The 9Marks ministry, founded by Mark Dever, seeks to equip church leaders with biblical and practical resources to build healthy churches. The ministry’s name comes from its emphasis on nine marks or characteristics of a healthy church: preaching, biblical theology, the gospel, conversion, evangelism, membership, discipline, discipleship, and leadership. While the 9Marks materials can be very helpful, like any human work, they should be examined in light of Scripture to assess their faithfulness to God’s Word.
Preaching
9Marks teaches that faithful biblical preaching is central to the ministry of a healthy church. The Bible supports this emphasis. Passages like 2 Timothy 4:2 instruct pastors to be ready in season and out of season to preach the Word. Biblical preaching explains the text of Scripture in its context and applies it to the lives of hearers. 9Marks articles encourage pastors to preach expositional sermons that expose the meaning of biblical texts while avoiding moralism and light topical messages. This aligns with the biblical pattern of preaching seen in Nehemiah 8:8: “They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.”
Biblical Theology
9Marks stresses developing a robust biblical theology that understands how all Scripture fits together around the redemptive story of Christ. This helps churches appreciate biblical themes and prevent doctrinal error and imbalance. The Bible supports the pursuit of sound biblical theology. Luke 24:27 shows Jesus himself explaining to disciples how the Old Testament centered on his gospel work. Paul also demonstrated a strong grasp of biblical theology, summarizing the whole narrative of Scripture in Acts 13:17-41. Biblical theology is essential for teaching the whole counsel of God’s Word faithfully.
The Gospel
According to 9Marks, the gospel of Jesus Christ should be at the heart of the church’s teaching and ministry. The New Testament repeatedly emphasizes the centrality of the gospel of grace. Paul sums it up in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” Since the gospel is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16), churches must get it right and keep it central.
Conversion
9Marks teaches that churches should be composed of regenerated members, not just outwardly religious people. Jesus stated that people must be born again to enter God’s kingdom (John 3:3). Conversion involves both repentance from sin and faith in Christ (Acts 20:21). Because only God knows people’s hearts for certain (2 Timothy 2:19), churches should exercise care in affirming converts based on credible professions of faith, understanding that some false professors will be present. Overall, the emphasis on regenerate church membership is consistent with Scripture.
Evangelism
According to 9Marks, churches have a responsibility to make converts and grow by evangelizing nonbelievers. Jesus commanded his followers to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20). The early church grew rapidly through Spirit-empowered evangelism (Acts 2:41, 47). Churches need vibrant cultures of personal evangelism among members along with dedication to evangelistic outreach efforts. 9Marks rightly upholds the biblical priority of intentional evangelism both locally and globally by churches.
Church Membership
While the New Testament does not outline a formal process of church membership, 9Marks argues that defined membership is beneficial for healthy church life. Membership allows pastors to know and lead their flocks (1 Peter 5:2) and members to lovingly serve each other through accountability (Galatians 6:2). It facilitates church discipline when necessary (1 Corinthians 5:12-13). Overall, formal membership is an appropriate way to reflect the commitments described in passages like 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 of being joined together as Christ’s body.
Discipline
9Marks contends that churches must practice corrective discipline when members persist in serious sin. Scripture supports this claim. Jesus gave instructions for confronting sin in Matthew 18:15-20. Leaders are tasked with gently correcting false teaching and sinful behavior in the church (2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:9, 13). The goal of discipline is repentance and restoration, but unrepentant members may need to be removed as an act of protection for the church (1 Corinthians 5:5, 13). 9Marks rightly upholds this often neglected biblical teaching.
Discipleship
According to 9Marks, the church should foster discipleship relationships and structures to help Christians mature in faith and obedience. Jesus’ Great Commission involves not just evangelism but teaching obedience to all his commands (Matthew 28:20). Early churches devoted themselves to discipleship through the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). All Christians should be able to teach and admonish others wisely (Colossians 3:16). Churches need intentional plans for discipleship, not just preaching and programs alone. 9Marks properly emphasizes this biblical mandate.
Leadership
9Marks teaches that God calls qualified men to serve as leaders and pastors in the church. The New Testament sets standards for pastoral character (1 Timothy 3:1-7) and calls them to shepherd God’s flock faithfully (1 Peter 5:1-4). Biblically, leadership involves living exemplary lives, equipping all the saints for ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16), teaching sound doctrine, and guarding the church from false teaching. God gifts leaders to lead the church well. 9Marks helpfully articulates biblical priorities for church leaders.
Overall, the 9Marks philosophy of ministry aligns well with biblical priorities for the church. No ministry is perfect, but 9Marks provides helpful guidance for churches seeking to align with Scripture. As with any resource, Christians should examine the ideas carefully through the lens of God’s Word. When grounded in Scripture, the 9Marks emphases can bless churches striving for greater health and faithfulness to Christ.
