The role of church

The church plays a crucial role in spreading the word of God among people worldwide. It can be viewed as the creation of men made to serve their need to worship, express love to the Deity, and seek advice. However, it is also a communion of saints, a union of followers, and a holy place guided and brought closer to God by the Holy Spirit. This essay will discuss the complex relationship between the Holy Spirit, the church, and its works, as well as the perfection and imperfection of the church as a reflection of imperfect reality.

The relationship between the Holy Spirit and the church is the foundation of the latter’s holiness. The role of the Spirit is unique in the Holy Trinity, as it brings the works of God to fruition and relays His intentions to the people. Therefore, the Holy Spirit connects the followers of Christ with the Father and helps to accomplish His will through the Son. It should be noted that the church should not be understood as a mere building but as a body of all followers of Christianity. This notion is raised most prominently reflected in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, where it is noted that people are God’s temple and that His Spirit dwells in them (“1 Corinthians 3:16”). Thus, the Holy Spirit leads people of faith in their works in order to ensure that God’s plan for them is fulfilled.

The work of the church is a critical aspect of the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the people of faith. As an organized body of followers, the church has a specific mission in the world, bestowed upon it by the Father. One of the most crucial elements of that mission is the task of spreading the word of God to all who need it. The Gospel of Matthew urges the church to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (“Matthew 28:19-20”). The guidance of the Holy Spirit formed the church as a divine institution. Hence, bishops can be considered successors of the apostles and the individuals who inherited the mission of bringing the word of God to those in need of it (Sullivan 184). Thus, the church acts on behalf of God, with His intent being conveyed to it by the Holy Spirit.

However, it should be stated that despite the church being guided by the Holy Spirit, it is a community of believers who themselves are on the journey of coming closer to God. According to Dulles, the catholicity of the church is an incomplete quest, with it always striving to the set ideal of the Father communicated by the Holy Spirit (168). The church, as the body of followers, is holy, but few men truly can be viewed as so. However, the church has a clear goal and ideal in sight and struggles daily to reach it and bring others to it. Therefore, the church is both holy and unholy and on a constant path of improvement.

In summary, the Holy Spirit plays a vital and unique role in the church and its works. It guides the church, as the community of people who entrust their lives to God, on their journey to fulfill God’s intent for them and spread His word to the world. The church is holy and righteous in this mission as it serves God and men. However, men dwell in imperfect reality and are on a continuous journey of self-improvement and reaching the holy ideal. Therefore, the church reflects the imperfect reality in its imperfect community that strives for perfection.

Works Cited

IvyPanda's free database of academic paper samples. (2024). Church as a Social Institution.

https://ivypanda.com/essays/church-as-a-social-institution/

“1 Corinthians 3:16.” Bible Gateway, 2022, www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%203%3A16&version=NIV.

Dulles, Avery. The Catholicity of the Church. Clarendon Press, 1987.

“Matthew 28:19-20.” Bible Gateway, 2022, www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2028%3A19-20&version=NIV.

Sullivan, Francis A. The Church We Believe in: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. Paulist Press, 1988.