The Foundation of the Church

Ultimately with R.C. Sproul

Ligonier Ministries

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.9 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 9 August 2023

⏱️ 3 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What--or who--is the foundation of the church? The Bible's answer might surprise you. In this episode, R.C. Sproul shows how this question shapes our understanding of redemptive history.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Who is the foundation of the Christian Church?
0:05.0	I like to ask that question because it's kind of a misleading one,
0:13.0	as I'm trying to fake people out a little bit, because inevitably when I ask Christians
0:18.0	who is the Church's foundation, the immediate reply that the majority of people
0:22.0	give to that question is Christ.
0:25.0	Why the people say that?
0:28.0	Oh, I think the reason is obvious because of the famous hymn.
0:32.0	The Church's one foundation is Jesus Christ, our Lord.
0:36.0	Now, the primary image of foundation, however, in the New Testament,
0:41.0	when the building metaphor is used, does not refer specifically to Christ.
0:47.0	The New Testament says there is no foundation which can be laid
0:51.0	except that which is laid in Christ Jesus.
0:55.0	But the chief use of the metaphor of foundation is attributed to the prophets and the apostles.
1:02.0	The New Testament says that it is the prophets and the apostles who are the foundation of the Church.
1:10.0	So that the Church's foundation does not begin in the New Testament.
1:14.0	It is established early on in Redemptive History.
1:17.0	In the Old Testament, the prophets of God are the foundation upon which is built the house,
1:24.0	the Old Testament prophets, the New Testament apostles, together comprise the foundation
1:29.0	when you look at the New Jerusalem that comes down from heaven in the book of Revelation.
1:34.0	And you hear this magnificent description of streets of gold and of walls
1:38.0	that are bedecked with all these precious jewels and everything.
1:41.0	What's the foundation?
	...

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