The Origin of the Church

Two Approaches in looking at the origin of the Church:

Historical (from below) focusing on Jesus and His disciples

Theological (from above) focusing on the Trinity – the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit

Almost two thousand years ago, Jesus of Nazareth appeared in Israel and proclaimed the
coming of God’s Kingdom.

He gathered around Him disciples whom He formed as a community with whom He shared His
vision and who accompanied Him in His mission.

After the Death and reported Resurrection of Jesus, the apostles and community of disciples
went about proclaiming the Good News and forming communities of believers all over the
Roman Empire.

These interconnected communities since then have expanded in different nations and cultures
all over the world, in spite of the persecutions and crises.

Theological – Trinitarian Perspective

Goes deeper than the historical approach
▪ Presupposes a Faith perspective
▪ Asserts that the Church is not just a visible, human reality
Regards the Church as a mystery imbued with God’s presence
▪ Emphasizes a divine Trinitarian origin
▪ Popularized by Vatican II
Regards the Church as a mystery imbued with God’s presence
▪ Emphasizes a divine Trinitarian origin
▪ Popularized by Vatican II
Behind the theological – Trinitarian perspective is the belief that the origin of the Church is God.
▪ The Church has both human and divine origin
To affirm that the Church comes from God is to assert that the Church comes from the Trinity
since the God that we believe in is a Trinitarian God – the God who is Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.
The Trinity as Origin

Role of the Father: A Plan born in the father's heart

“The Father called together all those who believe in Christ within the Church which has been
foreshadowed from the beginning of the world and prepared in the history of the people of
Israel and in the ancient covenant (LG 2).

- The Father created the whole universe and made human beings to share in His divine
life.
- He planned to call together in a holy Church those who believe in Christ.
- The family of God is gradually formed during the stages of human history.
- The Father prefigured the Church since the beginning of the world.
- The Father prepared for the Church in the Old Covenant.
- Remote preparation – God calls Abraham and promises him that he will become the
father of the great people.(Gen.12:2;15:5-6)
- Immediate preparation – Israel’s election as people of God (sign of future gatherings of all
nations).(Ex.6:7;Dt.7:6;Is.2:2-5)
Foreshadowed from the world's beginning
• Christians of the 1rst century said, “ The world was created for the sake of the Church.”
• God created the world for the sake of the communion with his Divine life, a communion
brought about by the “ Convocation of men in Christ, and this convocation is the Church.
• The church is the goal of all things, and God permitted such painful upheavals as the
angels, fall and man’s sin only as occasions and means for displaying all the power of his
arm and the whole measure of the love he wanted to give the world.
• Just as God’s will is creation and is called the “ the World.” so his intention is the
salvation of men, and it is called “ the Church.”
Prepared for in the Old Covenant
• The gathering together of the People of God began at the moment when sin destroyed
the communion of men with God, and that of men among themselves.
• The remote preparation for this gathering together of the People of God begins when
he calls Abraham and promises that he will become the father of a great people.
• Its immediate preparation begins with Israel’s election as the people of God.
• By this election Israel is to be the sign of the future gathering of all nations.
Role of the Son: Instituted by Christ

“The Son sent by the Father inaugurated the Kingdom of God. The Church, which is the
Kingdom of Christ already present in mystery, grows visibly through the power of God. This
beginning and growth is symbolized in the blood and water flowing from the side of Jesus on
the cross.” (LG 3)

Jesus was sent by the Father to carry out His plan of salvation.

By preaching the Good News of the coming of the kingdom, Jesus inaugurated the Church
which is the seed and beginning of the kingdom.

Thus, the Church emerged from what Jesus did during His public ministry.
• It was the Son’s task to accomplish the Father’s plan of salvation in the fullness of time.
Its accomplishment was the reason for his being sent.
• The Lord Jesus inaugurated his church by preaching the good news, that is the coming of
the reign of God, promise all the ages in in the Scriptures.
To fulfill the Father’s will, Christ ushered in the Kingdom of heaven on earth.
• The church is the Reign of Christ already present in mystery.
 • The Lord Jesus endowed his community with a structure that will remain until the
Kingdom is fully achieved.
• There was the choice of the Twelve apostles and Peter as their head. Representing the
12 Tribes of Israel, they are the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem
• By Christ’s actions, he prepares and builds the church.
• The church is born primarily of Christ’s total self-giving for our salvation, anticipated in
the institution of the Eucharist and fulfilled on the Cross.
• The Church was born from the pierced heart of Christ hanging dead on the cross.
Role of the Holy Spirit: Revealed by the Holy Spirit

“The Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, was sent to sanctify the Church so that the
believers would have through Christ access to the Father. The Spirit dwells in the Church, leads
the Church into all and makes it one in fellowship and ministry, directing the Church,
rejuvenating and renewing Her.” (LG 4)
• When the work which the Father gave the Son to do on earth was accomplished, the
Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost in order that he might continually sanctify
the Church.
• Then the Church was openly displayed to the crowds and the spread of the Gospel
among the nations, through the preaching was begun.
• As the convocation of all men for salvation, the Church in her very nature is missionary,
sent by Christ to all the nations to make disciples of them.
Perfected in glory
• The Church will receive its perfection only in the glory of heaven, at the time of Christ’s
glorious return.
• Until that day, the Church progresses on her pilgrimage amidst this world’s persecutions
and God’s consolations.
• The Church and through her the world, will not be perfected in glory without great
trials.
• Only then will all the just from the time of Adam from Abel, the just one, to the last elect
be gathered together in the universal Church in the Fathers presence.
 Brief History of the Church
I – Pentecost: The Birth of the Church - Acts 2:1-13; LG172

Pentecost is the 50th day after the Passover.

The Feast of the Pentecost is the Christian adaptation of the 50th day feast celebrating Moses’
reception of the Law on Mt. Sinai.

As Moses ascended and returned with the gift of the Law, Jesus ascended and sent the gift of
the Holy Spirit.

The gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost inaugurate the new era of the Church’s mission, the new
epoch of salvation history.

The Pentecost Spirit is the prime mover of the mission of the Church to the whole world, that
every division may overcome.

With the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them, the apostles were inspired to proclaim the
message of salvation as they fully converted to faith in Christ.

The Pentecost event brought the Church at the threshold of Her universal mission.

The Church proclaims that with the sending of the Holy Spirit, The Apostolic Church was born.

As the sacrament of salvation, the Church is the principal agent of evangelization; She continues
to bring the work of Christ to perfection.

It was on Pentecost, with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the followers of Jesus, that the
Church was born.

- The Spirit united the believers as one community and empowered them to fulfill the
mission that Christ sent them to.

- The Holy Spirit is the principle and bond of communion (koinonia) among believers.

The Holy Spirit is the source of empowerment – that enables the Church to fulfill Her mission –
by giving the members the charisms that help build up the Church and carry Her mission.

Pope Benedict and the Holy Spirit

 Pope Benedict said: “Holy Spirit continues today to act with power in the Church...it is
important that each one of us know the Spirit, establish a relationship with Him and
allow ourselves to be guided by Him...we must welcome Him as the guide of our
souls...He alone can open us up to faith and to allow us to live it each day to the full.”

 Just as we receive Jesus every week in Holy Communion, we need to ask the Holy Spirit
to fill us often also.

 The Church – perfected in glory

 The Church received Her perfection only in the glory of heaven, LG 48 at the time of
Christ glorious return.