Church in the New Testament

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Church in the New Testament

• The Kingdom is announced

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Themes

• The connection between Jesus and the Church
• Ekklesia
• Proclaiming the kingdom
• Apostolic communities

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What connection is there between Jesus and the
Church?

• When did the Church begin to exist?
• Did Jesus intend to found a Church?
• Did the Church remain faithful to Jesus
  intentions?
• - even in the earliest days?

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2 extreme views

• There is no connection between Jesus and the
  subsequent Church
• The Church was laid down in the NT in every
  dimension
• (Mt 1618 1818)
• The majority view that the ecclesiology of the
  NT has developed

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The term Ekklesia

• An assembly in the Greek world
• A legislative assembly
• Participants were those with full citizen rights
  
• Qahal remained in use until the issue of
  Gentile membership then the word Ekklesia was used

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Ekklesia in Paul

• Similar to the Hebrew QAHAL
• Always refers to a concrete community
• Eg the church in Corinth
• Occasionally to the whole people of God

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Ekklesia in NT

• 2 in Synoptics John doesnt use the term
  ekklesia or have a concern for structure or
  authority as Matt does
• 20 in Revelation
• 23 times in Acts
• 65 times in Paul
• A clear rising profile!

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Meanings

• Signifies the local church
• Paul uses the plural form too the worldwide
  assembly of Christians
• But may be a small house community too (Rom 165
  Phil 2)
• All congregations gathered in the name of Jesus
  Christ

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Was Jesus establishing a church?

• Founding as in laying the foundations for..
• Appointed the 12 apostles continuity with OT
• Healing - a sign of the Kingdom
• Membership is divisive
• Not just for Jews Gentiles alsopre/post
  resurrection
• The primacy of Peter
• The Eucharist
• Leadership as service

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Pentecost -

• Did not inaugurate the church - already existed
  (Acts 115-22)
• Was the point when the church was specifically
  endowed with power from on high
• (Acts 21-12)
• The outpouring of the Spirit and the gifts of
  the Spirit were accepted
• The Spirit is the firstfruits of the final
  Kingdom (1 Thess 48 1 Peter 12 Heb 64)
• A community transformed by the presence of the
  Spirit

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Church in NT

• Not uniform or monolithic
• The local church is not just a sub-division of
  the universal church
• The universal church is not just the sum of the
  constituent parts
• The Corinthian church the church of God which
  is in Corinth
• The church universal the fullness of him who
  fills the universe in all its parts Eph122/3

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The NT as a source

• As we have seen
• A 3 stage process -
• Original words and deeds of Jesus
• How these were used in the oral tradition
• How this tradition came to be written down

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Jesus speaking of church

• Mtt 1618 Mtt 18 17/8
• Meaning given by Jesus?
• Meaning given by first apostles?
• Meaning given by first communities?
• Meaning given by NT authors?

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Developmental principle

• The idea of church is seen to develop through
  various stages
• Interpretation of each stage is a delicate and
  subtle matter
• Diversity of ecclesiological approaches within
  the NT
• And also within modern day theologians

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Did Jesus intend to found a Church? - his
target group

• He never addressed himself to a select group
• But to the whole people of Israel
• to sinners
• Post-resurrection, to everyone
• The call of the 12 represented / symbolised the
  call of the 12 tribes of Israel
• The wider group of disciples was given a mission
  to Israel as a whole

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Did Jesus intend to found a Church? - membership
rules

• No specific rule of life
• Membership is not a condition of salvation
• In fact salvation is gained by obedience to the
  Fathers will (Mt 7 21)
• And this may be done without explicit awareness
  (Mt 25 31-46)

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Jesus lays foundations for the Church

• The community of disciples stayed together as a
  Eucharistic community (1 Cor 11 17-27)
• The community understood that they were meant to
  stay together (Lk 22 29-30)
• So in a sense, the church never began there
  was always a community

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And....

• Jesus gathered disciples -
• They took part in his healing ministry
• The message was divisive
• Jesus anticipated a gap between his death and the
  Parousia and that Israel would reject the call to
  salvation
• And pagans would be invited instead (Mt 8 10-12)

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The Proclamation of the Kingdom
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Eschatology

• Theology which deals with the last things -
  Resurrection hell the last judgement heaven
• Realised here and now
• Future to come

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The kingdom is....here ....and to come.

