Scott Hahn's: A Father Who Keeps His Promises - Essay Example

Scott Hahn's: A Father Who Keeps His Promises The nature and functions of the church 1The Nature of the Church There are several aspects of a church that reflect its nature. a) Church is invisible yet visible. The way God sees the church made up of those who genuinely belong to Christ is the invisible church (Hebrews 12:23). On the other hand, the visible church is the church that can be seen by Christians on earth. The visible church is made up of both believers and non-believers since we cannot see their hearts as God sees them. The second aspect b) Unity of the church There might be many denominations, but God only recognizes one church, which is the body of Christ. Therefore, this one body cannot be identified with one existing organization since a claim by one organization that it is the true church means the others are lost. c) The church is universal as well as local A group of believers may either be small or big. All these make the universal church. The local church can be defined as the universal church taking place at a particular place. The universal church includes true believers who are in heaven and on earth. Therefore, the local church comprises of those on earth only and may include both the mere professors and true believers. As seen earlier, the church means one body of true believers regardless of circumstances and location. d) Church membership The members of the church are all true Christians in the present age. Being a member also means continuing the work of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit through evangelism. Evangelism is not a man’s work but Christ’s work through the Spirit. We can preach, call men to believe and baptize them but only through Christ the spirit, who can add a soul to the body of Christ. e) Metaphors’ for the church and descriptive images The scripture uses a very wide range of metaphors and images to help us understand the nature of the church. The writers of the New Testament used metaphorical descriptions in their literature. Some of the metaphors in the New Testament for the church are: • The church is united by Christ’s body and thus it is the Body of Christ. The Christ is the head, and we are members of one body. Apostle Paul’s describes the church as a metaphor of the Christ’s body. We can say that the church does not comprise a physical building nor is it an association or denomination but a spiritual body where every believer is a member. Paul the apostle develops the analogy of the body of Christ along three aspects; unity, Harmony and diversity. The body of Christ unites all believers, regardless of race or tribe and brings harmony among them. • The Family of God • The church is the Bride of Christ • The vineyard of God. The church is viewed as the branches on a vine. The Vine is Christ. • The Temple of God which is not built with stones but with people who are the living stones • The Flock of God. The church is viewed as a flock of sheep as the Christ is the shepherd. • A Holy Priesthood. Here, the church is viewed as a place that can offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God. f) Distinguishing characteristics of the church (The Marks of the church) For years, several questions have been raised on what makes it necessary to have a church. How can people recognize a true church or what are the marks of a true church? Basically, there are two marks of a true church. The Augsburg Confession, a statement of faith by Lutheran defined a true church as a congregation of saints where gospel is spread in the right way, and sacraments are correctly administered (Hahn 120). Therefore, the two marks of a true church are faith and rightful administration of sacraments (Shepherd 6). In the view of Luther, the Roman Catholic Church has been the visible church that is a true church as it descended from Saint Peter and the Apostles. Many churches which are liberal protestant churches are false churches today. The Mormon Church is a false church as it holds no major Christian doctrines in light of salvation. The Jehovah’s Witness believes in teachings by works and not salvation. Their doctrines do not teach people to be saved. Therefore, it must be considered to be a false church. 1.2The Functions of the Church There are five main functions of the church as outlined in the New Testament. These functions are God’s way of building his kingdom in the world and grow churches. Each believer must do these functions in order to fulfill his or her purpose in the world. The functions are: a) Evangelism Evangelism means spreading the word of God and asking people to repent their sins, follow Christ and put their faith in him. Through evangelism believers get to share the gospel and it is one way in which the church grows. If people fail to evangelize and reach people who are separated from God, they disobey God by not doing what he wants the church to do. b) Discipleship When believers get baptized, they are converted. Discipleship entails a process that comes after conversion (Hahn 130). This process continues throughout the believers’ life. The believer also engages another, and as a result they both become Christ like by their deeds and thoughts. Discipleship is mandatory and not an option. Mature disciples live for the lord in all aspects of life, and Christ’s life is the center of their lives. Mathew 28:19 requires us to make disciples of all nations. c) Ministry Ministry is a Christian development process that follows evangelism and discipleship. It grows out of a transformed and serving life and it is made perfect by the Holy Spirit. Apostle Paul explained to the church at Ephesus to equip the saints to carry out ministry work. d) Fellowship Fellowship is sharing salvation experiences with others, demonstrating faith by serving others and practicing a Christ like life. A church without fellowship is like a church that has lost all other functions. e) Worship Worship is the most vital function of the church, and it has several elements which include prayer, praise, confession of sin and faith, preaching, lord’s supper, Baptism and offerings. 2. Church Membership Membership in the church is important as it helps believers understand its purposes in terms of ministry to the world, ministry to believers and ministry to God. Ministry to God involves worship and the church’s purpose is to worship him. God has appointed and destined us to live for his praise and glory (Hahn 200). The scriptures point out that the church has an obligation to nurture those who are already believers and build them to mature in faith. Finally, evangelism accompanied by mercy, caring for the needy and poor is the main ministry the church has towards the world. God asks us to be kind and concerned to those who are selfish and ungrateful as well. Therefore, as church members we are obliged to perform these three purposes of the church. This is because a strong church has effective ministries which are made possible by the members of the church. Works Cited Hahn S.C. A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God's Covenant Love in Scripture. Charis, 1998, pg 100-200 Read More