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[edit] Paul's Ecclesiology

In order to develop a model of the contextualized church, we must examine the Biblical data surrounding the New Testament Church. From the thinking about the church shown in the Pauline epistles, we can derive a wealth of fundamental information to help us build a model of a church which is Biblically healthy and culturally appropriate. The aim of this chapter is to draw out missiological insights for the spread of Christianity in Japan from a general view of Pauline ecclesiology.

First, we will look at the nature of the church from the salvation-history perspective of the people of God, and then from a Christological perspective as the body of Christ. Next, through the key expression of `building one another up,' we will examine the church's life and organisation.

[edit] The church as the people of God

Paul sees the church from two perspectives. (Ridderbos 1975, p. 327) First, from the perspective of salvation history. The church can be thought of as the inheritor and the fulfilment of the people of God, chosen by God himself through Abraham and connected to God through covenants and promises. Second, there is the Christological perspective. Paul understands the church as the body of Christ, with its existence and character being an expression of Christ himself.

There is some relationship between these two viewpoints, but we will examine them separately; first, examining the church from the perspective of salvation history.

[edit] The images of ekklesia and hagioi

When Paul expresses the salvation-history aspect of the church, he employs a number of metaphors. First, let us investigate the word ekklesia. This word appears roughly sixty times in Paul's letters.

ekklesia has two historical senses; the first is Jewish and the second is Hellenistic. The word is used deliberately to refer to the Old Testament concept of the people of God. ekklesia is used in the Septuagint around a hundred times. The equivalent word in Hebrew is usually kahar. Paul's use of ekklesia is derived from the Old Testament concept of the people of God, kahar YHWH. Paul constantly refers to the `church of God' but the conditions for being the `church of God' are the same as the kahar YHWH in Deuteronomy. By using this phrase, Paul is pointing out who is the real people of God. In short, it is the assembly of the final Messiah.

Banks (1988, p. 49) suggests three cautionary points regarding Paul's understanding of ekklesia: (a) a relatively small number of people of the same heart, regularly meeting together (b) as a family unit (c) living with an eye towards the eternal kingdom. Banks claims that Paul's understanding of ekklesia encompasses these three ideas of a corporate body of mutually involved individuals within the ancient society of the time. This inclusive concept has a conclusive forté when compared with the competitive communities such as the first century Qumran community, the Pharisites, and the Stoics. This fact in itself proves Paul's emphasis on a group which is breathing a communal breath. He wanted to express a heavenly encounter with Christ which can be continually experienced even now.

The word which Paul uses most to refer to church members, around 40 times, is hagioi, meaning "the holy ones". This recalls the designation of Israel as "the holy people of God". (Ex 19:6; Lev. 11:44-45) They too were called "the holy ones" (Deut 33:3; Num 16:3; Ps 16:3, 34:10, 89:6) and linked with "the people" and "the assembly". The historical Israel possessed the qualifications of being the true people of God. They were sustained by God and were released from their unfaithfulness towards God and final judgement. Paul takes the Church to be the true people of God and the eschatological Israel.