Abstract

STRAUSS, Piet. A church order and church service - Article 48 of the Church Order of the Dutch Reformed Church investigated. STJ [online]. 2021, vol.7, n.1, pp.1-21. ISSN 2413-9467.  http://dx.doi.org/10.17570/stj.2021.v7n1.a20.

For the church order of the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC), article 48, the core of a church service is the fact that the Triune God is meeting his church and that this meeting should be determined by the core truths or lines of the relationship between God and his church or believers. This point of departure for a church service has been maintained in article 48 since 1962. It is accepted by many churches and creates the understanding that a church service is initiated by God who speaks and his church or the believers who answer. The rhythm of God who speaks and the church who answers should be the basic movements in each service. The content and changes of church order article 48 of the DRC from 1962-2017 are investigated. Some of the changes reveal some thought or beliefs in the DRC on these issues at that time.

Keywords : Church order gives framework for church services; God meets believers; Believers meet other believers; In church services speaks and congregation answers; Preaching about explaining and applying message of Bible.

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