Indexes: p. 461-476

Preface xi

Abbreviations xiii

Appendix: Roadmap for Mission 455

Selected Scripture Index 461

Subject Index 467

This is the second volume on the topic of ecclesiology (the doctrine of the church) produce by the Biblical Research Institute under the guidance of the Biblical Research Institute Committee. The first volume, entitled Toward an Adventist Theology of the Remnant, has been well received by the world church and is being translated into several languages. Since the introduction to this three-volume project is found in that volume, it is not necessary to repeat it here. The topic of ecclesiology continues to be a significant one for the church at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The church faces new challenges and in most cases what is needed is a clear understanding of the nature, role, and authority of the church. This ecclesiological project provides the occasion for a fruitful dialogue by emphasizing the global nature of the church, its message, mission, and authority. In this volume the main emphasis is on the unity, message, and mission of the church but the nature of the church is also addressed in a few articles exploring the notion of the people of God in the Old Testament (Pfandl), the universal church in the New Testament (Mueller), and a careful study of the most important metaphors for the church in the New Testament (McVay). The study of the mission of the church begins with an exploration of mission in the Old and New Testaments (Moskala; Whalen). Due to the fact that the apocalyptic books of the Bible are particularly important for the Adventist church, it was thought that it would be useful to study their missiology (Kim; Mueller).