Where does the idea of "We the Church" come from?

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How come we don’t refer to the Catholic Church as the Church of God anymore?

I know that some bishops are doing this.

We the Church sounds more like the We the People in America.

has anybody here have any idea about this?
 
wisdomseeker said:
How come we don’t refer to the Catholic Church as the Church of God anymore?

I know that some bishops are doing this.

We the Church sounds more like the We the People in America.

has anybody here have any idea about this?
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There are a bunch of assorted Adventist and Pentecostal denominations that call themselves the Church of God.

Also, was “Church of God” ever a common English way of referring to the Catholic Church in the first place? I tend to doubt it. “I’m a Presbyterian, what about you?” “Church of God – you know, Catholic.” Huh?
 
MarkThompson said:
There are a bunch of assorted Adventist and Pentecostal denominations that call themselves the Church of God.

Also, was “Church of God” ever a common English way of referring to the Catholic Church in the first place? I tend to doubt it. “I’m a Presbyterian, what about you?” “Church of God – you know, Catholic.” Huh?
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Hummmm! what does ST Paul say?
are you saying that that is what should refer to the Church now, we the Church?

The Church is titled Catholic and she is the Church of God and not we the Church.
 
wisdomseeker said:
Hummmm! what does ST Paul say?
are you saying that that is what should refer to the Church now, we the Church?

The Church is titled Catholic and she is the Church of God and not we the Church.
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What on earth are you talking about?
 
wisdomseeker said:
The Church is titled Catholic and she is the Church of God and not we the Church.
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Rather the Church of Jesus Christ, His mystical body, His bride. Every religion claims that they belong to God, that the religion is a bond between God and the people.

The We the Church is Hans Kuengs condemned teaching, which makes the human community primary. Unfortunately this human centered view is quite popular in the US too. It is the temptation of the Satan: you are like God.
 
laszlo said:
Rather the Church of Jesus Christ, His mystical body, His bride. Every religion claims that they belong to God, that the religion is a bond between God and the people.

The We the Church is Hans Kuengs condemned teaching, which makes the human community primary. Unfortunately this human centered view is quite popular in the US too. It is the temptation of the Satan: you are like God.
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I agree whith that statement.
 
wisdomseeker said:
How come we don’t refer to the Catholic Church as the Church of God anymore?

I know that some bishops are doing this.

We the Church sounds more like the We the People in America.

has anybody here have any idea about this?
Click to expand...
It’s a legitimate blend of two ancient concepts. During the early years of the Church, before the term “Ekklesia” became popular, the phrase used in the liturgy was “We your people”. In fact, it’s still used.

Ecclesia was born to refer to the people of God. When you combine both ideas

people of God + we you’re people: you come up with “We the People of God” or in short, “We the Church.”

Not a big deal. Just a combination of terms that have been in use for centuries.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
JReducation said:
It’s a legitimate blend of two ancient concepts. During the early years of the Church, before the term “Ekklesia” became popular, the phrase used in the liturgy was “We your people”. In fact, it’s still used.

Ecclesia was born to refer to the people of God. When you combine both ideas

people of God + we you’re people: you come up with “We the People of God” or in short, “We the Church.”

Not a big deal. Just a combination of terms that have been in use for centuries.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
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I did not find the expression ‘We your people’ or ‘people of God’ in the New Testament. The closest is

1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are God’s coadjutors: you are God’s husbandry; you are God’s building.

As for the concept, in the first millennium Christ’s presence through the Church was emphasized, and it was replaced by the Eucharist only in the 13th Century
 
laszlo said:
Rather the Church of Jesus Christ, His mystical body, His bride. Every religion claims that they belong to God, that the religion is a bond between God and the people.

The We the Church is Hans Kuengs condemned teaching, which makes the human community primary. Unfortunately this human centered view is quite popular in the US too. It is the temptation of the Satan: you are like God.
Click to expand...
Yeah, thank you. I thought so too. I found it very strange this sort of thing creeping into the Church, specially by some bishops. St Paul referred to the Church as the Church of God and not we the Church. it seems to me that some of us are trying to take the Church from God’s hands. God have mercy on us.
 
JReducation said:
It’s a legitimate blend of two ancient concepts. During the early years of the Church, before the term “Ekklesia” became popular, the phrase used in the liturgy was “We your people”. In fact, it’s still used.

Ecclesia was born to refer to the people of God. When you combine both ideas

people of God + we you’re people: you come up with “We the People of God” or in short, “We the Church.”

Not a big deal. Just a combination of terms that have been in use for centuries.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
Click to expand...
Sorry brother but I take issue with this. we may be the people of God but we are not the Church. I can understand why you say this though. We cannot lead ourselves which is exactly what the Church does. she leads the people. hope you see the difference.
 
laszlo said:
I did not find the expression ‘We your people’ or ‘people of God’ in the New Testament. The closest is

1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are God’s coadjutors: you are God’s husbandry; you are God’s building.

As for the concept, in the first millennium Christ’s presence through the Church was emphasized, and it was replaced by the Eucharist only in the 13th Century
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I did not say NT. I said “we your people” has been used in liturgy and Ekklesia meant “people of God”. Paul is the first to use Ekklesia. It becomes a “household” word during the second century. “We the Church” is a blend of both ideas. It’s a term that became commonly used in ecclesiology.

Over the centuries, “Church” was used to refer the institution, “The Church” or to refer to the community of believers, “We the Church.” Later it began to be used to refer to buildings. It replaced ther term “temple”.

Trust me, there are bigger and more interesting points in theology that still need further clarification an dcan be better explained.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
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