Comments on: Eternal… Or not? http://jcconline.net/nates-blog/eternal/ A Christ-Centered Church in Hudsonville, MI Sat, 01 Oct 2011 10:54:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: BD http://jcconline.net/nates-blog/eternal/#comment-445 BD Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:09:05 +0000 http://box534.bluehost.com/~jcconlin/?p=485#comment-445 While we don't have much "evidence" on anything after the Parousia (mostly impressions, really), I think we can safely deduce its function in heaven (when you say essence I don't know if you mean function or identity—identity is located *in* God so that doesn't change, it just becomes more actualized). When we look at the biblical functions of church—to evangelize, to edify/unify, to work towards sanctification and to worship corporately—all of these will pass away with the second coming except one, worship. All of the other functions of church reflect its temporary mortal nature, but worship is an eternal purpose, an eternal function which the church will not lose, it will only get better at it! Look at the two primary biblical metaphors for the church. It is both the bride of Christ and the (resurrection) body of Christ. These are not metaphors given to the temporary. Although we have often forgotten, our relationships with our spouses and our bodies are "till death do we part" sort of deals. For the Christian, as for Christ, death no longer exists. We have already passed from death to life. For these reasons I deduce that the church is an eternal entity. While we don’t have much “evidence” on anything after the Parousia (mostly impressions, really), I think we can safely deduce its function in heaven (when you say essence I don’t know if you mean function or identity—identity is located *in* God so that doesn’t change, it just becomes more actualized). When we look at the biblical functions of church—to evangelize, to edify/unify, to work towards sanctification and to worship corporately—all of these will pass away with the second coming except one, worship. All of the other functions of church reflect its temporary mortal nature, but worship is an eternal purpose, an eternal function which the church will not lose, it will only get better at it! Look at the two primary biblical metaphors for the church. It is both the bride of Christ and the (resurrection) body of Christ. These are not metaphors given to the temporary. Although we have often forgotten, our relationships with our spouses and our bodies are “till death do we part” sort of deals. For the Christian, as for Christ, death no longer exists. We have already passed from death to life. For these reasons I deduce that the church is an eternal entity.

]]> By: Nate http://jcconline.net/nates-blog/eternal/#comment-438 Nate Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:58:13 +0000 http://box534.bluehost.com/~jcconlin/?p=485#comment-438 Have your studies found any hints in the Scriptures as to the essence of the "church" after the second coming, or do we have to rely on speculation? I can't think of any off the top of my head... Have your studies found any hints in the Scriptures as to the essence of the “church” after the second coming, or do we have to rely on speculation? I can’t think of any off the top of my head…

]]> By: BD http://jcconline.net/nates-blog/eternal/#comment-437 BD Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:11:07 +0000 http://box534.bluehost.com/~jcconlin/?p=485#comment-437 I think the Parousia might change our idea of what church is and looks like, but it will be there—I'll go further than that, it will be fulfilled. Now it is simply a "type" but then it will be "archetype" (thanks to Stan Bowers for that) and in that strange, numinous way that the Kingdom of God has already and always will have been. As we will have new bodies, so the church will have a different form. But I think will be more "church" then than it ever has been on earth. The church needs eternal fulfillment to actualize the theoretical distinction between the church seen/unseen as well as the communion of all believers. I think the Parousia might change our idea of what church is and looks like, but it will be there—I’ll go further than that, it will be fulfilled. Now it is simply a “type” but then it will be “archetype” (thanks to Stan Bowers for that) and in that strange, numinous way that the Kingdom of God has already and always will have been.

As we will have new bodies, so the church will have a different form. But I think will be more “church” then than it ever has been on earth. The church needs eternal fulfillment to actualize the theoretical distinction between the church seen/unseen as well as the communion of all believers.

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