scott butler acadia divinity college church a brief study of ecclesiology

scott butler acadia divinity college church a brief study of ecclesiology

1 Introduction Discussions around church are often colored for a variety of reasons. When it is not easy to assess whether someone is a Christian or not, or people are too shy to ask, they ask if one goes to church. Discussions with those interested in faith inevitably lead to the questions of having to go to church: which church is right for me? how much must I go to church? and is going to church is really all that necessary? Many of these questions are asked individually early on Sunday mornings with eyes closed, not in prayer, but in a cozy bed that says in warm tones stay put. To this same person, who must reluctantly drag himself or herself to church, the church can be a place of intense passion sometimes in worship but more often in terms of a personal opinion about how things ought to be done. Stories of worship wars, pastoral conflicts, and splitting congregations demonstrate not only the destructive potential of the church community, but also the great stock that individuals, often misguidedly, attribute to this body. Without a doubt the church is a vitally important entity to understand and with which to involve oneself. This paper cannot even begin to deal with the issues above, but it will provide an introductory explanation of where the concept of church comes from, what it is grounded in, its elementary characteristics and functions, and where it is leading. Hopefully a clear understanding of these things will aid in the conversations and disputes that arise over the issues detailed above.

2 The Origin of Church The word that is translated as church in most English versions of the Bible is evkklhsi,a. Used to describe secular assemblies (Acts 19:32), evkklhsi,a refers in its proper Greek usage to an assembly that comes together for a matter of particular attention requiring a vote. 1 The assembly itself is not necessarily of a formal nature in that it is an evkklhsi,a only for as long as it is assembled. 2 Etymologically it would be easy to break the word up into its constituent parts. When broken up in this matter the preposition e;x and the verb kale,w could be translated I call out. Scholars warn that understanding the word to mean called out, while appealing, is not proper to the biblical use of the word. 3 Nevertheless, Schmidt attaches significance to this etymological rendering saying: The citizens [of the New Covenant or church] are the e;kklhtoi, i.e., those who are summoned and called together by the herald. This teaches us something concerning the biblical and Christian usage, namely, that God in Christ calls men out of the world. 4 While there may not be a particular instance in the New Testament biblical material where called out is specifically applied to the believers, the meaning tends to find its way into ecclesiology. This is perhaps due to perceived echoes from passages such as Deut. 9:10 where the nation elect nation of Israel, called out of Egypt, gathered before God at Mt. Sinai. One must take the appropriate care in translation not to import theological ideas that biblical texts do not support. At the same time, however, theologians can develop concepts beyond their strict definitions when terms are ripe with contextual meaning such is the case with the present term.

3 Another matter of interest regarding evkklhsi,a is its use to denote both particularly small congregations of Christ-followers as well as larger bodies. Both the singular and the plural are used by Paul (I Cor. 10:32, 11:16) to indicate that no great difference exists between small church groups that meet in homes (Rom. 16:5) and the collection of all believers in some defined geographical location such as Jerusalem or Judea (Acts 11:22, 9:31). 5 In one of the two direct references Jesus makes to the church (Matt. 16:18), the term is general enough to suggest that the church need not be defined or located in a particular place. 6 Rather, the church exists where people assemble as a church (I Cor. 11:18) 7 and each community, however small, represents the total community, the Church (I Cor. 1:2). 8 Church is a fluid concept that, like the original secular usage, denotes an entity that comes into existence as people gather for a purpose. The secular usage does not transfer, however, when it comes to that which the church represents. The so-called Christ cult neither was nor desired to be one cult among others. It stood out against all cults in the sense that it stood out against the whole world, even the whole of the so-called religious world. This is all guaranteed by the choice of the self-designation evkklhsi,a, which, as we must constantly emphasize, implies the addition of tou/ qeou/. 9 Though a study of the etymological foundations of the word church develops a certain fluid understanding of the organized assembly of those who believe, the fluidity is found only in the freedom of the worshiper, not the one being worshipped. God has enabled the church to exist when people gather, but it is only the church when it is

