Five Biblical Images of Church and World The

Five Biblical Images of Church and World The slide summarizes five Biblical views of the role of the Christian in the world and the identity of the church in the world as these relate to God’s two kingdoms. Each image is valid but each different. Students, congregation members, and interested inquirers often are familiar with only one or two of these images, and this tends to skew their perception of ministry and mission. Favorite hymns may dominate their view. Or the popular press may repeat a narrow and caricatured portrayal of the church, reporting only on dramatic but unusual examples. This slide summary can be used to alert the participant quickly to other images and, so, expand the discussion. Each image has been thoroughly treated in both the scholarly and popular literature. Consider also the church as the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, the household of God, and so forth. A standard reference is Images of the Church in the New Testament by Paul Minear, first published in 1960. Another common source is Models of the Church by Avery Dulles. For an alternate approach to how Christians and others perceive the Christian and the church, consider using Your God is Too Small by J. B. Phillips’ inventory of our constricted views of God might be used to compare our similarly limited views of the church. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Which view do you tend to use? Which view do you tend to avoid? Which view is least familiar to you? Which view do you think the world around us tends to use? How can each view be used to constructively understand teach the nature of the church and the Christian’s identity? How does each view assist with a two-kingdoms analysis of the Christian and the church in the world? Do some images seem to fit better with the church at different times in history? Do some images seem to be more congruent or less congruent with a particular theological tradition?

Five Biblical Images of Church and World We are • Exiles: Egypt, Babylon, 1 Peter 1: 1, etc. “I’m but a stranger here…” • Residents: I Peter 2, Jer 29, etc. “Hark, the voice of Jesus calling…” • Ambassadors: 2 Cor 5: 20, Eph. 6: 20, etc. “Send, now, O Lord, to every place…” • Defenders: 1 Peter 3: 15, 2 Tim 4: 1, etc. “A mighty fortress is our God…” • Conquerors: Rom 8: 37, 2 Cor 10: 4, etc. “Onward Christian Soldiers…”