From Jesus Christ - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

From Jesus Christ to Church

Pascual

Session 4.1Slide2

Learning Goal

What is the relationship between Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church?Slide3

Gameplan

We’ll define the word “church”

Consider reference of the word in the Old Testament (pre-Jesus)

Then try to answer the question: what is the relationship of Jesus and the Catholic Church? Slide4

Defining the word Church

Obstacles: everyday usage today

Might be the building: “the big church downtown”

A parish: “San Francisco Solano, St Timothy, Holy Trinity, Mission Basilica”

An ecclesial community: “the Lutheran Church, Presbyterian Church, Saddleback Church”

Catholic Church.Slide5

How did the early Christians use the word?

In the New Testament, the Greek word that translates as

church

is EKKLESIA.

Means to “call out”

In the Greek Old Testament, EKKLESIA refers to the people of God, an assembly chosen by God.

In other words, the people God calls and gathers. Slide6

For Christians…

Church (EKKLESIA) refers to the assembly God calls.

It is to show the connection to the people of Israel.

Quite literally, in the Church God calls people together from all over the earth.Slide7

Church as the people God calls and gathers

This idea and understanding is evident in the Old Testament

It is a common theme for the people of Israel and finds its culmination (or fulfilment) in Jesus Christ Slide8

Foreshadow in the Old Testament(Church as the people God calls and gathers)

Abraham - father of faith

Moses – Israel and the Law

King David – the House and the KingdomeSlide9

Jesus Christ and the Church

Jesus made use of the Jewish understanding, calling all people to himself: The Kingdom of God is at hand (Mk 1:15)

To make it clear, Jesus did some things that were incredibly symbolic…

Jesus chooses TWELVE

Jesus picks Peter among the Twelve

Jesus institutes the Eucharist with the TwelveSlide10

Jesus and the Twelve

Jesus chose twelve disciples to be part of his core group of disciples.

Jews 2000 years ago would understand this symbolism to refer to the TWELVE TRIBES of ISRAEL.

In short, Jesus was making his own EKKLESSIA with his own TWELVE.

Remember,

Ekklessia

means the people whom God calls and gathers

Israel was the original

ekklessiaSlide11

Jesus institutes the Church on Peter and the twelve

“And so I say to you, you are Peter (which translates as ROCK), and upon this rock I will build my church,

and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it

.

I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

*

Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

(Mt 16:18-19)Slide12

Some general background Mt 16:18-19

Gospel of Matthew, whose audience is Jewish-Christian

Occurs after Peter’s confession (recognition) about Jesus’ identity

Scene takes place in Caesarea Philippi

When Bible character’s name changes, something important happens. Example: Abram to Abraham. In this case, Simon’s name is changed to Peter (Rock)

Keys is an important biblical image linked to

Eliakim

(Is 22:15-25)

Binding and Loosing is imagery that reflects rabbinic authority Slide13

Historically…

Peter becomes the first Bishop of Rome Slide14

Jesus Institutes the Eucharist with the Twelve

Recall the scene of the Last Supper, the night before he died

Jesus connects the Passover meal to himself as his Body and Blood in the form of bread and wine

“This is my Body, which will be given up to you.”

“This is my Blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant..

“Do this in Memory of Me.”

Memory = Anamnesis. In Jewish understanding, to remember means to make something present and real again.Slide15

Historically…

The breaking of the bread (which became known as the Eucharist) was seen as the renewal of the covenant.

The Eucharist “calls and gathers” all believers to “remember” God’s saving work in Jesus Christ

The Presider of the Eucharist was the successor of the TWELVE disciples (later known as Apostles). They were known as

episkopos

or managers (Translated today as Bishops) Slide16

Consequently, this is how the Catholic Church sees its relationship with Jesus Christ:

Jesus Christ is the origin and foundation of the Catholic Church, establishing its structure and means of worship

This is most evident in the Eucharist that acts to fulfill all the covenants (and to “remember” him)

This is also evident in the leadership he left behind, the TWELVESlide17

In Summary…

God the Father has planned the Church and foreshadows it in the Old Testament, especially seen in the Covenants of Abraham, Moses and

David

Jesus Christ is the origin and foundation of the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church identifies itself in the Early Church that developed after the Biblical era.Slide18

Questions

Can you define the Biblical definition of the word “church”?

