6/14/13- The Mark of the Church

17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church [Ekklesia= called out ones]; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Thoughts:
What are "The Marks of the Church?" For that matter, what does this old phrase mean?
In Old English- a mark was as sign- that designated or "marked" as something.  It is also a boundary between borders.  So the marks of the Church are both signs that tell us where the church truly is, and the boundaries of the church- which point out where the church is not.

In the Catholic Church the "marks" are "One, holy, catholic, and apostolic" church.  We will look at these in detail later.  In the Reformation, the Reformers realized there are true churches and churches that had slid into abandonment of the Gospel.  For the Reformers, they did not label all Roman Catholic churches as abandoning the Gospel- it was not denominational affiliation that made the church true or false.  It was the right preaching of the Word.  Luther and Calvin specified the right administration of the sacraments as a second mark; Knox, Ursinus and Heidegger added discipline as a third mark of the church.  Some have rightly said that the true preaching of the Word means that the sacraments and discipline are also understood and practiced rightly.  In the 21st century, when many have abandoned the faith; when it is hard to tell the difference between some churches and a civic club; when the discipline and boundaries of the Church are very loose; when the Bible is excused as an outdated history- it is important to think about the marks of the church.

But there is a mark not found in classical theology but is found in the Bible.  In my mind, it is the ultimate mark of the Church- it is the mark of love.  God gives us His Word, His sacraments, His order, oneness, holiness, catholicity, apostolicity all as gifts of His love.  We too easily toss aside this one ingredient.  But love is what draws us to God and to His Church, and the Church teaches us about love- for God and neighbor.
    The question "How do you find a good church?"  Is the same as "Where are the marks of the Church?"  It is a question we need to ask and to answer.
 

Prayer: Lord, help me to discern where you are.  For where two or three are truly gathered together by you in your name- there is the Gospel.

(Border marking at Jungholz)


By the way, as I write this (6/14) it is flag day in America.  The flag is a "mark" or symbol of America.  Where the flag is, there America is represented.  That is why some burn the flag or protest the flag or pledge allegiance to the flag.