4 gathered for his purposes. The word may come from Greek understanding but it finds its basis in the content of the divine. The Basis of God s Church We find the basis of the church grounded in Israel, the Holy Spirit, and the work of Christ. It was suggested above that Israel is the prototype of the called out ones. Upon that basis evkklhsi,a gains the force of called out ones. Theologically we can make another connection to Old Testament themes by understanding the church as a restored or realized Israel. 10 Luke sees this come to fruition as Joel s prophecy is fulfilled (Acts 2:16-21). Paul, too, recognizes that the advent of the church is the Holy Spirit fulfilling promises made in the Old Testament (Gal. 3:2-5, 4:6-7; Eph. 2:11-14). Matthew, and John in the Revelation, are convinced that the church has come to replace Israel in God s plan of salvation for the world. 11 Whatever is gained for the Gentile world is done through the movement of the Holy Spirit who comes and effectively starts the New Testament church during the time described in Acts. Even more, the basis for the New Testament church is found in the Spirit s presence and help. The Spirit lives among his people, makes them his own, and meets with them (II. Cor. 6:16). He empowers the church to believe, to live in community, and to do the work of salvation. 12 In I Peter the Spirit provides the basis for the development of spiritual community 13 ; he makes people holy (1:2).

Furthermore, the Spirit reveals God (Eph. 1:17) and testifies to Jesus Christ. A busy Spirit indeed. 5 Jesus Christ is the main foundation for the church; without Christ there would be no reason for a church. The church is the community of the new covenant between God and humanity, which is grounded in the self-offering of Jesus Christ. 14 In Matthew 16 we see the importance of the confession of Jesus Christ to the institution of the church. Action and responsibility is put first on God to reveal the truth about Jesus to Peter (v.17); the second act is the confession of a historical reality by Peter (v.16; cf. Eph. 2:20). Christ not only comes but becomes significant to the world with which he interacts. Therefore, church is found where there is confession of Jesus Christ as the Messiah and the Risen Lord (1 Cor. 15:3; Gal. 1:22; 1 Thess. 2:14). 15 The church also guards this confession and guarantees the instruction and institution that, on its basis, issue forth. 16 Christ s himself and the confession of his Lordship form the interlocking foundation of the church. As he is the basis, Christ is also the head of the church. Paul describes the close relationship between the church and Christ as that of a living body and head (Col. 2:19). He furthers the illustration of dependency and obedience in Eph. 5, connecting the sacrifice of Christ for the church to its members response in dedication and submission. This relationship between the church and the body results in real growth and transformation for those involved. It provides a direction

6 or orienting goal as each one grows up into the fullness of the maturity of Christ (Eph. 4:13). The Church is thus not only founded on Christ; at the same time it has Christ as the one to whom it stands in relation and as the goal of its growth. The Church is a realm of salvation permeating the cosmos, tangibly initiated by the death of Christ, but nevertheless not static, but growing in a historical development toward the norm established in Christ, its head. 17 Indeed, Christ is the foundation, the leader, and also the goal of the church. Characteristics and Functions of the Church The church, then, possesses certain identifiable characteristics and performs certain definable functions in the life of its members. The most notable characteristic is fellowship. Here we see again a distinction of the Scriptures use of evkklhsi,a: fellowship in the wider Christian community comes only as a result of fellowship with Christ; 18 that is to say that like the voting assembly, the church only forms in response to another factor: fellowship with Christ. Fellowship and unity go hand in hand as the distinctions between individuals fall away (Col. 3:11) and every effort [is made] to maintain unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:4, NRSV). Christ and his reality become the focal point of attention and the natural or societal elements that may divide are no longer primary concerns. Fellowship, or unity, is both a characteristic and a function of the church. Jesus knew that when unity was found in his followers, his church and its message could be identified (John 17:20-23). But

7 fellowship is also a functioning environment for the good of the members. In this fellowship the people are brought together for worship (Rom. 16:3) and the mutual support or edification of one another. This environment functions to develop and strengthen the believers. Fellowship and community are backbones of the worshipping church not just to form a connection to God, but to develop the total response of individuals who conform their whole social existence to a new way of living. 19 Through teaching and preaching people are built up in maturity and sound doctrine (I Tim. 3:15, 4:6; Tit. 1:9), equipped for service in furthering the kingdom and made to fit closer together within the church (Eph. 4; 1 Thess. 5:11 I John 5:1; 2 John 7). K. N. Giles highlights the emphasis on community well, saying: The goal of the Christian mission was not to save individuals, though it involved this, but to call out a people for God s name. All the apostolic and postapostolic writers see this new community emerging out of historic Israel. It is therefore, like Israel, a corporate entity. The local gathering of Christians was important because this was where communal life in Christ was most personally realized; but for the early Christians belonging to the one community established by Christ was the primary reality. The modern Western individualistic spectacles through which we read the early Christian writings all too often blind us to seeing the profound communalism of early Christianity. 20 The church is not simply a means towards salvation, but it is a present reality that constitutes both growth and self giving. The Final Reality of the Church The church is connected very closely with salvation, both as a presently lived reality and a perfected realization in the future. The writer of Hebrews looked forward to a heavenly gathering (Heb. 12:23)

