17. The          170  
Church          171  
of God

Jesus lays the groundwork for His Church: see 120-124.

The Church did not originate from human will, but from God’s eternal plan. The Mystery is concretized in the Church (Eph 3:5), that is, the saving plan of God who brings all people together under Christ, the only head (Eph 1:5-12, 22). That is why the Church is called holy because its destiny depends more upon God’s plan than upon human initiatives.

172

Christ, in taking the steps leading to its foundations, does not act upon His own initiative alone. He lets Himself be guided by the Father (Jn 1:35-51; Mt 16:18; Lk 6:12; Acts 1:7; Jn 17:6; 17:9-12). The Churches of Christ (Gal 1:22). The Church is subject to Christ who loves her and gives Himself for her (Eph 5:24-25; Jn 17:19). The Church of Go which Jesus bought with His own blood (Acts 20:28). The Church is His bride (Jn 3:29; Eph 5:27; Mt 22:2; 2 Cor 11:2; Rev 21:2) and His body (Col 1:24; Cor 12:12) and He is the head.

173

The Church is born on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) as an effect of the pouring out of the promised Holy Spirit (150).

174

The apostles’ proclamation of faith in the risen Jesus accompanies the out-pouring of the Spirit (Jn 15: 26-27; Act 1:7-8) to establish the Church (Acts 2:14-39; 1 Thes 1:5). The Church is made up of all those who hear the call to conversion and who believe that they will receive forgiveness of their sins (Acts 2:38) and the gift of the Spirit (Acts 2:39) through faith in the saving power of Jesus and in baptism (see 181).

175

The Church is founded on Peter and the apostles (Mt 16:18; 10:1). The faith of the Church is the same as that of the Apostles (1Cor 15:11; 2 P:16-21). Those who accept the witness of the apostles and of their successors belong to the Church (Jn 17:20; 20:1) and are accepted by them (1 Cor 14:38; 2 Cor 10:6; 13:10). We are in communion with God by being in communion with them (1 Jn 1:3). Christ is with them (Mt 28:20) so that their decision may not be opposed to the divine plan (Mt 16:19; 18:18; Lk 10:16) despite the fact that they will fail in many ways (Gal 2:11; Acts 15:37; 21:20). The Church will always be what the apostles made it (Lk 22:30; Rev 21:14).

176

The Church is communion (Acts 2:4; Heb 13:16). The communion existing between the baptized and the Divine Persons (2 Cor 13:13; 1 Cor 1:9; 10:16) brings about communion among themselves (1 Jn 1:7) both in the spiritual (Acts 2:42; Phil 1:5; 2:1) and the material sense (Rom 15:27; Gal 6:6).

177

The Church is the presence of divine Truth in our world (1 Tim 3:15). It is the manifestation of God’s love (1 Cor 1:26; 2 Cor 4:7) and, despite the weakness of its members, it is a sign of God’s saving presence (2 Cor 4) and God gives its strength (Rev 2:8; 3:8).