When we consider the entire story of scripture, we realize that God’s redemptive plan is already complete in one sense but not yet fully realized. This is the paradox within Christian eschatology. The final or last events of history, the goal of God’s redemption, have already been established. Yet these events are still to come – future to present history. The church, the community of redeemed people, is called to live the reality of this history while also living in anticipation of this history. I can think of no better passage that describes this reality than two passages of scripture from Paul’s letter to the Colossians.
To save space, I will not quote these passages but you can read them for yourselves. Here I will just provide a brief synopsis. In Colossians 1.15-23, we learn that the fullness of God dwells within Jesus Christ who is the first born from the dead. We, who were once alienated by sin, have been reconciled by God through Christ and are now called to stand firm within this new reality called the gospel. In Colossians 2.9-15, the new reality is described in terms of Jesus Christ head over every power and authority of which he has triumphed over them through the cross. We, who once belonged to the old and dead reality because of our sin, became a part of this new reality in Christ through our baptism by being raised into Christ.
It is important in these two passages to keep in mind that Paul is speaking about the Church. In my past I have read these passages with myself in mind. While these passages certainly are true for me as well as every other individual Christian, the passage is talking about the reality for the church as a whole – every Christian throughout history. Coming to this conclusion has helped me reflect more clearly (and even rethink) what it means to be church – what the purpose of existence is for the church. Out of this I have developed my own working definition for the purpose of the church:
The church is the future community existing in the present world as the representation of God’s finished work of redemption.
If I am correct or at least on to a correct ecclesiology, which I believe I am, then it makes all the more sense why the writers of the New Testament put so much energy into their writings regarding the moral/ethical conduct of Christians, the way Christians relate to one another and the outside world, and how the church serves as a living testimony to the world for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Given this purpose for the church (the future community existing in the present world as the representation of God’s finished work of redemption) and given the reality that the New Testament is comprised of occasional writings which help us understand “how” to be church in our own cultural contexts but do not always specifically address every issue we face, I wonder how this purpose should shape us as a church in our own cultural context. First, we must ask what exactly it means to represent God’s redemption. What does that look like? Secondly, with a few generalizations, how do people who are generally affluent and educated (compared to the entire world) and who live in a free-democratic society express this redemption? Thirdly, what did it mean for other periods of Christianity who lived this purpose out to be moral and ethical and what does that imply for us? Fourth, how do we express our fellowship with one another in our culture (i.e. church buildings, house churches, other…)? And lastly, how should this purpose inform the preaching and teaching of the church for both the Christian and the non-Christian seeker?
I do not have all the answers to the list of five questions that I proposed in the last paragraph. I have some ideas and thoughts but am also still working those out (I suppose I always will be to some extent). However, I am convinced that it is these questions that the church as a whole will need to wrestle with, answer, and live out if we wish to be and have hopes at being salt and light in the emerging world that is really already upon us. What are your thoughts?
To save space, I will not quote these passages but you can read them for yourselves. Here I will just provide a brief synopsis. In Colossians 1.15-23, we learn that the fullness of God dwells within Jesus Christ who is the first born from the dead. We, who were once alienated by sin, have been reconciled by God through Christ and are now called to stand firm within this new reality called the gospel. In Colossians 2.9-15, the new reality is described in terms of Jesus Christ head over every power and authority of which he has triumphed over them through the cross. We, who once belonged to the old and dead reality because of our sin, became a part of this new reality in Christ through our baptism by being raised into Christ.
It is important in these two passages to keep in mind that Paul is speaking about the Church. In my past I have read these passages with myself in mind. While these passages certainly are true for me as well as every other individual Christian, the passage is talking about the reality for the church as a whole – every Christian throughout history. Coming to this conclusion has helped me reflect more clearly (and even rethink) what it means to be church – what the purpose of existence is for the church. Out of this I have developed my own working definition for the purpose of the church:
The church is the future community existing in the present world as the representation of God’s finished work of redemption.
If I am correct or at least on to a correct ecclesiology, which I believe I am, then it makes all the more sense why the writers of the New Testament put so much energy into their writings regarding the moral/ethical conduct of Christians, the way Christians relate to one another and the outside world, and how the church serves as a living testimony to the world for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Given this purpose for the church (the future community existing in the present world as the representation of God’s finished work of redemption) and given the reality that the New Testament is comprised of occasional writings which help us understand “how” to be church in our own cultural contexts but do not always specifically address every issue we face, I wonder how this purpose should shape us as a church in our own cultural context. First, we must ask what exactly it means to represent God’s redemption. What does that look like? Secondly, with a few generalizations, how do people who are generally affluent and educated (compared to the entire world) and who live in a free-democratic society express this redemption? Thirdly, what did it mean for other periods of Christianity who lived this purpose out to be moral and ethical and what does that imply for us? Fourth, how do we express our fellowship with one another in our culture (i.e. church buildings, house churches, other…)? And lastly, how should this purpose inform the preaching and teaching of the church for both the Christian and the non-Christian seeker?
I do not have all the answers to the list of five questions that I proposed in the last paragraph. I have some ideas and thoughts but am also still working those out (I suppose I always will be to some extent). However, I am convinced that it is these questions that the church as a whole will need to wrestle with, answer, and live out if we wish to be and have hopes at being salt and light in the emerging world that is really already upon us. What are your thoughts?