• Realised Eschatology something has been
  fulfilled in the here and now
• Lk 4 today this scripture has been fulfilled in
  your hearing....
• Mk 1 1-15 the kingdom of God has come near...
• Future Eschatology something remains to be
  fulfilled
• Mk 1322We cannot predict the day or the hour

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Jesus talks of

• Basileia tou theou
• The realisation of Gods reign of justice and
  right - a dynamic concept
• The nearness of Gods rule
• Just round the corner
• Parables which describe the kingdom
• Signs of the Kingdom
• Lk 722 Mtt 11 5 Lk 4 16-24

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Parables see session notes

• Of growth
• Of judgement
• Of forgiveness
• Of commitment
• Of urgency

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• Take one parable and think about its meaning.
• What does it tell you about the Kingdom?

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Membership of the Kingdom

• No specific rule of life indicated
• Nor is membership a condition of salvation
• Mtt 721 the one who does the will of my father
  in heaven
• Often done without explicit awareness as often
  as you did it for one of the least of my brothers
  you did it for me (Mtt 2531-46)

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Church Kingdom?

• Does membership of the church equal acceptance in
  the Kingdom of God?
• No guarantee
• False prophets Mt 722-23
• All evil doers will be cast out Mt 1338-43
• People who do not belong will be acknowledged by
  the Lord as brothers and sisters Mt 25 31-46
• The final test is a just life parable of the
  wedding garment Mt 2211-13

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Apostolic Communities

• No uniform order or structure
• Some order and structure these shape the life of
  the church
• Whole congregation involved in important
  decisions (Acts 15 1 Cor 5)
• Leadership in place derived from the Lord
• Bishops Deacons
• Hierarchical (1 Cor 1227/8)

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Apostolic communities

• Charismatic ministries prophets teachers
• Administrative ministries
• No opposition all gifts and charisms of the
  Holy Spirit
• Ministry is for the sake of service, never
  domination
• Pre-eminence of the petrine ministry not
  contested

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What did they do?

• Acts 2 43-47
• Acts 4 32-35
• Acts 5 12-16

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They did....

• Healing and miracles
• Evangelised
• Sharing of goods (the widows debate)
• A rich prayer life - both Jewish and Christian
• Meetings synagogue and homes
• Breaking of bread on Sunday

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Common threads were

• Faith in Jesus as Messiah and Lord
• Prayer - home and Synagogue
• Baptism
• Eucharist
• Apostles preaching and teaching
• Communities based on love
• Expectation of the Kingdom

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Conflicts occurred

• The care of widows
• Acts 6 1-6
• The Great Debate
• Acts 15 1-31
• The resolution is still normative for the Church
• Acts 15 28

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And more conflicts....

• 1 Cor
• 1 10-17
• 14 26-33
• 11 17-22
• 14 34 et seq
• 2 Cor
• 11 5
• 11 12

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Leadership

• Diakonos service (Didache)
• Authority has seen the Lord
• Presbyteroi Tit 1 5 Peter 5 1
• James 5 14
• Elders 1 Tim 5 17-19
• Episkopos / Episkopoi overseers Didache
• (Dead Sea Scrolls / Essenes) (Acts 20 28)
• Widows !!!

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Pauline ecclesiology

• Many members, one body
• A variety of gifts but always the same Spirit
• 1Cor 1212 - 30
• Conflict resolution in Corinth

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Paul 3 different threads

• The Pastorals
• Colossians and Ephesians
• Luke/Acts
• Not clear where these audiences were
• Or if they knew one another
• Acts devotes a lot of space to Paul but doesnt
  mention Pauline letters
• Eph/Col draws heavily on Pauls writings
• - Why the difference?

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Case study attitude to Judaism

• Eph 2 11-22
• A peaceful resolution between Jew and Gentile
• But -
• Acts 28 25-29
• The Jews will never hear or understand the Gospel
  message

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Case study - church structure

• The Pastorals 1 Tim 3 1-13
• Strong insistence of the author on church
  structure and the necessity of appointing church
  officials
• Not present in Luke/Acts or Col/Eph which both
  have different emphases

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Sub-apostolic communities

• AD 70
• Post -apostolic / early church writings
• Didache (?50-60)
• Clement of Rome -1st Ep to Corinth (96?)
• Ignatius of Antioch (98-117)
• The Epistle to Diognetus (120-180)
• When were people (some people?) aware of the NT
  writings? Do we know?