2.
What is the Church?
Who established the Church?
Church is founded by Jesus Christ
What are some important images for the
Church?
Study of church is known as ecclessiology
3.
Church – from Greek Kuriakon (Lord’s House)
then via German Kirche.
Ecclessia – N.T word for church (cf. Spanish
iglesia)
Assembly -
4.
Romans 12:4-5 “4 Just as each of us has one body with
many members, and these members do not all have the
same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form
one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
1 Corinthians 12:12-26
12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many
parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one
body.
Colossians 1:17-20
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold
together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the
dead, so that in everything he might have the
supremacy.
5.
Church in communion with Jesus; joined to
Christ
One Body
Christ is the head of the Church
Believers are members (organs) of the Body
Interconnectedness of the members
6.
Foundation is Apostles & Christ as
Cornerstone.
built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief
cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined
together and rises to become a holy temple in the
Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together
to become a dwelling in which God lives by his
Spirit. Eph 2:20-22 (cf. 1 Cor 3:11)
you also, like living stones, are being built into a
spiritual house – 1 Peter 2:5
7.
Continual building up
We are stones / bricks
Founded on Apostolic Faith / confession of
faith
Not on one single Apostle – rejection of Petrine
Supremacy.
8.
Ephesians 5 Rev 19:7 - Let us rejoice and be glad and give
him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has
come, and his bride has made herself ready.
“wedding of the Lamb”
Part 1 – Betrothal
Part 2 – waiting
Part 3 – coming of the Groom
10.
Jesus is the good shepherd (John 10:11)
Great shepherd (Heb 13:20)
Chief shepherd (1 Pet 5:4)
The know his voice they follow hims
11.
Colossians 1:13 - For he has rescued us from
the dominion of darkness and brought us into
the kingdom of the Son he loves,
Kingdom of God is more than church. But
church is part of the K.O.G.
Entry through baptism.
Church is to be a reflection of the K.O.G.
12.
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, His own special
people ... who once were not a people but are
now the people of God, who had not obtained
mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter
2: 9-10).
13.
Promise given to Abraham fulfilled in Christ
that all nations will be blessed.
Spiritual reality not ethnic / biological
Internal circumcision and not external
15.
Connection between St Mary and Church
Psalm 45 – see the royal daughter stand. This is
at once St Mary and the Church.
“There is also one virgin mother, whom I love
to call the church. She is virgin and
simultaneously, a virgin undefiled and a
mother full of love.” – Clement of Alexandria
Eve from side of Adam; Church from side of
Christ; Church is the virgin mother of all
living.