Theology of the Church, Mentor's Guide, MG03

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T H E O L O G Y O F T H E C H U R C H

Through the image of the Church as the family and household of God, we see that we are to live as brothers and sisters in unity as God’s own dear family. As Christ’s body in the world, the Church is to incarnate Jesus’ life in our relationships among its members and its neighbors. The Church is the temple of the Holy Spirit, a holy people called to pursue the works of holiness and obedience as a sacred place where God’s name is known and glorified. As Christ’s ambassadors, the Church is called to represent the authority and reign of God in the world, called to display the Kingdom’s righteous rule through its works of freedom, wholeness, and justice. The Church is described as the army of God, giving insight in its responsibility to do battle as soldiers of God in the Lambs’s war, by proclaiming the truth of God in Christ, by laboring with the Word to destroy the devil’s work, and by overcoming evil with good. Now is the time for you to discuss with your fellow students your questions about your understanding of the identity and work of the Church. Your own life and ministry are deeply affected by your perspective on the role and resources of the Church. It is critical that you fully appreciate the rich truths associated with the Church. As leaders, our task is to help others in the Church discover their gift and role in the body, so that we may grow up in all things in Christ as each functions in their proper place. It is simply impossible to help others understand the significance of the Church if you yourself have a low or incorrect view of her identity and task in the world. Develop your own list of specific questions which can help you come to a richer and fuller understanding of the role of the Church in the world. What particular questions do you have in light of the material you have just studied? Maybe some of the questions below might help you form your own, more specific and critical questions. * To what extent is it necessary to apply ourselves to these “extra-biblical” criteria about the Church (i.e., the Nicene, Reformation, and Vincentian standards and rules)? How are we to understand and appreciate the relationship of these criteria to what the Bible teaches directly about the role and work of the Church?

Student Application and Implications

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