MTh Theses
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14194/2591
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Item New Testament Church Building Principles ... and What Can/Should Be Learned from Them for Local, Western European Small Church Work in General(South African Theological Seminary, 2015) Sieber, David; Sondheimer, FlorianThis thesis examines the principles of New Testament church building and explores their relevance to contemporary small church work in Western Europe. The study is motivated by the promise of Jesus in Matthew 16:18 to build His church and the subsequent insights provided by the New Testament on how God, through the apostles, established diverse Christian communities despite severe persecution. The central question addressed is whether the New Testament contains explicit principles for church building and, if so, what lessons can be learned for local small church work in Western Europe. The hypothesis of this thesis is that although the New Testament does not contain a systematic doctrine of church building, it does include various principles that are fundamental to the construction of the New Testament church. These principles are essential, timeless, and applicable across different cultures and situations. In addition to these principles, there are also exemplary practices that, while not obligatory, are worth emulating. The thesis is structured to first establish a working definition of New Testament church building principles (nGp) and then to examine key biblical passages to identify these principles. The study includes a detailed analysis of passages such as Matthew 16:18, Acts 2:42-47, Acts 4:32-37, Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 14:21-27, 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, Ephesians 4:11-15, Romans 12:6-8, 2 Timothy 3:14-17, and Acts 6:1-7. These passages are analyzed to extract and categorize the principles and exemplary practices they contain. In the final chapters, the thesis discusses the implications of these principles for small church work in Western Europe, offering practical insights and recommendations. The aim is to bridge the gap between theory and practice, providing a foundation for local churches to build upon these New Testament principles in a way that is relevant and effective in the contemporary Western European context.