ABOUT
The Church: The Pillar and Ground of Truth invites us to explore church history in order to discover that the truth is central to the very existence of the church.
We begin in first-century Jerusalem with Christ's apostles laying the foundation of the church by inscripturating the Word of God, which provided not only the base but also defined the parameters of the structure. Only on this foundation—the Word of Christ—can the church stand.
Next we travel to Antioch to see the growth of the church under mounting persecution, then on to North Africa where we begin to witness the damaging effects of false doctrine and the inexorable slide from the true foundation to the building of a new one.
As we continue to Rome, we watch this gradual destruction of the true church but discover, thankfully, that the original foundation remained undamaged.
Moving through Germany and Switzerland, we see the Reformers building the church on the truth once more. From there we go to England, where we see the Puritans attempting to protect the integrity of the church through the safeguarding of the truth.
Finally, we end with the example of a nineteenth-century pastor who refused to compromise the truth.
WHAT'S INSIDE?
This brief but powerful book offers 11 chapters summarizing eras in Church history to illustrate the role of the Church in safeguarding the truth, and the consequences of forsaking truth.
CONTENTS
- Introduction
- The Apostolic Foundation
- Monarchial Bishops
- Apostolic Tradition
- Apostolic Succession
- Organizational Unity
- The Papacy
- Apostolic Confession
- The Puritan Development
- The Gates of Hell
- Conclusion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeffrey D. Johnson is the teaching pastor of Grace Bible Church and president of Grace Bible Theological Seminary in Conway, Arkansas, where he resides with his wife, Letha, and their four children. He is the author of several books, including The Pursuit of Glory and The Absurdity of Unbelief.
