G
Gabriel_of_12
Guest
Greetings LaymanX; I have found your post’s most interesting; Your definitions in describing “the Church” conflict with the Catholic position of being the “body of Christ”. The New Testament expresses this fundamental “sacramental” interpretation of the Church,
(Colossians 1: 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
18** He is the head of the body, the church**… 20 and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross 11 (through him), **whether those on earth or those in heaven. **24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking 14 in the afflictions **of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church, **
Your “Church communion” definition in describing the Church gives connotations to the Old Testament understanding of Qahal = contained cultic juridical and political tendencies which existed in both Greek and Semitic religious cultures. Which is a gathering of a distinct group and leaving all others out.
Israel qahal gathered to listen to what God proclaims and to assent to it, but removed herself from allowing the Gentiles in and her infidelity to the Old covenants.
When Israel was dispersed and exiled, the prophets foretold of the new qahal coming from God himself, a new gathering of people became the center of Israel’s hope.
The ecclesia (Church) became the fulfillment of the Gathering of God’s new people beginning with the Jew first and then to the Gentiles. Whereby the old covenant rejected Gentiles from entering God’s presence and learning of God’s laws.
The New Testament Church used the Greek term = ecclesia, Latin iglesia comes from the Hebrew root word qahal which is translated by “assembly of all the people” thus = Universal = Catholic understanding, is the term recorded as common knowledge from an early disciple of the apostle John in 100+ad. “Church” was already taught and believed from the Apostles themselves as the body of Christ.
The Church = body of Christ is the fulfillment from the those things to come from the Old testament prophets where there will be no more Jew or Greek, slave or free to distinguish from each “quahal” isolated community but will be fulfilled in the ecclessia = iglessia= “universal” = Catholic Church.
From your definitions the New covenant Church cannot be used to describe a “communion” of Christian believers believing different from one another, for the Church is the body of Christ as taught in sacred scripture sacramentally.
Sola Scriptura nor does your definition of “church” never fits in the Apostles written and oral teachings of the sacramental economy of salvation in Jesus Christ.
CCC; paragraph 774…The Seven Sacraments are signs and instruments by which the Holy Spirit spreads the grace of Christ the head throughout the Church which is his Body. The Church, then, both contains and communicates the invisible grace she signifies. It is in this analogical sense, that the Church is called a “sacrament”.
In short Christ is always present with and in His body the Church and promised to never leave her. How? through the sacraments, because the Word of God lives and is active. Letters on a page =sola scriptura only gives witness to this reality, but is not the Church in itself.
Peace be with you
(Colossians 1: 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
18** He is the head of the body, the church**… 20 and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross 11 (through him), **whether those on earth or those in heaven. **24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking 14 in the afflictions **of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church, **
Your “Church communion” definition in describing the Church gives connotations to the Old Testament understanding of Qahal = contained cultic juridical and political tendencies which existed in both Greek and Semitic religious cultures. Which is a gathering of a distinct group and leaving all others out.
Israel qahal gathered to listen to what God proclaims and to assent to it, but removed herself from allowing the Gentiles in and her infidelity to the Old covenants.
When Israel was dispersed and exiled, the prophets foretold of the new qahal coming from God himself, a new gathering of people became the center of Israel’s hope.
The ecclesia (Church) became the fulfillment of the Gathering of God’s new people beginning with the Jew first and then to the Gentiles. Whereby the old covenant rejected Gentiles from entering God’s presence and learning of God’s laws.
The New Testament Church used the Greek term = ecclesia, Latin iglesia comes from the Hebrew root word qahal which is translated by “assembly of all the people” thus = Universal = Catholic understanding, is the term recorded as common knowledge from an early disciple of the apostle John in 100+ad. “Church” was already taught and believed from the Apostles themselves as the body of Christ.
The Church = body of Christ is the fulfillment from the those things to come from the Old testament prophets where there will be no more Jew or Greek, slave or free to distinguish from each “quahal” isolated community but will be fulfilled in the ecclessia = iglessia= “universal” = Catholic Church.
From your definitions the New covenant Church cannot be used to describe a “communion” of Christian believers believing different from one another, for the Church is the body of Christ as taught in sacred scripture sacramentally.
Sola Scriptura nor does your definition of “church” never fits in the Apostles written and oral teachings of the sacramental economy of salvation in Jesus Christ.
CCC; paragraph 774…The Seven Sacraments are signs and instruments by which the Holy Spirit spreads the grace of Christ the head throughout the Church which is his Body. The Church, then, both contains and communicates the invisible grace she signifies. It is in this analogical sense, that the Church is called a “sacrament”.
In short Christ is always present with and in His body the Church and promised to never leave her. How? through the sacraments, because the Word of God lives and is active. Letters on a page =sola scriptura only gives witness to this reality, but is not the Church in itself.
Peace be with you
