THEO LESSON 2

ORIGIN OF THE CHURCH

CHURCH
OT People called by God
NT disciples gathered by Christ
Born of the fathers plan/ LOVE (2)
Invitation to live in a community
Trinitarian Origin
Prepared by God the father in Genesis
by Abraham
Prepared by Christ by calling the 12
Triune God worked - together to
sustain it and through and in it
Arose from the saving design of the
father, redemptive mission of Christ
and sanctifying work of the Spirit
Born of the father, through the son
and in the Spirit
ORIGIN: Saving will of the father
Universal saving design of God, for
humans to have divine life in
communion w/ trinity
Jesus laid down the foundation
Empowered by the spirit
Was foreshadowed by what Jesus said
and did
Fruit of love and communion of the
trinity
Communion of believers by Christ for
the father in the power of the Holy
spirit
Communal relationship in trinity is
what sustains it
Genesis of the Church was the house
church
2nd 5th century church key words
service (diakonia) communion
(koinonia)
objective: oneness of in love w/ God
and w/ one another
greatest sacrament of divine
communion and has the mission of
Gathering Gods scattered Children
miniature of the universe as a
community
exists within the big sacred
community w/c is the universe

was born as a gathered people,

assembly of fellow believers,
witnesses and disciples

THE CALL OF THE FIRST DISCIPLES AND

MISSION PREACHING
Mathew 4:18-22
- Sea of Galilee Come after me and
I will make you fishers of Man
-

Simon (aka Peter) and Andrew

(bros)
James and John (bros) (dad:
Zebedee)

Abrams call and migration

- Gen 12:1-3
Descent of the Holy Spirit
- Pentacost tongues of fire filled
with the Holy Spirit foreign
tongues and bold proclamations
- Acts 2: 1-24
Asia soil God initiated his saving plan
- revealed and fulfilled his saving plan
Abraham father of many
Abram many, multitude
Jesus Christ Asian
- was sent in the fullness of time
Holy Spirit in Acts of the apostles
empowered the 12 to proclaim the good
news and est. the church founded by Christ
God gathering of people to restore humanity
and creations original belongingness to him
The choosing of the 12 tribes was the
beginning of the people of God
Jesus did not deliberately est. the church,
just laid a foundation in indirect ways, first
by choosing the 12
Choosing the 12 symbolic act gathering the
12 tribes
Jesus dreamt of restoring Israel by reminding
it of its covenant with God

The Church has its origin Jesus rather than it

is founded by Christ
Peter appointed chief shepherd by Christ
and the foundation of the church in
Jerusalem
Holy spirit was sent to the apostles and the
will receive strength (Acts 1:8) they have
become witnesses in Jerusalem, Samaria and
Judea, and even in the ends of the earth
Descent of the Spirit in Jesus he began his
Public ministry (Luke 4:18)
SPIRIT the gift of God, first fruit of the final
kingdom
- principle life the church and its
mission
- principal agent of evangilization
- not see, but experience it everyday
Outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost
Churchs evangelizing mission
New era of Gods relationship with humanity
began in Pentecost
The spirit of the risen Christ Soul of the
church
- acts w/in the church in variety of
Charisms role and ministry
Est. of the church the depth and breadth of
Gods trust and love in humanity is revealed
beyond Jesus death and even beyond the
resurrection in the..
Sabbath 6pm Friday to 6am Saturday
- Share word, goods, and break bread
Sunday - celebration of the resurrection
First Christian community life patterned after
Christ proclaiming the kingdom of God in
words and deeds

What the 1st Christians did became the basis

of the 6 dimensions or ecclesiastical
elements:
1. Professing of Faith (Jesus Lord,
alive, Spirit with us)
2. Proclaiming the word of God
3. Celebrating communion w/ God
and each other
4. Strong sense of fellowship
5. Plurality of ministry
6. Continuing Jesus in proclaiming the
Kingdom
Some ff Christ but was still bound by the
Mosaic law (law of moses)
Circumcision sign of covenant
Jewish Christians their faith was the
fulfillment of Judaism
Communion the heart of the early Christian
community
- united the Christians was the
common experience with Christ
- Central notion of for a common
understanding of the nature of the
church
- Came from the latin word
communio meaning union with
(related to grk Kiononia)
- Bond of unity
- Among Christians Communion
w/ God
- Expressed in relationship w/ the
community
Mighty force that binds them was the
communion with Christ and w/ one another
Communion koinonia describe what the
church truly is
Communion of the triune God basis and
model of our communion w/ the church

Trinitarian communion since the beginning

the creation salvation history intensified
in Jesus communion Concretized and lived
by the early Christian community

Triune God most profound source of life,

unity and love
- Exemplary image and icon of the
Churchs life and its mission
- Santatlo

Early Christians equal regardless of status

Community expression of communion

Life of being a man of others manifested in
first in the creation

Gods self giving act happened first in the

evolutionary process of creation
All creatures of God are part of one another
Spirituality of Communion
- Pope John Paul II as Church entered
the 3rd millennium
- Indicated above all the hearts
contemplation of the mystery of
the trinity
- Ability to think of our brothers and
sisters in faith as those part of
me share their joys and
sufferings, desires and needs
- Ability to see what is positive to
others and see it as a gift of God
Gift for me
- How to make room and bearing
each others burdens and resisting
selfish temptation
Holy Eucharist sign and instrument of
Christs unity
Importance of communion of churches
Pope John Paul II in Ecclesia in Asia

life of church as a communion

assumes of greater importance
the local church in Asia, in
communion w/ peter, need to
foster greater communion of mind
and heart through cooperation
among themselves

The success of our mission depends on our

union w/ the Lord and the Church
Challenge in the 3rd millennium make the
church home and the school of the
communion
Individualism Chruchs response is
communion
Second plenary council of the Philippines if
the church in the Ph wants to be renewed it
should be true with the communion
Unity in ff Christ contribute to the church
and renewal of the Ph society