Source. Brennan Hill s Exploring Catholic Theology, Chapter 7 Notes: The Church of Jesus Christ

Transcription

1 Remembering Simple Beginnings Based on the assumption that the validity of the Church s teachings today depend upon its faithfulness to its earliest traditions, we are going to look at the role Jesus Christ played in the establishment of the church as well as the role of some of the very first communities of believers (Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, and other places mentioned in the New Testament). If we can recapture or identify the essential beliefs and practices of the early churches, we will use these as standards against which today s church will be measured. 1. The Foundation of the Church a. The Uniqueness of Jesus o Yes, there were a variety of preachers, teachers, miracle workers, and spiritual leaders in Jesus day but he stands in a category all his own. o What has survived of his teachings, life story, ministry, and passion is primarily found in the Gospels. He did write anything that we know of. o His teachings were based on a message of love. o He seemed to want to reform his own religion, Judaism, than actually begin another one. o His relationship with the God of Israel was nothing like anyone had taught or lived before. It was personal and intimate in an unprecedented way. He called God, Abba, or daddy. o He interpreted and even challenged Jewish teachings. o His teachings and life story was a model of love, compassion, forgiveness, hope, and self-sacrifice. o He often challenged both religious and civil law which got him in trouble with both sets of authorities. o He especially had an affinity with the poorest of the poor, the disenfranchised, and the outcasts of society. o His method of ministry was table ministry, and public discourse. b. The Kingdom of God o Central to his message, teachings, and life was the coming of the reign of God, sometimes referred to as the Kingdom of God. o "Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news'" (Mark 1:14-15). Here, in a nutshell, is the message of Jesus: the kingdom of God has come near. o The phrase "kingdom of God" appears 53 times in the New Testament gospels, almost always on the lips of Jesus. The synonymous phrase, "kingdom of heaven," appears 32 times in the Gospel of Matthew. Throughout the accounts of Jesus' ministry, he is always talking about the kingdom of God. Many of his parables explain something about this kingdom: it is like mustard seed, a treasure, a merchant looking for pearls, and a king who gave a banquet (Matt 13:44-47; 22:2). Jesus even defines his purpose in light of the kingdom: "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose" (Luke 4:43). o When Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God, he did not think in terms of locality, but authority. c. A Preference for the Poor o Blessed are the poor, for they shall inherit the earth. o Jesus was convinced that through his words and deeds a new phase of God s power was coming to the poor. 1

2 d. Already and Not Yet o God s redemption coming sometime in the future was a belief held by the Jews. Jesus accepted this but he also added to it. o There was also an immediacy to the presence/power of God. o God s love and compassion could be experienced now e. The Church is Not the Kingdom o The Church is sometimes thought to represent the Kingdom of God but this was not Jesus meaning. It is easy for members of the Church to project this meaning back on to Jesus teachings but if we study Jesus teachings in his own historical context, he speaks more of God s power and presence as the Reign of God and not the Church as the Reign of God. o The church bears witness to God s power and presence. o Theologically, then the Church is only possible through God s power and presence. 2. Early Communities of Believers a. The Church Born in the Resurrection o The Church was established upon what Jesus gave his disciples, not on Jesus direct intention to establish a Church. o The disciples experience of Jesus raised from the dead transformed them into the first Church leaders. o Their resurrection faith and their inspirited commissioning by Jesus prompted them to transform from confused and frightened disciples to confident and enthusiastic preachers of Jesus identity. o The development was one of faith-sharing and community-building. b. The Word Church o First used to refer to the Christian community in Thessalonica around 50 CE o Translation of Greek, ekklesia, referring to the assembling or calling forth of people to deal with political or juridical matters o church also derived from another Greek word, kuriakos, belonging to the Lord o Refers to house churches, the community as the body of Christ, the common bond between various faith communities c. The Church of Jerusalem o Although Galilee, Jesus hometown was a significant place for the earliest community to have formed, most scholars believe that Jerusalem was indeed the place of the first established church. It was the city where Jesus held his last meal with them Where Jesus was crucified Where Luke places the Easter Sunday appearance of the risen Lord The heart of Judaism The place of the Temple Place of Jewish leadership Jews believed the endtime would occur in Jerusalem Church at Jerusalem should not be idealized though Tensions between Jewish Christians and Hellenistic Christians Ananias and Sapphira story indicate tensions with monies (Acts 5:1-12) Stephen, first martyr Tension regarding dietary laws and circumcision 2

