ACTC3 Christian Belief


	Seminar 5	The Church

1. Introduction

Exercise: What are some of the things that you like about church? What don't you like? Try to express both these in terms that an unbeliever would find helpful.

2. The Problem of Defining the Church

a. Old Testament 'qahal' and New Testament 'ekklesia'
Our word church is derived from Old and New Testament words. In the Old Testament, God's people viewed themselves as quhal¹ which means a congregation that gathers in response to the call of God. In the New Testament, the word ekklesia is used to describe this gathering. It is from which we get the term ecclesiology. This term can refer to both the local ekklesia² of living believers who have responded to the call of God, and to the whole of God's people³.

Moses assembled all the congregation¹ of the Israelites and said to them: These are the things that the LORD has commanded you to do:

Exodus 35:1

And Saul approved of their killing him. That day a severe persecution began against the church² in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria.

Acts 8:1

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,³ and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

Matthew 16:18

b. The Many terms
The question that arises from this is 'why do we need to use the term 'the church'. There are many different ways of speaking about those who have come to faith, which we describe as the church.

The people of God
God's relationship to his people is important throughout the scriptures. We are his people through God's covenant of grace which we have through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them;

Revelation 21:3

Saints
The scriptures teach that all those who belong to God are saints.

To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 1:7

The bride of Christ
The picture of the church brings out God's unqualified love for his people. We are objects of his eternal love.

And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 21:2

The body of Christ
The call on the Christian is to be a believer in Christ Jesus. By this, we become incorporated into him. Sometimes Christ is understood as the whole body while we are members within him, while at other times Christ is presented as the head of the body.

so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.

Hebrews 12:5

He is the head of the body, the church;

Colossians 1:18a

The family of God
In Christ we are born into the family of God being adopted as His children. The Spirit of God enables us to call him 'Father'. By this, the church becomes the family of God.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ--if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Romans 8:14-17

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God,

Ephesians 2:19

The building of God
Throughout the Old Testament, God dwelt with his people. The church is understood as God's spiritual building, where Christ is the head and the cornerstone.

in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.

Ephesians 2:22

The temple
The more popular version of the building of God, is the temple. As the body of Christ, it represents the new temple of God's presence.

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

1 Corinthians 3:16

c. Individual and community aspects of Christian life
These images have varying focuses. Some of these images focus on the relationship of one to the other, others focus on the relationship of the one to Christ. Some terms focus more on the individual, while others focus on the group nature. We can talk about the believer, we can talk about the church. We can talk about a saint which can be a singular principle, and we can talk about a temple which is more a communal concept.

Even in discussing 'the church', we find ourselves locked into common terminology. The term 'the church' has come to dominate, and it is useful to ask ourselves if this is the best terms to use.

One question to contemplate is the relationship between the Church and salvation. Are we saved into the church, or is the church a group of saved people? Your answer to this will have strong implications on how you view the church. Different traditions over time have given different emphasis.

d. The Marks of the Church
In the Nicean creed we have the statement that we believe in

'one holy catholic and apostolic church'

In the creed, this statement is a derivative of 'I believe in the Holy Spirit.' This has an implication that the life of the church is an outworking of the Holy Spirit. From this statement, we have what are commonly known as the four marks of the Church.

Mark #1 Unity
This unity is grounded in the one God. Members of the church are one people. However, this oneness was never meant to denote total uniformity. Differences still existed in the early church in terms of worship and matters of secondary importance. Different people had different gifts and exercised different ministries. However, none of this needs to take anything away from oneness in Christ.

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

Ephesians 4:1-6

Mark #2 Sanctity
The people of God are a Holy people. They are set apart and cleansed. The church stands before God 'in Christ' and is spotless and without moral blemish. This should be expressed in the moral character and tone of the church's common life and relationships.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

1 Peter 2:9

Mark #3 Catholicity
The reformers translated this as universal. It denotes that all Christians are linked together and that there is really only one church. The term does not mean catholic as in Roman Catholic, which is a specific denomination that exists world-wide emanating out of Rome. The early church was marked by its radical inclusiveness. The only basis for entry was faith in Jesus Christ. It was a faith for all.

There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:28

Mark #4 Apostolicity
An apostle is a witness to the ministry and resurrection of Jesus, and hence an authorized bearer of the Gospel. The apostles are the link between Jesus and future generations. For the faith to be passed on, it must be based on the teaching of the apostles. Built into this mark is a Mission function. The church is to continue the mission and work of the apostles.

e. Viewing the Church from four angles
There are primarily four different ways in which the church can be viewed; from above, below, behind and from ahead. What we can do is form an interrelated hierarchy of terms with the church. We can look at these 4 levels and see how they fit together.

When take these four angles we bring in the different images of the church we have a multitude of different ways in which people can understand the church. Good Christian leadership discerns where their people are at, and looks at what new things need to build into their perspective.

'From Above' This angle of viewing the church is from God's perspective. The marks of the Church are in many ways God's perspective. For example, you cannot see unity apart from God's perspective.
'From Behind' This view is not just what we can see now, but the whole picture of God's salvation history as described in the scriptures.		'From Ahead' This is the view of what the church will be. It is a view from above plus a sense of what will be. The image in Revelation 21 is a view looking ahead
	'From Below' This views the church from a human perspective. It may be a sociological analysis or description of the institution. When looking with a from below view, there are major difficulties with the marks of the church. The church as an institution just doesn't come up to scratch with the marks

f. Explaining the good and bad in church
With different ways of looking and different images

Exercise: What do you say if someone from outside the church says . . .

Church is full of hypocrites
The church would fall down if I came to a service
Why would you bother going?
Church really isn't my thing
God 'yes', church 'no'
I don't think I'd be accepted if I came to church with you

g. A spot of Church History

Suggested Reading
B. Milne Know the Truth (2nd Edition), I.V.P., pp. 259-308. (Part 6 The Church)

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