatment of the church seems to be more of a complete thought, more well-rounded. And, if you're not familiar with Dever this would be the best place to start.

Let me answer an objection I could foresee, "Read a Baptist book?" Yes, even if you're not persuaded by credobaptism, this book will truly help you biblically define what a church is. Dever's solid foundations and formulations will challenge you to think Scripturally about many of our accepted practices within the church today. Many of the blurbs in the front will attest to this as well.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Ecclesiology for the Thinking Pastor August 8, 2012

By Dr. David Steele

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Over the years, I've grown weary reading books that relate to ecclesiology. Recent works that focus on the church are either driven by pragmatic presuppositions, man-centered principles, or church growth techniques that compromise the essence of the gospel, not to mention the mission of the church. Mark Dever's newest book, The Church: The Gospel Made Visible is a totally different kind of book. He steers clear from the usual drivel that saturates many books devoted to ecclesiology. Indeed, the church is should be thankful for such a work.

Part One: What Does the Bible Say?

The first section focuses on the nuts and bolts of the church. Dever leaves no stone unturned. The nature of the church is explored, membership is reviewed, polity is discussed, church discipline is covered, among other things. Each section is rooted in the biblical text. The writing is clear and compelling. The reader walks away from the first part with a clear understanding on what Scripture says concerning the church.

Part Two: What Has the Church Believed?

Part two explains the classical distinctions between the visible and invisible church and the local and universal church. The author includes a helpful discussion on the rise of denominations.

Also included is an illuminating discussion on the history of ordinances. A wide variety of traditions are surveyed. And the various positions are presented for the Lord's Supper as well as baptism.

Part Three: How Does it All Fit Together?

The final section discusses the marks of the church, namely - the faithful preaching of God's Word and the faithful administration of the two ordinances. Dever includes a helpful section on church membership. He writes, "Churches that submerge difference of age, race, status, background, or employment give witness to the power of the gospel."

One of the most helpful chapters is devoted to developing a biblical leadership model. Dever's holds to an elder led/congregationally affirmed leadership structure. He adds, "The most coherent way to understand the New Testament's presentation of local church polity is to recognize the role of both individual leaders and the congregation as a whole." He does not minimize the role of the congregation. Dever writes, "The congregation is not in competition with the elders. The congregation's authority is more like an emergency brake than a steering wheel. The congregation more normally recognizes than creates, responds rather than initiates, confirms rather than proposes."

In the final analysis, "a right ecclesiology matters for the church's leadership, membership, structure, culture, and even character. Ultimately, a right ecclesiology touches on God's glory itself ... Therefore, getting the doctrine of the church right becomes a benefit to the people, as the truth about God and his world is more correctly known, taught, and modeled."

The Church: The Gospel Made Visible should receive a wide readership and will be a tremendous tool in the hands of faithful pastors and shepherds!

4.5 stars

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Into For The Doctrine of The Church March 12, 2013

By The Rebuilding Staff

Format:Paperback

The questions of the role and organization of the church is one mostly ignored in Evangelicalism today. Topics such as church membership and church discipline are largely left by the wayside as planters from various denominations map out their plan of attack when it comes to the church. There are many arguments for why this is but along with the arguments one would find any number of supporting texts from the Bible to support their argument. Some do so knowing the biblical mandates for the church and others interpret the text to fit their desires of what they think the church should be like. Mark Dever has written The Church: The Gospel Made Visible, in part, to combat the errors of those who think they can define apart from biblical precepts who and what the church is.

Dever breaks the material down into manageable bite-sized chunks yet do not leave the reader feeling unsatisfied. Part 1 begins by digging into the biblical text to find out exactly what the Bible says of the church. Here Dever broadly dusts off the shelves of history and biblical texts to give the readers a clearer and broader picture of the topics expounded in the latter portion of the book. Part 2 takes a historic look at what the church has believed in the past. Dever does not leave the reader with a one-sided view of Baptist-specific history but points out other denominational history as well. Part 3 concludes the book taking the pieces of the puzzle and fitting them together in coherent and exegetically accurate portrait of Christ' Bride.

Dever does not shy away from pointing out topics that would cause his readers to shift uncomfortably in their seats. He is biblically faithful when exploring the topics of discipline in the church, ordinances and/or sacraments, and briefly touches upon the topic of tithing, which was largely absent from the text as a whole. Dever also does an excellent job of shining light on extra-Baptistic practices which can be held to, but Dever is hesitant to leave them there. He passionately shines the light on the biblical text in such a way as to snuff out error where it is due. He is faithful to speak on the topics which the Bible propounds clearly but is very careful to not speak where the Bible does not, which is one thing I admired about this writing. There was a small section which I would have enjoyed reading more in-depth, regarding Dever's positions (i.e. multi-site churches) but I was content to leave it where Dever had.

Overall I would say this text is a brief synopsis of the church and what that means for anyone who would call themselves a Christian. Dever points out from the outset that this text was primarily written for Baptist members but it surely goes beyond that. At some points I had to grab my Bible to make sure what Dever was saying was accurate and at other points I was grabbing for my pen so that I could take notes. This text is exegetically rigorous but because of the clarity which Dever writes with, you won't need a seminary degree to understand it. Some may want to throttle Dever and some may want to congratulate him but what I found was this; Dever isn't trying to be an all-star in the church with this text, he is simply being faithful to the biblical records of what the church is and should be. I appreciate what this book has taught me and highly recommend it to any who would profess Christ. Even if you're not Baptist this volume will be extremely helpful in the describing what the Bible has to say about the church.

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The Church: The Gospel Made Visible By Mark Dever / B&H Academic

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