Church Membership in the Patristic Age
The grand title that I gave to this post probably offers a bit too much. Rather than an extended treatise on the topic, I just wanted to post a short note on something I came across recently. At the Council of Elvira in Spain around 310 A.D., the assembled church leaders passed a canon that excommunicated those Christians who did not attend worship for three consecutive Sundays. Those Baptists arguing today for regenerate church membership and cleaned-up membership rolls often point to the example of Baptist from a previous age who faithfully practiced church discipline. It is sometimes helpful to see that such concerns didn’t start with 19th-century Baptists, but have roots that go far far back in church history.
- See Henry Chadwick, The Church in Ancient Society (Oxford, 2003), 181-182.
Great post Matt!
This is the sort of thign that is really helpful for folks to dig up and pass along.
Thanks!