How does the Church of Jesus fulfill the covenants of the Old Testament?

How does the Catholic Church see Jesus Christ as its origin and foundation? Slide19

Socrative?Slide20

Pascual Session 4.2

The Marks of the ChurchSlide21

Background

“As the Church moved through the centuries and interacted with different ideas and cultures, it came to recognize a set of criteria for understanding whether developments were legitimate”

This criteria is known as the Marks of the Church:

ONE

HOLY

CATHOLIC

APOSTOLICSlide22

The first Mark: The Church as ONE

A basic concept of Christianity as portrayed in the NT: there is only one “Church”, one body of Christ

Through the centuries, this mark of unity has been used to refer to

the mystical communion of Christ (transcends traditional Christian denominations)

Strictly the Church denominations (Catholic Church, Lutheran Church, Saddleback Church

etc

)

John 17: Jesus’ prayer for unitySlide23

Bonds of Unity

The Unity of Faith

The creeds, statement of faith such as the Nicene and Apostle’s Creed

The Canon of Scriptures

The Unity of worship

In the early Church, the Eucharist was the sign of unity

“the bread though broken is one.”

The Unity of Apostolic Succession

The bishop is the symbol of unity for the diocese

And the bishop of Rome plays a special role of that

The CouncilsSlide24

Ecumenism

The effort by Christians from different churches and ecclesial communities to be more open to one another and to work to restore unity among all Christians.Slide25

Catholics and Lutherans find agreement

The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification essentially says that Lutherans and Catholics explain justification in different ways but share the same basic understanding. 

The signing occurred on October 31, 1999 (Reformation Sunday)

http://

www.americancatholic.org/messenger/jun2000/feature2.asp

Slide26

General Conclusion

The Catholic Church lives out the Mark as One in its “bonds of unity” (faith, worship and apostolic succession)

The Catholic Church as an institution seeks out unity with other Christian denominations in the movement of Ecumenism

The Catholic Church’s official stance to other religions is “inclusive.” Slide27

Second Mark: The Church is Holy

Pascual

Session 4.3Slide28

THE SECOND MARK: THE CHURCH IS HOLY…

What does Holy mean?

How is the Church holy?

Our individual responseSlide29

What is holiness?

Most literal definition: To be

of God

.

Sin is a rejection of God. (un-holy)

The rejection of holiness and sin is like light and darkness.

Darkness is the absence of light

Sin is the absence of God

This also shows that sin is not equal to God

EVIL is not equal to GOOD (not yin-yang)Slide30

PART 2: How is the church holy?

Obstacle: Aren’t we all sinners?

The reality: The Church is both human and divine

In the visible aspect: Human reality

In the invisible aspect: the Divine Reality

POINT: The Church’s holiness is REAL but IMPERFECT.Slide31

The nature of the Church:

It is called together to be the People

of God

It is gathered together to be the one Body

of Christ

It is made holy to be the Temple

of the Holy SpiritSlide32

In other words…

The Church’s very nature is

OF GOD

.

Isn’t that the definition of holiness?

The Images of the Church is Trinitarian

People of God

Body of Christ

Temple of the Holy Spirit

Images are analogies of understanding the ChurchSlide33

A popular Image:

BRIDE OF CHRIST

See

Eph

5:25ff

The husband and wife are a radical communion of “one flesh”

The Church and Jesus Christ are a radical communion of “one body”

Both are relational covenants.

Because Jesus is holy, so is the Church because it is “One body” with Christ.

The Church

IS

the Body of ChristSlide34

The Church and sinners

It is the Church of sinners

and a Church for sinners

After all, we are all sinners…who is perfectly attuned to God

? Slide35

General Conclusion

The Mark as Holy is perhaps the most theoretical of the four marks

By its nature, the Church is “of God.” This is the invisible reality of the Church.

The human reality is that the Church is human and therefore imperfect and prone to sin.

