Posted on 03/18/2014 2:14:03 AM PDT by markomalley
I was asked to go to a neighboring parish and address some fundamental questions related to the necessity of the Church. Many today question the need for a church or The Church and claim they can have Jesus without the Church. And thus the fundamental question “Who needs the Church?” ought to be addressed.
I propose here a rather more doctrinal answer to the question and hope tomorrow to offer a more personal answer. But, the fundamental answer I offer to “Who needs the Church?” is that everyone does, because the Church is the Body of Christ.
To the related questions “Why do I need to come to Church?” and “How can the Church possibly be relevant to me?” the fundamental answer is because it is in the Church that Jesus is first and foremost to be found.
I. To those who reject that anything special is to be found in the Church that cannot be found elsewhere Jesus says,
II. To those who say, “I can have Jesus without the Church,” I say “no can do.” For the Church is the body of Christ and it pertains to the head of a living Body to be found with his body, not apart from it. That the Church is the Body of Christ is clear in many Scriptures such as
Hence, Christ the Head cannot be had or found apart from his Body the Church.
III. To those who say, “I can read my Bible alone,” it must be said that there would be no Bible if it were not for the Church. Jesus didn’t write a book. He founded a community he called “My Church” (Matt 16) and sent them to “Teach all that I have commanded” (Matt 28:20).
Of course it would be silly to have things depend solely on a book in the ancient world when almost no one could read, and even those who could, could scarcely afford books, which all had to be hand-copied prior to the invention of the printing press.
Further, the Bible is a Church book and is meant to be read in the context of Church life. Scripture itself warns: Our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:16). In effect Peter goes on to warn them to read Scripture in conformity with the Church.
IV. To those who say “I can watch Church on TV,” I say “Yes, but you can’t get Holy Communion on TV!” which as we saw above is essential if we are to have life in us.
Neither can we be in that place “wherever two or three are gathered” and thus be there where Jesus says he is, by sitting at home in front of a TV.
Neither can we have real fellowship, as Scripture admonishes us to do, by watching at home. And let us consider how to spur one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Nor can we fulfill most of the vision of the life of the early Christians, who, as Scripture says, devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers (Acts 2:42)
V. To those who say, “I like Jesus but I can’t stand the Church, with all those hypocrites,” but Jesus was found in strange places, among sinners. So much so that he scandalized the Pharisees. Jesus ate with tax collectors, prostitutes, and other sinners and unsavory characters. Even his best followers, the apostles, had great character defects.
The fact is, if you reject the company of sinners you’re going to have a hard time finding Jesus who is found among sinners, sinners that he loves and calls his brethren, As Scripture says, For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.” (Heb 2:11-12)
So Jesus is found in the assembly of sinners and loves them. It is a strange disconnect to say to Jesus, “I love you but I hate the people you love and call your brethren; I just refuse to consort with them.”
Considering too that sinners are joined to Christ as members of his body, think of the strange logic in going to someone and saying, “I love and respect you, but I can’t stand your body. It is ugly and awful. I want to be with you, but I hate your body, I just can’t endure it. I will relate to you, but not your body.” This sort of talk is absurd and disrespectful.
VI. To those who say “It’s the institution of the Church I object to, not the Body of Christ,” sorry, but bodies are not abstractions. They have parts and functions. They require a head with executive functions as well as other parts and members with other functions. Neither is the Body of Christ an abstraction. It must have headship and governance along with other members and parts having various roles and functions.
Further, the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Epistles all talk a LOT about “institutional aspects” such as offices and structures:
1. There are offices like apostles, bishops, priests, deacons, catechists, administrators, etc.
2. There are Councils that issue binding documents and interpretations considered authoritative (e.g., the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15).
3. There is an insistence by the apostles as to their authority on numerous occasions.
4. Each local Church is overseen by a priest or bishop (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5).
5. There are disciplinary functions such as excommunication, disciplining of the clergy and faithful, etc. (1 Cor 5; Matt 18:17).
6. There are sacraments being celebrated and certain norms associated with them (e.g., 1 Cor 11).
7. There are liturgical norms being promulgated (e.g., 1 Cor 14).All of these “institutional” aspects are necessary and biblical. They are not some medieval addition, or “tradition of men.” They are right there at the beginning as the Scriptures attest.
VII. To those who say that the Church is irrelevant, outdated, and arrogant because it does not reflect the modern age or most of its members, it must be pointed out that the Church does not exist to reflect the views of its members, but to articulate the views and truths of her head and founder, Jesus Christ. Her mandate from Jesus is to make disciples from all the nations teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Mat 28:20).
And the Holy Spirit admonishes every Bishop through St. Paul: I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Tim 4:1-5)
Therefore the Catholic Church is the enduring, visible presence of Jesus Christ in the World. It is the Body of Christ who still walks this earth preaching, teaching, healing, forgiving, feeding, admonishing sinners, consoling the repentant, being loved but also hated, being appreciated but also persecuted. The Church is not an institution; it is the Body of Christ, and also his Beautiful Bride; for in marriage the two become one. You cannot have Christ without the Church. You cannot have the groom without his Bride. You cannot have the head without his Body. You cannot love the one and despise or be indifferent to the other. Jesus is first and foremost to be found with his Body, the Church.
