Summary Of John Hammett's Biblical Foundations For Baptist Churches

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Hammett, John S. Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches: A Contemporary Ecclesiology. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2005. Kindle Edition. 368 pp. Introduction John Hammett is the Associate Dean of Theological Studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is also a professor of Systematic Theology and where he earned his Doctor of Ministry. He has also received a Bachelor’s of Arts from Duke University, a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a Ph.D. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In his book, “Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches: A Contemporary Ecclesiology”, John Hammett looks at the nature and marks of the church, as laid out in scripture. He emphasizes…show more content…
He concludes that elders, overseers, and pastors are one in the same according to the New Testament. In Hammett’s view, if there is a distinction between elders, overseers, pastors, and deacons, then this could negate the effect of congregational government (157). He concludes that there should only be two offices of leadership in the church; that of pastors and deacons, governed by a regenerate congregation of believers devoted to the Lord’s service. The fourth part asks, “What does the church do?” Here the author raises the issue of various ministries of the church and the ordinances of the church (i.e. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper). Hammett goes on to detail how through these ordinances believers are united to Christ (263). He discusses the proper administration of these ordinances and explains how we should properly view these in our worship. This chapter focuses heavily on the theological, biblical, and practical issues surrounding each of the ordinances and our view on…show more content…
He shows that the passage in Acts includes evangelism, teaching, service, and worship of God. However, it includes more than just those aspects of church ministry and with greater specificity to the church than do the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, which were given before the commencement of the church. It includes prayer and fellowship along with meeting together as a church (221). In addition, Hammett argues for more than just a return to teachings held centuries ago. He also contends that contemporary Christians must progress beyond mistakes of the past. He wants to restore the biblical model of elders as leaders, not rulers (160). Most modern churches lack a biblical leadership structure, but so did most churches of the past. Hammett also wants to restore the practice of church discipline (124). Hammett does not want to return to Christianity that excluded members for sins which they repented, but he does desire to truly revive church discipline (126).
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