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"the necessity of the Church for salvation". Jesus said HE is the Way, that faith in Him is what is required. A church - or anyone else - is not necessary for salvation. A church may help, and definitely serve as a beacon of light to bring pre-Christians to Christ, but it is not necessary at all. What is the "Church"? That is the central question here -- the elephant in the room. What do Scriptures say?

The Church is the Mystical Body of Christ.

Acts 9:1-5
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he journeyed he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him. And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting..."

We know Saul was persecuting Christians. Yet Christ asks Saul, "Why are you persecuting ME." The implication is obvious: to persecute the Church is to persecute Christ, because the Church is his mystical body.

As St. Paul said:

1 Cor. 12:12-14:
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

The Church is also described as the Spouse of Christ. Eph 5:23
For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.... For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.

See also: John 3:29 & Matt. 9:15, as well as Revelations 19:7, 21:3, and 22:17.

The obvious implication here is that Christ treats the Church the way a husband treats his bride--that is, with love, nourishing her, guarding her and sacrificing for her. In addition, as Christ's bride, the Church functions as a wife should function--depending upon the protection of her spouse and begetting and nurturing the children of our Lord, His adopted sons and daughters, so that they can be brought to eternal life.

In addition, the Bible also refers to the Church as the Kingdom of God.

Matt 18: 23
Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened to a king, who would take an account of his servants".

Also see: Matt 22:2, 16:19.

In this analogy, God is the King. He provides the rules, defends his subjects, and provides a means for justice -- rewarding those who are just and punishing the unjust.

The Bible also refers to the Church as a Sheepfold.
Luke 12:32
Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased your Father to give you a kingdom.

Also see: Matt. 15:24 and 1 Peter 2:25:54.

Christ cares for His Church in the same way a shepherd cares for his flock -- caring for them, feeding them, leading them and watching over them.

The Scriptures also compare the Church to the Mountain of God.

Hebrews 12:22
But you are come to Mount Sion and to the city of the living God.

Also see:Matt 5:14, Gal 4.

The Church is like a mountain in that she is strong, immovable, visible, stable, and will endure for all time.

Domus Dei, or the house of God, as well as the foundation and Pillar of Truth, are other ways the Church is described in the Scriptures.

Timothy 3:15
That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

See also: 1 Peter 2:5; Eph. 2:19-20; Matt. 16:18; Gal. 6:10.

This way of understanding the Church as a house seems especially appropriate -- a homestead in which the Lord's flock is sheltered and kept. When someone leaves the "house" of the Church, they do not divine the Church, anymore than a person leaving a house divides the house. Rather, by leaving, they separate themselves from the house/Church. Anyone can leave, anyone can return, but the house always persists as a unity and does not depend on it's occupants to be as a whole. It's unity relies only on it's foundation, the Lord.

St. Paul told us, "Let us work good to all men, especially to those who are of the household of faith." Indeed, the Church-hood that unites us in Christ is a fortress like a well-built structure -- stronger and more enduring than any flesh could be.

So What?

The implications of these Biblical descriptions of the Church are clear and profound. First, they reveal how Christ saves us, yet He chooses to do so through the Church which He founded as the instrumental means of Salvation. Indeed, it was this instrumental means of Salvation, the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit sent by our Lord, that the inspired books of the New Testament were delivered to the world as the good news of our salvation through Christ.

Christ certainly did not need us. He did not need a Church. He is God! And yet, nevertheless, the Scriptures reveal how our Lord chose and founded the Church for the application of his redemption and for the Glory of the Church which He likewise uses as a means to Glorify Himself.

As members of the Body of Christ, each person of the Church has their own unique purpose and role--although, like parts of any body, not equally -- which gives meaning to our lives. Each part of the Church works for the salvation of souls -- a key purpose of the Church both on earth and in heaven.

The Church is Supernatural Society, (what we term Totus Christus - the whole Christ) as it has a divine origin and continues to receive the graces of its founder (Jesus Christ, the Son of God).

The Head of the Church is Christ, and He ultimately rules the Church.

Ephesians 1:22
he hath subjected all things under his feet and hath made him head over all the church,

Christ bestows grace upon the Church both as God and Man. In His divinity He bestows grace on the Church authoritatively and instrumentally as Man (as His humanity was the instrument of His divinity).

No Salvation Outside of the Church

Now we can understand that to say there is no salvation outside of the Church is to say, in effect, that there is no salvation apart from Christ. For wherever there is Christ operating in the world, THAT is the Church. And wherever the Church is operating in the world, THAT is Christ. They cannot be separated without contradicting the Word of God. This Church is neccessarily CATHOLIC because the Lord's Church is a ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC ("UNIVERSAL") and APOSTOLIC. In short, there cannot be more than one "Universal" Church.

More to follow.

So what do you do with the fact that Revelation says there are 7 churches and their doctrines leaves 5 of them coming up short. Only two have the key to David, apparently a prerequisite to be that ‘church’ with sound doctrine.

AND that thief hanging upon that cross did NOT need a ‘church’ to be offered salvation. Now when does ‘church’ worship become the object of worship as replacement of the Heavenly Father and His Sent Savior? That miracle that took place at the flesh death of our Savior says the ‘veil’ in the holy of holies was rent from top to bottom and no longer was it required to go through a flesh priest to have direct access to the Heavenly Father but through His Sent Savior.

And since the church is described as a ‘body’ one can see that we are told the body does NOT always work as one as the symbolic instruction that if a part offends to get rid of it.

I appreciate your reply! As far as the first claim that the Church is necessary for salvation, I would again say that it has not been answered. What Jesus told us is that we need faith (which is not the church) and Jesus/God will provide the Grace (which may represent Jesus, but is NOT Jesus).

I believe that again it is figurative use, like Jesus' parable in John 2:13-21. We often also say that our bodies are a temple; does that mean we have a courtyard with 13 gates, four corners each with gates, etc? No! It means we are a holy place when we accept Christ.

Similarly the church as the body of Christ. We are not the literal body of Christ; we are figurative members of it, and we should work together as a human body does, under the direction of Christ.

As far as the author's use of the term "Catholic Church" I do not think it was meant as ecumenically as claimed. the phrase "Catholic Church" is different than catholic Church"; in the former, the word "Catholic" is a formal noun; in the latter, "catholic" is an adjective.

Would the author's article still hold true if you dropped the word "Catholic" altogether and use the word universal? Would you be OK with changing the Nicene Creed to say "one holy universal and apostolic Church;"? If indeed the intent is that catholic means universal, then the switch is meaningless.

Regarding the sacrament of the Church, I reject that for there is no scriptural basis for the Church being a sacrament. There is no scriptural requirement that a Christian be a member of a formal church. It is not a holy thing being part of a church. That is not to say there is no benefit in being in one! On the contrary, being part of a church is a wonderful, enriching thing; but it is not required to be saved.

Lastly, I reject the Vatican II teaching that you quote:

Christ alone is the mediator of salvation and the way of salvation. He presents himself to us in his Body, which is the Church

Christ presents Himself in many ways, not just the church. The church is the sum of all the components, but the singular component through which salvation flows and is required by God to be accepted is Jesus. The head.

Catholic Church is the same Church founded by Christ

As is the Baptist Church, the Methodist Church, the Nazarenes, the Anglicans, the Eastern Orthodox, etc. ALL are founded by Christ.

Look, I think it boils down quite a bit to the insistence by many that Catholic is not catholic. The former is a proper noun; the latter is an adjective. If the author chose to be ecumenical then use the word universal. Would the author's statements hold if you replaced Catholic with Baptist, or Methodist, or Protestant, or dropped the word Catholic altogether?