3 d. The Church at Antioch o Perhaps begun as early as the late 30 s o Composed of both Jewish converts and Greek-speaking gentiles o Believed to be the place where the term Christian was first used derogatorily e. The Church in Rome o Most likely founded by Jewish Christians around 40 CE o Jews in Rome had had much influence there even well before Jesus time o Peter was crucified there and most likely Paul was executed there as well o By 96, Peter and Paul were looked upon as pillars of the Church and the church hierarchical structure established in Rome became a model for other locales f. The Community of the Beloved Disciple o Associated with the Gospel of John o Scholars believe the authority of this Gospel inspired by a follower of Jesus known as the beloved disciple but unlikely John the apostle. o Having been rejected by the Orthodox Jewish community, this community of faith in Jesus ceased to enjoy the religious freedom enjoyed by Jews within Roman territory, thus they were vulnerable to persecution. o The Gospel records attitudes of another worldly reality that frees them from this world. This is a much spiritualized Gospel, unlike the Synoptics. o A high Christology permeates this Gospel. A focus on the divine presence of Jesus, both as lived on earth and as experienced by his followers after his death and resurrection, is emphasized. 3. The Pauline Churches a. The Church at Thessalonica o Paul s earliest surviving letter (c. 50CE) written to church in Thessalonica o He was addressing their concern about the delay of the Parousia b. The Church at Philippi o Paul wrote to this church while in prison at Ephesus. o He urges them not to be persuaded by false teachers who seek to undo his work. o He characterizes Jesus as one who is divine but also one who completely emptied himself and took on the nature of a servant for our sake. (See Phil 2:6-8) Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. c. The Church at Corinth o Written to a diverse community o The 2 letters in the NT probably are a compilation of three or more distinct letters o Writes about their diversity as a model of the Body of Christ o Also, in 1 Cor his famous Ode to Love is found (See 1 Cor 13) d. The Church at Galatia o Written to a predominately Gentile community o Warned them against believing the teachings of false missionaries who sought to undo Paul s work with them theologically o He defends his status as an apostle directly commissioned by Christ o He chastises them for holding to observations of circumcision and dietary laws as if these were the means of salvation 3

4 o His famous passage on freedom has inspired the faithful through the millennia (see Gal 5:1) Freedom is what you have-christ has set us free! Stand, the, as free people, and do not allow yourselves to become slaves again. 3. Other Views of the Early Church Letter to Colossians reflects a high Christology; Christ is seen in cosmic terms Letter to the Ephesians sees the church as a universal phenomenon taking in all of creation. a. Early Catholicism o The delay of the Parousia, the growth of the church, and the growing sophistication of theological questions prompted institutionalization to occur Church structure of bishops, priests, and deacons o The legalization of Christianity in 313 by Emperor Constantine contributed to the institutionalization of the Church b. The Pastoral Letters o 1 & 2 Timothy & Titus o Associated with Pauline thought but most likely written by his followers o Their focus was offering pastoral support to already established churches o They reflect later development in the life of the Church o They reflect a distinct awareness of the Church as separate from its Jewish roots o They outline characteristics of leaders, establish orthodox teachings, encourage people to live out their faith c. The Petrine Tradition o Refers to the prominence of the role of Peter in the shaping of the early Church o His influence can be traced back to the church in Jerusalem, Rome, and the Matthean community in Antioch o The epistles, 1 and 2 Peter probably written by a disciple of Peter c. 90 CE to community in Rome o The focus of the letters is to remind the recipients that are a chosen people, God s people, who have found their place with Christ o You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God s own people. (1Pt2:9) 5. Characteristics of the Early Church (answer to short-answer essay on Exam #1) a. Centered in Jesus Christ b. Bonded in Community c. The Gospel Message d. Authority e. Service Conclusion To assume that the Church, as it exists today, sprang into existence at the time of Jesus resurrection is a gross over-simplification that fails to consider the complexity and dynamics of the earliest fledgling communities struggling to identify themselves in light of their beliefs in Jesus and his teachings. Even though there was much diversity, uncertainty, and varieties of interpretation even amongst the earliest followers, there are still some fundamental characteristics that bind these earliest communities and thus ground the earliest identity of the Church, and identity that continues to be seen to this day. 4

5 Source Brennan Hill s Exploring Catholic Theology, Chapter 7 Notes: The Church of Jesus Christ 5