8 that calls forth all of those who are found in Christ s earthly church. John s Revelation portrayed a heavenly gathering alongside the earthly counterpart. 21 The church hopes for the promised rest (Heb. 2) 22 and a realized freedom from strife when the delivery from slavery and death that was promised to Israel is fully attained. 23 The evkklhsi,a of today preaches the basilei,a tou/ qeou/ promised for tomorrow; they are not one and the same, but the church works towards the similarity and at the same time trusts God to bring it. 24 The church is that identifiable body of faith that collectively stands as the evidence and in the anticipation of heavenly hope that will confirm and enhance the present reality (Heb 1:11). Conclusion In sum, the evkklhsi,a is the intermediary step, between slavery and ultimate freedom, that manifests in the real gathering of people in the name of Christ. It maintains belief, worship, edification, and ministry to people now as a forerunner to what will be perfected salvific life when all the promises of God are brought forth. Grounded in the Risen Lord, carried along by the witness and work of the Holy Spirit, the church is wholly dedicated to God s good plan for the real life of people who live in close contact with one another. It is found where people gather in the name of Christ (Matt. 18:20) and worship, and it has spread from Jerusalem to the whole world under the care of the Apostles and their faithful witness. The church is the embodiment of those who rely on Christ for their salvation and exude the joy befitting of that gift.

9 End Notes 1. EC, 1:481. 2. IVPDNT, 194. 3. EDNT, 1:411; EC, 1:481; TDNT, 3:530-1: Schmidt is unclear as to his final decision regarding whether or not to understand evkklhsi,a as possessing the significance of called out. He makes contradictory statements saying early in one paragraph that being called forth is improbable and results from the tendency of interpreters to philosophize and import meaning through careless etymology. He sums up by saying that it is likely that being called out of the world is likely the significance of the word despite these criticisms. See n.4. 4. TDNT, 3:513. 5. EDNT, 1:411. 6. IVPDNT, 196. P.T. O Brien would disagree: The term used in the New Testament of those wider, universal links [is] not evkklhsi,a. 7. EDNT, 1:413. 8. TDNT, 3:506. 9. TDNT, 3:516. 10. IVPDNT, 205. 11. EC, 1:482. See also, EDNT, 1:412. 12. IVPDNT, 204. 13. IVPDNT, 207. 14. DTID, 116. 15. TDNT, 3:508-509. 16. IVPDNT, 215. 17. EDNT, 1:414. 18. TDNT, 3:512. 19. IVPDNT, 201. 20. IVPDNT, 203. 21. IVPDNT, 209. 22. DTID, 116. 23. IVPDNT, 208. 24. TDNT, 3:522.

10 Bibliography Fahlbusch, Erwin ed. et. al. Church. In The Encyclopedia of Christianity. (EC), Vol.1,, 477-502. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2005. Farrow, Douglas. Church, Doctrine of. In Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible. (DTIB) Edited by Kevin J. Vanhoozer, 115-117. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005. Giles, K.N. Church III: Acts, Hebrews, General Epistles, and Revelation. In The Inter Varsity Press Dictionary of the New Testament. (IVPDNT) Edited by Daniel Reid. 203-209. Downers Grove: Inter Varsity Press, 2004. Marshall, I.H. Church I: Gospels. In Reid, 190-194. O Brien, P.T. Church II: Paul. In Reid, 194-203. Roloff, J. evkklhsi,a. In Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament. (EDNT) Vol. 1. Edited by Horst Balz and Gerhard Schneider. 410-415. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990. Schmidt, K.L. evkklhsi,a. In Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. (TDNT) Vol. 3, edited by Gerhard Kittle. Translated and edited by Geoffrey W. Bromiley. 501-536. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976.