The Church’s holiness is real, but imperfect. It is called to constant reform to visibly reflect its invisible reality.Slide36

The Church is CATHOLIC

Pascual

Session 4.3Slide37

Goals of the Lecture

Explore the term “catholic” as a mark of the Church

Articulate

the Catholic Church’s stance on salvation outside the ChurchSlide38

History of the Word “catholic”

The earliest use of the word goes back to Ignatius of Antioch around 110AD

“Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be; as whereas Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.” –Letter to the

Smyrneans

8

Seemingly, the word “catholic” which means “universal” was meant to describe the Christian Church in the 2

nd

century.Slide39

Catholic is used to distinguish

St. Cyril of Jerusalem continues the use of

“catholic” in his “catechetical lectures” around 350 AD.

Context? the

Schismatics

were identifying themselves as “Christians.” So the word was used to differentiate the

schismatics

Christians from what he describes is the

One Apostolic

Christian Church

.

As a result, the term “Catholic Christians” came into use.Slide40

Catholic as a Mark of the Church

In the Council of Constantinople, 381 AD, the Creed of

Nicea

was expanded to describe the Church as “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.”

These four marks have become the criteria for the Church as it moves on in history. Slide41

“Catholic” becomes popular

The word catholic becomes popular to describe the Christian Church, mainly by Augustine of Hippo.

Context? The

Donatist

Schism (a bunch of churches broke away from the Church in northern Africa).

Augustine made the point that the Catholic church (seen as the Church) was a WORLDWIDE communion.

Meanwhile, the local

Donatist

church was not.Slide42

Catholic Church

Rather than call the Church the “One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic” Church, it became easier to simply call the Church Catholic.

Everyone knew what ONE, HOLY, APOSTOLIC meant, but what about CATHOLIC?!?!?

The intent is to emphasize its “universality.”Slide43

Models of Salvation

Exclusive

– No one outside visible structure of religion is saved.

We have the fullness of truth, but no one else has it. No one is saved unless they are part of our religion. They must be visible members.

Inclusive

– Those outside visible structure have possibility of salvation.

We have the fullness of truth, but others can share in it in some mysterious invisible way. Salvation is possible outside of our religion.

Pluralist

– All truth is equal.

It doesn’t matter what religion you are in to be saved.Slide44

From LUMEN GENTIUM 8Dogmatic Constitution on the Church

This CHURCH (of Christ)

constituted and organized in the world as a society,

SUBSISTS

in the

Catholic church

,

which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him,(13*) although many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside of its visible structure.

(emphasis mine)

SUBSISTS: Lives in or exists.Slide45

Road to Salvation: Established by the One Mediator,

JESUS CHRIST

Subsists…

God (Salvation)

Catholic ChurchSlide46

The Church and non-Christian religions?

See Lumen

Gentium

16 and NOSTRA AETATESlide47

LG 16

Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church,

yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience

.(19*) Nor does Divine Providence deny the helps necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God and

with His

grace strive to live a good life.Slide48

Foundations for Lumen Gentium…

A genuine response to the Spirit is a response to Christ who brings us to the Father.

A Trinitarian understanding.Slide49

humankind

God

Vatican II Understanding of Salvation

God

God

Son

Father

SpiritSlide50

A visual…

CHURCH OF CHRIST

Catholic church

???Slide51

Socrative

According to the Catholic Church…

Are non-Christian religions saved by Jesus Christ?

For example, are Buddhists saved by Jesus?

OR, are

Buddhists saved by Buddha?Slide52

Catholic Answer

They are saved because of Jesus Christ’s Paschal Mystery.

The non-Christian is still a part of CHURCH OF CHRIST (remember, Church means Gathering of People).

Karl

Rahner

calls this “the anonymous Christian.”

Because they are technically Christian, but don’t know it.Slide53

Is the Catholic church exclusive, inclusive or pluralist?Slide54

Pascual Session 4.5

The Church is APOSTOLICSlide55

Gnosticism in the late 1st and early 2

nd

centuries was threatening Christianity.

Gnostics was a heretical group claiming that salvation came from a SECRET KNOWLEDGE from Christ.

They claimed that the Church’s teachings were false because they didn’t have the secret knowledge.

History of the term APOSTOLICSlide56

The early Church fathers responded saying that the teachings of the Church were TRUE because it comes to us from an unbroken line of apostolic succession through the bishops.

The most clear apostolic succession? The bishop of Rome, successor to Peter, the Apostle.

