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7
Church
What Do We Mean by 'The Church?'
by
David Chronic
Today we find ourselves in evangelical communities, conferences and discussions that talk a lot about the church but rarely define what they mean by church. When
Word Made Flesh (WMF)
started out, we too were thinking more about a theology of mission (missiology) than about a theology of church (ecclesiology). At an international evangelical forum a few years ago, a doctor of missiology praised me for recognizing our lack of an articulated ecclesiology. Not knowing whether I was being ridiculed or commended, I grew a bit embarrassed. But I was encouraged when I later learned that the church fathers had never developed an ecclesiology. It wasn’t until after Constantine that the church began to articulate its theology of church, which wasn’t fully worked out until the Reformation. Unfortunately, evangelical Christians have not taken up the charge to develop a fresh ecclesiology in light of historical changes and new contexts.
Because WMF interacts with many church denominations, churches in different cultures and various understandings and perceptions of church, it is important for us to know what we mean by church. Specifically, we need to outline what the direction and constitution of a church is, how the church engages in mission, how Christians from different churches relate to one another and how the church relates to the poor.
The Church in the Image of the Trinity
One cannot define “church” by looking at what the church is but must rather look at what the church is called to be. In the Bible we discover that the vision and hope of the church is in the kingdom of God. The church is not equated with the kingdom of God, nor is the church the custodian or possessor of the kingdom. Rather, the kingdom of God is the orientation, goal and life of the church. The kingdom of God is not contained by the church but presses it beyond its frontiers. The reign of God is the raison d’être of the church. “The meaning of the church does not reside in what it is but in what it is moving towards. It is the reign of God which the church hopes for, bears witness to and proclaims.”
Synonymous with the “kingdom of God” in Scripture is the “New Creation.” God says, “Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5). The renewal of all things is the fulfillment of the kingdom of God, when the Triune God comes and indwells His people and His people indwell their God (Revelation 21:22). The mutual indwelling of the Trinity and his people in the New Creation fulfills Jesus’ High Priestly prayer, “That they all may be one; even as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me” (John 17:21). The consummation of life in God brings full salvation, justice and restoration. We will eat of the tree of life eternally, sin and death will be defeated, and all tears will be wiped away. All things will be made new! This eschatological hope of the people of God is the ultimate reference point of the church.
While the New Creation is the reference point for the church, “two or three gathered in Jesus’ name” is its starting point. The Triune God who indwells His people says that “wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am present” (Mt. 18:20). Through Jesus’ promise, the gathering is a sacrament of Jesus’ presence. The gathering in the name of Jesus represents not only a visible, concrete and local church, but also an icon of the Trinity.
The church is constituted by the Son through the Holy Spirit. Under the headship of Jesus and indwelt with the Holy Spirit, the church is a sacrament of the Triune God. St. Irenaeus said, “The Son and the Holy Spirit constitute the two hands through which the Father touches us, embraces us, and always forms us after His image and likeness.” The Son assumes humanity, bringing God to humankind and humankind to God. The Holy Spirit conforms Christians to Christ and pours Himself out upon the church (Romans 8:29, Acts 2:4). The Spirit baptizes each believer, showering every one with spiritual gifts. In mutual service each member employs their gift for the edification of the whole. As we follow His way, we participate in the life, death and resurrection of Christ: a Eucharist celebration.
The Church in Mission
Just as the church’s being reflects the being of the Trinity, the church’s action reflects the action of the Trinity. Because God is a missionary God, His people are a missionary people. We do not affirm, in the first place, the church’s mission but God’s mission. “It is not the church that has a mission of salvation to fulfill in the world; it is the mission of the Son the Spirit through the Father that includes the church.’ As the Father sends the Son, so the Son sends His people into mission (John 20:17-23). As the Father pours out His Spirit, so the Spirit empowers us for mission (Acts 2). To participate in mission is to participate in the movement of God’s love toward people, since God is a fountain of sending love.
“The church exists by mission as fire exists by burning.” One cannot speak about the church and mission but only about the church in mission. There is a church because there is mission, not vice versa. A church is born through mission and lives by mission.
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Comments
Greg Carlson
A paper like this is greatly needed! When working with young adults in the Christian Ministries dept. at Trinity, many have a need to wrestle with ecclesiology. In fact, I would like to use this article for my Intro to Ministry class.
Ralph Neighbour
I would agree with this but feel it does not go far enough. The Basic Ecclesia is the literal body of the Son, the Christ, on the earth today. It permits the Son to penetrate a segment of the world that is attached to the body members through relationships and/or geography. The role of Christ today is not to send his followers as salesmen to speak of Him, but rather to so inhabit and empower his ecclesia that He Himself will be manifested, revealing His Presence and Power. He Himself is the Witness. 1 Corinthians 14:24-26 clearly spells this out. I have written, over four years of pondering and study, a special treatise on this subject: "Christ's Basic Bodies." It is my earnest prayer it will lead to further awareness that the ecclesia is the most sacred treasure of God on the face of the earth today.
Antony Billington
Unfortunately, the pdf link doesn’t work.
David Befus
Where do all the resources spent on buildings fit in?
David Chronic
thanks Q for posting this article, and thanks for the comments! Ralph: great ideas on Christ as the witness. That is a beautiful image. This is what I was attempting to point towards in what I said about "indwelt", but you are right that I need to go further. Antony: you can find the full article on the wordmadeflesh website. David: I used to be adamantly against the buildings...and I still think many in the west are wrong-headed in their constructions. but I do think we need to consider building institutions (buildings included) that sustain and support missional communities. (see Hunter's "Change the World").
Gemechu
Its interesting.bless you.
Colby
Exeetmrly helpful article, please write more.
Comments are now closed
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