Various Names and Images of the Church PDF

the various names and images of the church  wHAT IS CHURCH? Church (upper case C) pertains to an Assembly of God, while the church (small case c) talks about the structure where religious gathering occur.  names and images of the church The Mystical Body o...

the various names and images of the church  wHAT IS CHURCH? Church (upper case C) pertains to an Assembly of God, while the church (small case c) talks about the structure where religious gathering occur.  names and images of the church The Mystical Body of Christ. The Bride of Christ. The Family of God. The People of God. The Kingdom of God. Sheepfold, the Flock  the mystical body of christ The Church came into being when Christ died on the Cross, but it was formally inaugurated on Pentecost, when He sent the Holy Spirit as He had promised.  the mystical body of christ St. Paul speaks of all Christians as members of Christ, so that with Him, they form one Mystical Body.  the mystical body of christ The Church, the Mystical Body, exists on this earth, and is called the Church militant, because its members struggle against the world, the flesh and the devil.  the mystical body of christ The Church suffering means the souls in Purgatory. The Church triumphant is the Church in heaven The Church militant is us, the living being on earth.  the mystical body of christ The unity and cooperation of the members of the Church on earth, in Purgatory, in Heaven is also called the Communion of Saint.  the bride of christ “What does it mean that the church is the bride of Christ? “  the bride of christ “What does it mean that the church is the bride of Christ? “  the bride of christ The imagery and symbolism of marriage is applied to Christ and the body of believers known as the Church.  the bride of christ In the New Testament, Christ, the Bridegroom, has sacrificially and lovingly chosen the church to be His bride.  the bride of christ Just as there was a betrothal period in biblical times during which the bride and groom were separated until the wedding, so is the bride of Christ separate from her Bridegroom during the church age. Her responsibility during the betrothal period is to be faithful to Him.  the bride of christ At the Second Coming of Christ, the church will be united with the Bridegroom, the official "wedding ceremony" will take place and, with it, the eternal union of Christ and His bride will be actualized As believers in Jesus Christ, we who are the bride of Christ wait with great anticipation for the day when we will be united with our Bridegroom Until then, we remain faithful to Him and say with all the redeemed of the Lord, “Come, Lord Jesus!”  the church as “she” The "church" is the "mother" of God's Children.  the church as “she” "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it.  the church as “she” "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. This description stems from Saint Paul's description of the Church being a marriage between Christ and its members.  the church as the family of god The family of God metaphor is perhaps the most attractive term to describe Christ’s church God, our Heavenly Father, has adopted us into His family, the Church, Holy Spirit, Baptism Jesus and other N.T. writers reminded us that we are brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and members of God’s household.  the church as the people of god The Church is the ‘people of God’ because it pleased God to sanctify and save men not in isolation but by making them into one people gathered together by the unity of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  the church as the people of god The people of God participate in Christ's priestly office. The people of God share in his kingly office by means of service, imitating Jesus Christ who as King of the universe made himself the servant of all, especially the poor and the suffering. We are all “Called” to be the People of God! We are all called but only a few answer  the kingdom of god Christ makes it clear in all that he does and says, that he is the King of the New Israel. A Kingdom he was given by his Father for all he endured – His Paschal Mystery As The Messiah, He fulfilled the Old Testament Covenants by giving the new Israelites the King they pined for. Christianity is the new Israel.  the church as flock We are the flock and Jesus is the Good Shepherd who will not turn his back on the least of his brothers.