divine truths to His human intellect, so He would know who He is, who His Father is, and why He came to earth.
The divine nature of Jesus had the same (not similar) divine intellect and will as that of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. As God, He knew and willed the same things that the other two persons of the Trinity knew and willed. Thus, in His divinity, Jesus knew everything, and what He willed, happened.
As both God and man, Jesus could bridge the gap between humanity and divinity. He could actually save humankind by becoming one of us, and yet, because He never lost His divinity, His death had eternal and infinite merit and value. If He were only a man, His death would have no supernatural effect. His death, because it was united to His divine personhood, actually atoned for sin and caused redemption to take place.
It’s a mouthful to be sure, but the bottom line in Catholic theology is that the faithful fully and solemnly believe that Jesus was one divine person with a fully human nature and a fully divine nature. Each nature had its own intellect and will. So the divine nature of Jesus had a divine intellect and will, and the human nature of Jesus had a human intellect and will.
Chapter 5
Defining “The Church” and What Membership Means
IN THIS CHAPTER
The Gospels were originally written in Greek; the Greek word ekklesia translates into the English word “church.” But ekklesia isn’t limited to a building where believers worship — it also means the gathering of believers themselves. The Gospels’ notion of church is much more organic and people-related — it’s not just a physical structure with a steeple and bell tower.
In the fuller sense of the word, the Church is an assembly of people who share a common faith or belief; it is a building made not of stones but of flesh and blood (called “living stones” in the Bible). In other words, people make the Church what it is. In this chapter, we explain how the Church was established, its mission, the benefits of membership, and much more.
Establishing a Foundation: Built on Rock
Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that Simon, son of John, is to be called Peter (Petros in Greek) and that upon this rock (petra in Greek), Jesus will build His church (ekklesia). Here is the passage from Matthew 16:18–19:
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the powers of death [some versions of the Bible read “gates of hell”] shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Notice in the Scripture that Jesus gives Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven. These keys are symbolized in the papal flag, which shows silver and gold keys crossing each other. In the time of Christ, keys were given to chancellors (similar to prime ministers) by the king. The gold key provided access to the treasury where the prime minister kept the king’s gold (levied by taxes). The silver key offered access to the royal prison where the enemies of the king were kept. The keys not only protected what was inside, they also allowed access so that money could be dispersed, and prisoners could be freed.
While Jesus did not give Peter actual, physical keys, He gave him the same authority any king would give his prime minister. That authority is full, supreme, immediate, and universal, as expressed in the phrase “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Immediately following the death of Peter, the Holy Spirit guided the Church in the election of the next pope, Linus, followed by Cletus, Clement, and so on. Since that time, 266 popes have sat in the Chair of St. Peter — an unbroken line of apostolic succession. Read more about the pope in Chapter 6.
Seeing the Church as the Body of Christ and Communion of Saints
The Church is sometimes called the Mystical Body of Christ, and that analogy comes from the writings of St. Paul. He writes in 1 Corinthians 12:12–13, “Just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” It is in Baptism that unity of the Body of Christ is most expressed under the head, Jesus Christ. The Church is one Body, the Church has Christ as her head, and the Church is the Bride of Christ.
Paul refers to Christ as the head of the Church and to the baptized members as the body of the Church. Think of your own body: While you have eyes, ears, hands, and feet, there is only one of you; you’re the sum of your parts. Likewise, the Church is the union of all her members, who have unique roles but work together to make a complete whole.
If you’re a baptized member of the Church, you have a part to play in the Body of Christ. Here are some examples:
The laity preach the Good News of salvation by the way they witness to Christ in the workplace, marketplace, school, and society. Also, through Holy Matrimony (see Chapter 9) they become supporters of their spouses to become saints and bring forth children to populate heaven.
The