Apostolic successionSlide57

Hence, in the early Church, a church was not apostolic unless it was in full communion with the church of Rome.In other words, was in communion with the Bishop of Rome.

Apostolic CommunionSlide58

Catholics, Anglicans, Orthodox and most Lutherans hold that their bishops maintain an unbroken link of apostolic succession.

Apostolic SuccessionSlide59

Apostle means “to be sent out.”Here, refers to the Twelve that were SENT OUT by Jesus.

In the laying of hands, the Apostles appointed managers to the churches they founded.

These are the Presbyter-Bishops

Eventually, they simply became known as Bishops.

These bishops in turn appointed successors.

APOSTOLIC Slide60

Most non-denominational Christian churches will claim that they are apostolic because as a local church of Christ, they are sent to proclaim the word.

Most non-Catholic churches will point out it is unnecessary to have a historic apostolic line of bishops.

Because they have the Word of God, that is proclaimed to them and calls them to preach it as well.

FYISlide61

The Catholic Church believes it is founded by Jesus Christ, who sends forth his Twelve Apostles, guided today by their successors the bishops.

Peter and the Twelve Apostles

The Pope (bishop of Rome) and the College of Bishops

Like Peter and the Twelve, the bishops shepherd the Church as pastors of their own churches.

At any rate…Slide62

Church Structure

The Catholic Church comprises of two distinct but interconnected groups:

-the laity

-the hierarchy

The hierarchy is the Apostles and their successors, the Pope and bishops (with their co-workers: priests and deacons).

Hierarchical meaning leaders and institutions are organized in a specific order.

-the Catholic belief is that this institution is established by Christ.

-Hence the term: HOLY ORDERS

~ in other words, institution of God.Slide63

Holy Orders

To be ordained is to be “of an order”, designated for a specific social group or class.

Ordo

of senators

Ordo

of knights

The fullness of orders: the Bishop

Successors of ApostlesSlide64

The Bishop

All bishops are united with one another

The Bishop of Rome is the “first among equals.”

Like Peter and the Twelve Apostles

Their relationship to each other is

COLLEGIAL

, meaning they share equally in authority of their particular area

In this case, they have their own diocese to oversee

NOTE: decisions always made in communion with the Bishop of Rome, who symbolizes the unity of the whole Church.Slide65

CollegialitySlide66

Fun Facts

Modern Word

Original Greek

Literal

Definition

Role

Bishop

Episkopos

Overseer/

Manager

Oversees the local church (diocese)

Priest

Presbyter

Elder

Assist the Bishop in the

particular parish

Deacon

Diakonos

Servant

Assist where the priest cannot, especially in ServiceSlide67

Organizational Structure of the Catholic Church

See Page 152: The Holy See (the Diocese of Rome) that heads all dioceses

The Diocese, a geographical area governed by a bishop. It is also called the local church.

The Parish, a distinct community within a diocese. The bishop appoints a priest to be pastor of this parish, who is assisted by other priests and deacons.

The Family, the most basic social unit of people. It is where faith is first taught. Vatican II and John Paul II call this the

domestic Church.Slide68

And The Laity…

Simply, those who are not clergy

THE PRIEST

THE LAITYSlide69

Spiritual Dignity

“In the Church not everyone marches along the same path, yet all are called to sanctity and have obtained an equal privilege of faith through the justice of God.” (LG, 32)

All are equally spiritual, holy

Equal in human and spiritual dignitySlide70

Laity: Temporal Affairs

The duties of the laity primarily reside in work, family, and political/social involvement (John Paul II)

Not enough priests to go around

Laity are involved in places priests aren’t normally located

Media, social media, schools, politics, movie, work, family…Slide71

Remember…

Everyone is of the same spiritual dignity

We all have the one same Baptism

But we are called to different roles and ministries

VOCAB WORD:

VOCATION

The specific and individual response that we all have to our universal call to holiness.

In other words, we are all called to be holy, but how we live that out depends on us…Slide72

The Mark refers to Apostolic Succession, the hierarchical successors of pastoral leadershipThe Laity participates in this Mark by being “apostles” in everyday life (where you don’t typically see clergy)

General Conclusion to the Mark of Apostolic