I have a simple question for you. What is the church of God . Blessings.
The bumper sticker answer is encapsulated in **1 Timothy 3:15 **(RSV)
if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.
(ok, you need a long bumper)
Permit me to unpack this a bit.
Pillars and foundations support things, so that they don’t collapse. Therefore, if the Church is the pillar and foundation of the truth, that means the Church supports the truth, preventing it from collapsing. Evidently, if the Church can err, then it’s no firm foundation. The truth would collapse like the house built on sand – instead of a foundation – of which Jesus speaks.
The alternative interpretation offered – that the Church is the pillar and foundation of the truth because it spreads the truth – is incoherent. The purpose of a pillar or foundation is not to disseminate, but to uphold, support. Of course, the Church also spreads the truth, but that is a completely different function from upholding it, keeping it whole and intact.
Another alternative interpretation offered – that the Church is the pillar and foundation of the truth because it spreads the Bible – is also incoherent. Of course, the Church spreads the Bible which is the truth, but again, that is a different function from upholding the truth, keeping it whole and intact.
You wouldn’t want to mix metaphors just to support human opinion.
Ephesians 2:19-21: . . . you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20] built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21] in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord;
1 Timothy 3:15 directly defines “household of God” as “the church of the living God.” Therefore, we know that Ephesians 2:19-21 is also referring to the Church, even though that word is not present. In 1 Timothy, the Church is a “pillar and bulwark of the truth”. Here the Church’s own “foundation” is “the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” Note, then, that we have closely related concepts, but not identical ones. The foundation of the Church itself is Jesus and apostles and prophets.
This is also a foundation. Does it, too, have “faults or cracks”? Since Jesus is the cornerstone, are you saying that it can be a faulty foundation, with Jesus included in that? Are the apostles and prophets also fallible when proclaiming prophecy or the gospel or the inspired Bible message? If so, where do we see any hint of that in Holy Scripture?
As usual, the Bible is unfathomably rich beyond imagining. We know for sure (and you will readily agree) that our Lord Jesus is neither a fallible nor faulty cornerstone. He is part of the foundation for the Church: the Church is built upon Him, along with the apostles and prophets, including St. Peter (the leader of the disciples and first leader of the Church: the pope):
**Matthew 16:18 **And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.
But it’s not
only Peter. He is a key “stone” or “rock” but Jesus is the cornerstone, other apostles and the prophets are also in the foundation, and we ourselves (all Christians) are incorporated into the Church (following the metaphor), on top of the foundation: