RS 300 – Church and Sacraments (Prelims)

CHURCH IN THE HISTORY OF SALVATION

HISTORY OF SALVATION
=UNIVERSAL SALVIFIC DESIGN REALIZED BY GOD IN CHRIST
=DIRECTED IN THE RESTORATION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM

TWO PERIODS OF Salvation History

 PERIOD OF CREATION – ADAM WAS CREATED IN A STATE OF ORIGINAL JUSTICE-ENDOWED
WITH HABITUAL GRACE
 PERIOD OF REDEMPTION – THE REGIME OF MEDIATOR
- CHURCH APPEARED AS PEOPLE OF GOD CALLED THE “BODY OF CHRIST”

STAGES = PERIOD OF REDEMPTION

1. STAGE OF PREFIGURATION – FROM ADAM TO ABRAHAM
2. STAGE OF PREPARATION – FROM ABRAHAM TO THE BIRTH OF CHRIST IN BETHLEHEM
3. STAGE OF INSTITUTION – FROM BIRTH OF CHRIST UP TO PENTECOST
4. STAGE OF MANIFESTATION – FROM PENTECOST UP TO OUR TIME
IN THE LIGHT OF SALVATION HISTORY –THE CHURCH APPEARED
 1. AS PREFIGURED IN CREATION
 2. AS THE SUCCESSOR TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT NAMED AS
PEOPLE OF GOD OF THE NEW COVENANT
 3. AS THE RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION OF SALVATION AWAITING THE RETURN OF CHRIST AT
THE END OF TIME WHICH MARKS THE REALIZATION OF THE SALVIFIC PLAN

BIBLICAL FOUNDATION
 OLD TESTAMENT – GOD ESTABLISHED HIS FIRST CHURCH = THE 1ST PEOPLE OF GOD BY:
1. CALL – TO ABRAHAM TO BE A FATHER
 2. EXODUS – THE DEPARTURE OF HIS DESCENDANTS FROM EGYPT
3. COVENANT – EXPRESSED IN THE DECALOGUE GIVEN AT MT. SINAI
FORMATION OF QAHAL YAHWEH
 NOT JUST AN ASSEMBLY /CONVOCATION, IT IS ESSENTIALLY A DIVINELY CREATED
ASSEMBLY
 THE PURPOSE OF BEING CALLED TOGETHER BY THE LORD WAS FOR THE PEOPLE TO
BECOME HOLY AND SACRED. A PEOPLE CONSECRATED TO WORSHIP GOD.

NEW TESTAMENT
• STAGES OF INSTITUTION
A – ELECTION OF THE DISCIPLES
B – ELECTION OF THE APOSTLES AND INSTITUTION OF THE APOSTOLIC COLLEGE
C – JESUS INSTITUTED THE PRIMACY OF PETER
D – INSTITUTION OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST
E – THE DEATH ON THE CROSS
F - PENTECOST

DISCIPLES WERE DRAWN TO HIM

APOSTLES WERE CHOSEN

Read What Peter Said-The first Pope

 Peter Was Inspired By The Holy Spirit And Said: Acts 2:22
"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles,
wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.
On The Day Of Pentecost
• On The Day Of Pentecost, A Jewish Holiday, When Thousands Of Jews Were In Jerusalem.
• God Sent His Spirit To Empower His Disciples.
• This Was About Fifty Days After Jesus’ Resurrection.

BIBLICAL PROOFS OF PETER’S PRIMACY (first Pope)

John 1:42 Matthew 10:2
Matthew 16:18 ff. Acts 1:15
Matthew 17:1-9 Acts 2:2-10
Matthew 17:27 Acts 4:8
Matthew 26:37 Acts 10:1
Luke 22:32 /John 21:15-17 Acts 15:7
Luke 24:34 Acts 1:13
John 20:1-10 Galatians 1:18

John 1:42
 “You are Simon son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas.” which is translated , a stone.
Matthew 16:18
• “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it.”
MATTHEW 16:19
 “And I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth
will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be made loosed in heaven.”
JOHN 21:15-17
 Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him 3 times and Peter answered, “Yes Lord you know that I
love you.”
 Jesus said to him, “ Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep
 Jesus , the Good Shepherd, entrusted the shepherding of the flock to Peter
LUKE 22:32
 But I have prayed for you Peter, that your faith may not fail, and when you have returned
to me, strengthen your brothers.
JOHN 20:1-10
 Upon hearing that Jesus was not in the tomb, Peter and John ran to it. John arrived first but
just peeped and did not enter. When Peter came he entered right away and John followed
him.
 This would show the great respect of the Apostles to Peter so that even John being the
beloved of Jesus had given due respect to Peter’s authority.
MATTHEW 10:2
 The list of the Apostles with Peter who ranked first and the rest followed
Matthew 17:1-9
• Jesus took Peter, James and John to a mountain and the three were witnesses to the Lord’s
transfiguration
Matthew 17:27
 Jesus instructed Peter to catch a fish and from its mouth came forth a coin as payment of
the temple tax due them. This was in answer to the question if it lawful to pay taxes. Jesus
answered “ Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give to God what belongs to God.”

2 Elements of the Church

 Human – “Thou art Peter the rock and upon this rock I will build my Church.”
 Divine - …”remember I will be with you until the end of time.”
 On Pentecost the Apostles received the Paraclete as He so promise

The Church’s Human-Divine nature

 The Church as a mystery – essentially a transcendent, supernatural entity. What we see in
our eyes encloses a divine reality that can only be seen in the light of faith. The Bible
reveals the intimate life of the Church with metaphors.(Biblical Images)
Biblical Images
- A sheepfold; God is the shepherd – John 10:1-21
- A building; Christ is the corner -stone – Mt.21:42-44, Eph.2:20-22
- Our Mother ; the Spouse of Christ – Eph. 5:25-29, Rev. 19:7
- The Body of Christ – 1 Cor. 12
- The manifestation of the Kingdom of God – Mt. 4:7, Mk. 1:15

• The Church as the Body of Christ –an important figure of the Church that has as its basis
the incarnation of the Son of God. For by the working of the Holy Spirit we are made one
body with Christ; spiritual or mystical, but a real body. Some peculiarities of the Church:
- The Church is present in time and eschatological.
-The seed of the Kingdom of God on earth.
-The manifestation of the kingdom – for Jesus already proclaimed that the kingdom of
God is at hand (incarnational)– the kingdom of truth, justice, love and peace is ushering in our
world but the fullness of this will be in the life after (eschatological).
- The Church is ethical; guides the way to behave
- She is charismatic; Christ filled her with Spirit
- She is fraternal; shared the same Christian dignity with all members

 The Church as the People of God – Her mission is the spreading of faith and holiness of
life.
- An incomplete reality that must incessantly grow and be made perfect
- A Pilgrim people – who must go beyond the present and looks with hope towards the
future

 The Church as Hierarchical – “In order to shepherd the people of God and to increase its
members without cease , Christ set up a variety of OFFICES. Holders of Office are invested
with sacred powers and are dedicated to promote the interest of their brethren, for them
to attain salvation. Lumen Gentium 18
ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHURCH
 ONE – Eph. 4:4 = there is one body and one spirit just as there is but one hope given all of
you by our call. Unity means members agree upon essential elements of Christian faith.
- internal links in the life of faith, hope, charity
- Social links in the profession of the same faith, reception of the seven sacraments and
hierarchical communion with apostolic ministers
 Catholic – means universal. The Church plays a vital role implementing the universal
mediatorship of Jesus. Embraces different cultures and people. For all men are called to
belong to the new people of God.
This people, while remaining one and unique, is to be spread through- out the whole world
and must exist in all ages so that the purpose of God’s will may be fulfilled. In the
beginning, God made human nature one. After his children were scattered, He decreed
that they should at length be unified again (cfr. John 11:52) LG 13
 Apostolic – The Church continues the mission given by Christ to the Apostles. This
mission must last till the end of times because the Gospel that they have to transmit is the
beginning of all the supernatural life in the Church.
- The Apostles took care of establishing successors in this hierarchically structured
society: the apostolic succession.
Eyewitnesses Were Convinced
- Let’s See The Impression Jesus Left On People The First Time He Met Them And
They Heard Him Teach. Who Did They Understand Him To Be?
• Holy – The Church is holy for Christ loved her as His spouse. He gave himself to her and
enriched her with the Holy Spirit. She is holy also in her doctrine and in the sacraments.
Holiness is also manifested in the fruits of grace that the Holy Spirit produces in many
believers…
But men are made of mud; they can depart from the life of grace, they can prevent the
eradiation of the sanctity of the Church. She is holy, though in her bosom there are
sinners.