catholicsphere

Celebrating the Feast of Pentecost, which signaled the birth of the Church, this past Sunday, I thought it appropriate to post an article I wrote about 4 or 5 years ago, briefly addressing the question “What is ‘the Church’?”

Often, we hear many different definitions when we ask this question.   One’s idea of the Church can be quite ambiguous or even esoteric.  But, what is the Church, really?  Is it merely a body of believers who profess, in some way or another, belief in Christ Jesus?  Is it restricted to a particular denomination?  Is it a man-made institution that places rigorous rules and regulations upon those seeking salvation in Christ Jesus?  What we want to explore here is an accurate definition of what the Church is.

The Gospel accounts use the term “church” in only 2 verses - both of them in the Gospel According to Matthew - Matthew 16:18 and 18:17.  Throughout the New Testament, the term “church” (Greek transliteration: ekklesia) is used numerous times - typically referring to a group of people in a particular location (Acts 8:1, 9:31, 11:22, 13:1, 14:23, 14:27, 15:3-4, 15:22, 15:30, 18:22; Rom 16:1, 16:5, 16:23; 1 Cor 1:2, 4:17, 16:19; 2 Cor 1:1; Col 4:15-16; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1; Rev 2:1, 2:8, 2:12, 2:18, 3:1, 3:7, 3:14) (though that is not an exhaustive list, while being quite near), or to the whole group of these churches as one (Mt 16:18, 18:17; Acts 5:11, 20:28; 1 Cor 10:32, 11:22, 12:28, 14:4-5, 14:12, 14:26, 15:9; Gal 1:13; Eph 1:22, 3:10, 3:21, 5:23-25, 5:27, 5:29, 5:32; Col 1:18, 1:24; 1 Tim 3:5).

As we have these things stated to us, we read the accounts of Paul travelling from local church to local church, teaching them the same things, even while addressing unique problems and questions arising in each of them.  We can gather from this, then, that we do not have a group of believers who do their own things in their own way, but a common creed professed among them all - established by the teaching of the Apostles and other appointed by them.

We hear something I believe is very important in Eph 3:10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known.  Therefore, we are not on our own, merely discerning through our own intellect and understanding.  On the contrary, it is “through the Church” that “the manifold wisdom of God should be made known.”  Indeed, we are all contributors to such, and yet we are also students.  We are servants, yet we are also the served.

We find there are those who are called in the church to be “first, apostles, second, prophets, third, teachers, then mighty deeds, then gifts of healing, assistance, administration and varieties of tongues.” [1 Cor 12:28]  All these gifts don’t come to each of us, but rather each are distributed throughout the Body, as the Spirit sees fit, so that the whole Body be served - and be built up. [cf 1 Cor 12:11]  These things work together, as in a Body; therefore, multiple, contradicting creeds cannot be seen as part of the same, because those things that contradict will work against unity, and against the working of the Body as a whole.

We see that the Body of Christ, the Church, is led by Christ through servants of Him, such as the Apostles, and those who are ordained by them, such as young Timothy (Rom 16:21, 1 Cor 4:17, Philip 1:1, 1 Tim 4:14, 2 Tim 1:6, 2 Tim 2:2) and Titus (2 Cor 8:6, 8:23, Titus 1:3, 2:15), among others…  There are elders, presbyters and deacons….those who discern the will of God to lead the Church as He directs, such as at the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15.

Finally, there is the correction of heretics and schismatics (cf 1 Tim 1:20), and those who are in danger of losing their salvation; as we find in the communities of Galatia, Corinth and Rome.

Through this, we find not merely a body of believers that are joined together by only intellectual assent to believing Christ Jesus is Lord, but a sharing in a common profession - even having all things in common (Acts 2:44) - knowing the will of God through those He has sent.  Being convinced of these things through the Spirit of God, and viewing these things as not doctrines of men, but of God - as it says in 1 Thessalonians 2:13  And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you  accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.  So, we can stay loyal to God and to the Church through the Gospel.  Those who are among the fold of the Church, who teach something different than has been taught are not of the fold.  We should not leave the fold for something that suits us; rather, we should remain in the fold, obeying that which Christ Jesus taught us - particualarly that the Church is necessary at all levels - and that it forms His Body.  Indeed, it as a figurement of an ark…because in Christ all are saved.  Thus, with the Church being Christ’s Body, it is necessary to be in His Body to be saved.

[tags]apologetics, catholic, church, faith, christian, bible, scripture, catholicsphere[/tags]