11:29' 1)Who is Jesus>What is Church 2)Adenture help

We re-asked the first question of the course:
"Who is Jesus (in Matthew)"?

You gave some gtreat answers.


Then we started asking the second question of the course: "What is church?"

We soon found that

a)It is necesssary to base any answers on what we've learned answering the first question,
and not to define it as our culture defines it

b)It is helpful to ask an "in between" question: "What is Jesus' death/resurrection/atonement all about?
We looked at this in detail last time, but we noted Ephesians 2:6: "We have been raised up (resurrected) with Christ into the heavenly realms," which suggests that the resurrection births the church.

We noted how important it is to see church as a community/group/set...and not just through me as an individual.  Mark Baker (last class) talks in his book on the atonment about how hard it is to subvert individualism with an individuallstic gospel ("Jesus died for ME..)/

The letters of Paul to the Romans, Ephesians, etc. are to a church; a body.  Thus what we read in English as "you" singular, is in the Greek "you" plural.  We re-read verses that in English sound singular but are in fact plural.  Better yet, singular plural.

Ephesians:\

 2:8-10: IT IS BY GRACE THAT YOU (PLURAL) HAVE BEEN SAVED, BY YOUR (CORPORATE) FAITH..

3;16 THAT GOD MAY STRENGTHEN YOU WITH MIGHT IN YOUR  (singular plural) INNER BEING"

6:10-20: TAKE UP YOUR (ONE COMMON, CORPORATE) SHIELD OF FAITH..

see:

A Crash of Rhinos...a Committee ofBuzzards

 --

How about with the truth every pastor should know: officially, the word "pastor" shows up a total of zero times in the Bible!

That was not just a trick question..but a way of reminding me that it only shows up in the plural..and in passing.  That will preach..Time to let all the saints (another word that shows up not once in the Bible in the singular) come marching into the discernment and dialogue...

I won't even mention what every pastor knows: the Bible knows absolutely nothing of Christians showing up for a weekly worship service where a pastor preaches a sermon..

But I will mention how proud I am of my students  (I mean my fellow learners, thanks to Len Sweet..I love how  Sweet, when introducing former students of his, says something like, "This is Ted, we studied together in the nineties."...Not, "I was Ted's professor in seminary.") who are required to plant churches  (on a posterboard, see some here and here)) based only on the key passages in Scripture about church..the results are amazing, subversive, refreshing  ("Can we have a church in the park?")....and I think only once has a church poster even mentioned a pastor.

Having said that, there is a role for us pastor-types.
Since  in the only  Scripture that "pastors" shows up is Ephesians 4:11, it is coupled with (sometimes hyphenated with) "teacher,"..

 --

Consider this chiastic structure in Ephesians 2.  (link fir full article).  how might it help you define "church?"

1. Therefore remember then that you the Gentiles in the flesh, the
ones called ‘uncircumcised’
   2. by those called ‘circumcised’ which is made in the flesh by
     hands,
          3. that you were once separated from Christ, alienated from
           the citizenship of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise
                   4. having no hope and without God in the world.
                            5. But now in Christ Jesus you who were once afar off
                            have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
                                6. For he is our peace, who has made the two and has              destroyed  the dividing wall of hostility in his body
7. abolishing the law of commandments and
ordinances
7'. that of the two he might create in himself one
new humanity
    6'. so making peace, reconciling the two in one body
   to God through the cross bringing the hostility to an
    end in it.
            5'. And he came and preached peace to you who were
           far off and peace to those who were near
                  4'. for through him we both have access in one Spirit to
                 the Father.
                          3'. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners bu you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the
household of God
                              2'. built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Jesus
                           Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in whom the whole
                         structure is joined together) and growing into a holy temple in
                         the Lord
1'. into which you are also built for a dwelling place of God in the
Spirit.

--
We watched "Power to the People" ..summary here.

see also 

Temple of the Spirit

Southern Stairs |
Pentecost and Sina

 

What did you learn about church? Pentecost?

Note the new details and options for your ADVENTURE..posted under syllabus and below:

choose one:

a)Chose a passage from Matthew, or a theme evoked by your reading of Matthew (or by considering the question WHO IS JESUS or the question WHAT IS CHURCH.
 Write an extended  (approx 5-7 pp, but shorter or longer OK)Three World Paper, quoting two sources from the online sources on website.  Power Point or video OK
b)Write a paper (approx 5-7p, but shorter or longer OK), or power point or video discussing how your view of Jesus has changed or been challenged by the class.  Cite all three textbooks in addition to Matthew.