M.A. (Biblical Studies) / In recent decades the church member's life style and involvement in the congregation and the church, increasingly became a point of interest in the church. Enterprises to build up the congregation concentrate on leading, motivating and activating church members to become involved in numerous activities launched by the congregation. In spite of this it looks as if only a minority of church members really do get involved in serving the Lord The contention of this study is that church members' defective realisation of their Christian identity is the reason that the quality of their spiritual life and their involvement in church activities leaves much to be desired. Scientific Biblical research specifically from the New Testament concerning the Christian identity of the church member is therefore necessary. This Biblical information will help church members to realise their identity as believers. This in tum will enable them to fulfill their task as believers by becoming closely involved in the church. According to Erikson (1971 :90) a defective comprehension of identity leads to a misunderstanding of one's role. Such persons will try to be everything to everyone and will be never be themselves. The measure in which individuals find their identity is the measure in which they grow in stability and self-confidence. This may also be true for the member of the church. An intensive study of the abundant material in Scripture would be impossible within the confines of this treatise. For this reason the research will be confined to the Pauline material which in tum can't be used in full. Thus the theme : Relevant Pauline perspectives on the Christian identity of the church member. The object of this research is to ascertain if, and if so, which perspectives the Corpus Paulinum (C P) gives on the identity of the church member.

Thesis (DTh)-- Stellenbosch University, 1996. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Questions and problems concerning church membership are plenty and surface regularly in church . meetings. The way in which the church operates reflects a particular concept of the church. The· ideal is that way the church functi~ns according to the church law must express the essence of the church. Therefore it is important to ask questions on church membership in the light of the scriptures and the confession. This study shows that there is tension between the concept of the church which comes forwardin the Scriptures and the confession on the one hand and that which is reflected in the practical handling of membership issues on the other hand. An investigation into certain historic backgrounds, the conventions of a variety of churches on the issue of membership as well as the views of church members from· the Presbytery of the Dutch Reformed Church in Pietermaritzburg was necessary to acquire insight into the present situation. These investigations have shown that there are several customs and views on membership issues that do not have a sound theological basis. On what membership means and how it must be handled in practice there is also a wide variety of opinions. From the Old and New Testaments it becomes evident that a complete definition of the church is not possible. The Bible speaks in different ways about thechurch. God's presence and initiative in the church as his people of the covenant is that which makes the faith community the church. Faith, the relation with Jahwe in the Old Testament and with Jesus Christ iri the New Testament, is that which distinguishes the members of the faith community from those who do not belong to it. The handling of membership developed in such a way that membership issues constitutes the delimitation of churches amongst each other. That hampers the visible unity of the church. In the last chapter an attempt was made to formulate guidelines for the handling of membership in such a way that the unity of the church is emphasized while the confessional base of the church is protected at the same time. In this process a distinction is made between the delimitation of the church against the world on the one hand and the delimitation of churches amongst each other on the other hand. An attempt is made to unite the soteriological and the canonical meaning of the baptism in the membership practice. Baptism, as the sacrament of incorporation .into the church of Jesus Christ is fundamental in the acknowledgment of membership and membership privileges in the congregation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vrae oor lidmaatskap en die probleme wat daarmee verband hou, is volop en korn dikwels na vore • tydens kerkvergaderings. Die manier waarop die kerk funksioneer, gee uitdrukkirig aan 'n bepaalde · kerkbegrip. Die ideaal is dat die kerkordelike inrigting van die kerk uitdrukking gee aan die wese van die kerk. Daarom is dit belangrik om die vrae oor kerklidmaatskap te vra vanuit dit wat die . . Skrif en belydenisskrifte oor die kerk leer. Hierdie studie toon aan dat daar ;n spanning bestaan tussen die kerkbegrip, soos wat dit in die Skrifen belydenisskrifte geleer word,. rum dieeen kant en die kerkbegrip wat · deur die praktyk van kerklidmaatskap gereflekteer word aan die ander kant · Om begrip vir die huidige situasie te kry, word daarook gekyk na bepaalde.historiese agtergronde · vir huidige gebruike. Gebruike in 'n verskeidenheid van kerke word ondersoek en die siening van 'n groep lidmate van die Ned Geref Kerk in d.ie Ring van Pietermaritzburg bepaal. Hierdie onder- - soeke het aangedui dat daar 'n verskeidenheid van gebruike en opvattings is ten opsigte van lidmaatskap wat nie 'n gesonde teologiese basis het nie. Daar is ook 'n wye verskeidenheid opvattings oor wat lidmaatskap behels en hoe dit hanteer moet word in die kerklike praktyk. U it die Ou en Nu we Testament blyk dit dat afgehandelde definisie van wat kerk is, nie moontlik is nie. Die Bybel praat op wye verskeidenheid maniere oor die kerk; God se teenwoordigheid en inisiatief in die gemeente as verbondsvolk maak van die geloofsgemeenskap kerk. Geloof, verbondenheid aan Jahwe in dieOu Testament en Jesus Christus in die Nuwe Testament onderskei lede van die geloofsgemeenskap van diegene wat nie daaraan behoort nie. Die bantering van lidmaatskapreelings het so ontwikkel dat dit dikwels 'n afgrensing van kerke teenoor mekaar behels en so die sigbare eenheid van die kerk belemmer. In die laaste hoofstuk word· 'n poging aangewend om riglyne daar te stel waarvolgens lidmaatskap so hanteer kan word dat die eenheid van die kerk daarin sigbaar word terwyl die belydenisgrondslag van die kerk beskerm word. In hierdie proses word onderskeid gemaak tussen lidmaatskap as die kerk se afgrensing teenoor die wereld aan die een kant en die afgrensing van kerke teenoor mekaar aan die ander kant. 'n Poging word aangewend om die soteriologiese en kerkregtelike betekenis van die doop byeen te bring in die praktyk. Die doop, as sakrament van inlywing in die kerk van Jesus Christus, word fundamenteel in die erkertning van lidmaatskap en lidmaatvoorregte in die gemeente.