Yes, the Church is the enduring, visible yet spiritual, structured yet Spirit-led, human yet divine presence of Jesus Christ in the World today. To the scoffers who set up false dichotomies Jesus says, “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?!”
Who needs the Church? You might as well ask, “Who needs Jesus?”
Everyone's their own pope?
Looks like this guy's ahead in the race!
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.
And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
II. To those who say, “I can have Jesus without the Church,” I say “no can do.” For the Church is the body of Christ and it pertains to the head of a living Body to be found with his body, not apart from it.
Mar_16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
Jesus has not come down from heaven since he ascended...You guys just mock Jesus when you tell these false tales...
And the Lord gave the Church the Koran and the Book of Mormon...And the Lord lives in a black rock over in Mecca...
Their tradition is just as good and legitimate as the Catholic tradition...Why should anyone believe you and not them???
It’s an analogy meant to illustrate a point. One is not obligated to accept the point
I simply refer to “Church” as people led by the Holy Spirit and not an institution of dictates, rules, and tradition, and you immediately conclude - “are you saying that you don’t believe the Bible.” That is quite the leap and a curious way defend your religion.
It is NOT a defense; but an offence.
You are expected to defend YOURS by this tactic.
Do you not see what happened? I readily admit I attack religion, not a person, nor people. And SALVATION responds with an “offensive” personal attack on my unbelief of the Bible. And so it goes with the “Religious Spirit.”
I stand on the Spirit of Truth. That is all.
It’s called deflection.
Oh??
He says, THERE am I in the MIDST of THEM
Philip and the eunuch had NO 'church' and yet...
One goes to church in order to practice loving your neighbor as Jesus commanded. One can love his neighbors elsewhere, of course, but where else will you find a more challenging group of neighbors to love?
Remember he also said that loving those who love you back doesn’t do all that much for your spiritual growth... It’s loving your enemies that is really important. If you attend church long enough, you’ll have plenty of great opportunities to love your enemies; and also give other people a few yourself.
Philip had a church.
Catholic faith is faith in the historical witness of the Church to the historical events in the 1 Century AD that gave us our Savior. One who does not believe the Church and instead believes Mormon or Muslim fairy tales is free to do so, but he is not very smart if he does.
The analogy breaks because Catholic Christian faith in its essence is not a musical or poetic, or even philosophical narrative but rather what we do to be saved.
The analogy is perfect once you free yourself from the notion that there’s room for someone between you and God. If you’re afraid to face Him alone thats between you and your conscience. I’m not.
I obey the Church that Christ founded that gave me my faith and freed me, and I face God daily with my Holy Rosary and at the Holy Communion weekly, when I am alone and when I am with His Holy Church. If you want instead to believe Protestant fairy tales, please keep your theological fantasies and your familiarity with rock music to yourself.
Smells, bells and beads won’t get you anywhere but by all means keep it up. It’s just silly but you’ve a right to be entertaining.
BTW, I never claimed either Protestantism nor a fondness for rock music. That’s something else you made up.
I would note that believers even back to the beginning apparently disagreed with you.
II. To those who say, “I can have Jesus without the Church”...
I would say Paul (under the influence of the Holy Spirit) apparently disagreed with you.
III. To those who say, “I can read my Bible alone”...and IV. To those who say “I can watch Church on TV”...
I would say that neither of those are provided for in the Bible, not least because III simply wasn’t a realistic option for at minimum three-quarters of Church history and IV wasn’t a realistic option up until the last fifty years or so. Even radio’s only about a century old. Streaming on a home computer? Twenty years, tops. Streaming on your mobile phone? Ten. Turn off the tube, turn off the radio, shut down the computer, leave your freaking phone in the car and go to church. If I can manage that, you can manage that.
V. To those who say, “I like Jesus but I can’t stand the Church, with all those hypocrites”...”
I would say that if you think you’re better than they are, either you are, in which case you’re a remarkable human being, or you’re kidding yourself. I’m betting on the latter.
VI. To those who say “It’s the institution of the Church I object to, not the Body of Christ”...
I would say that you’re trying to make a distinction that the Bible itself never did. From the start of Jesus’ ministry on, the Church always has been, not some spiritualized thing, but, for better or worse, those guys over there, in the Temple courts, in the upper room, in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
And
VII. To those who say that the Church is irrelevant, outdated, and arrogant because it does not reflect the modern age or most of its members...
I would say that (a) since human nature has changed remarkably little since the Fall, let alone the time of the Gospels and Acts, the Church’s mission to be a contradiction to that sinful nature is therefore as up to date and relevant as it was then; and (b) news flash, kids: It’s called the Kingdom of God, not the Democracy of God.
think about that....Fred and George are NOT a marriage
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