Everett Ferguson

This is the first volume of Ferguson's collected essays, and includes some of his most memorable work, especially on "laying on of hands."

Ferguson's authoritative students' introduction to the world of the early church has now been revised and expanded with new discussions of first-century social life, of Gnosticism, and of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Jewish literature'. Each section is clearly structured with its own bibliography. Arranged thematically, chapters discuss the political background (looking at the political history of the Near East, Alexander the Great, the Hellenistic kingdoms and Rome), society and culture (including the Roman military, social classes, slavery, relationships, morality, economy, entertainment, literature, art and architecture, clubs and associations), Hellenistic-Roman religions (cults, imperial cults, personal religions, Greek and eastern mysteries), Hellenistic-Roman philosophies, Judaism and Christianity.

The Church of Christ develops the affirmation that Christ is not complete without his people. It grounds ecclesiology in Christology and soteriology. Beginning with the Old Testament basis of the New Testament teaching about the church, the book gives a consistent correlation of Christ with the church's nature, membership, assemblies, ministry, and life. This is not a historical study but a doctrinal study. The aim is to present a biblical theology of the church. A doctrinal approach, however, does not mean a doctrinal scheme is imposed on the text; rather, the effort is to let the doctrinal teaching arise out of the text itself. The systematic treatment of the topics traditionally covered in studies of the doctrine of the church are here brought together in relationship to Christ, who is seen as providing the nature of the church and of its membership and as providing not only the example for the church but also a living continuation of himself in its worship, polity, and ethics. The -Today- in the subtitle does not imply a tailoring of biblical ecclesiology to the interests of the present, but is meant to emphasize that biblical ecclesiology is viable today; it is also an acknowledgment that the questions addressed are in part shaped by contemporary as well as historical issues in ecclesiology. In light of these considerations, Ferguson unveils a comprehensive model of the church that is both biblically centered and relevant to today's world.