Understanding the Visible and Invisible Church
Summary
In this session, we delve into the profound distinction between the visible and invisible church, a concept first articulated by St. Augustine in the 4th century. This distinction remains relevant today, though often misunderstood. The visible church refers to the organized, institutional body of believers, while the invisible church comprises those who are truly regenerate and known only to God. Augustine's model suggests that the invisible church is largely contained within the visible church, with only rare exceptions, such as the thief on the cross or those isolated by persecution, existing outside it.
The visible church includes both true believers and those who merely profess faith without genuine belief. Augustine described the church as a "corpus per mixtum," a mixed body, echoing Jesus' teachings about the coexistence of wheat and tares, or sheep and goats, within the church. This mixture is not a result of human judgment but a reflection of divine insight, as only God can truly discern the heart.
The challenge for believers is to ensure that their faith is genuine and not merely an outward show. Hypocrisy, where individuals profess faith for social or personal gain, has been a persistent issue throughout church history. The visible church can sometimes be led by those who do not truly believe, highlighting the need for vigilance and discernment.
John Calvin emphasized that while the invisible church is known only to God, its members should strive to make their faith visible through their actions and witness. This call to authenticity is crucial, as Jesus warned that many who believe they have a relationship with Him will be turned away on the last day for failing to truly follow His commandments.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Distinction Between Visible and Invisible Church: Augustine's distinction highlights that the invisible church, known only to God, is largely within the visible church. This understanding challenges us to reflect on the authenticity of our faith and our place within the church community. [02:13]
2. The Mixed Nature of the Church: The church is a "corpus per mixtum," a mixed body of true believers and those who merely profess faith. This mixture is a divine reality, not a human judgment, reminding us of the importance of genuine faith over mere outward appearances. [08:50]
3. The Danger of Hypocrisy: Hypocrisy, where individuals profess faith for personal gain, has been a persistent issue. True faith requires more than outward conformity; it demands a heart aligned with God's will, as only He can truly discern our sincerity. [18:12]
4. The Call to Authenticity: John Calvin urged the invisible church to make their faith visible through their actions. This call to authenticity is crucial, as Jesus warned that many who believe they have a relationship with Him will be turned away for failing to truly follow His commandments. [28:12]
5. The Sobering Warning of Jesus: Jesus' warning that many who profess faith will be turned away on the last day is a sobering reminder of the need for genuine obedience and relationship with Him. It challenges us to examine our faith and ensure it is not merely superficial. [25:49]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:20] - Introduction to Augustine's Distinction
- [00:54] - Misunderstandings of the Invisible Church
- [02:13] - Augustine's Model of the Church
- [03:37] - Exceptions to the Visible Church
- [05:17] - Spiritual Immaturity and Church Avoidance
- [07:07] - Concentric Circles of Faith
- [08:50] - The Mixed Body of Believers
- [10:35] - Jesus' Teachings on Church Discipline
- [12:16] - Outward Profession vs. True Faith
- [14:22] - God's Knowledge of the Heart
- [15:58] - Personal Experience with Hypocrisy
- [19:04] - The Danger of Unconverted Clergy
- [21:24] - Historical Context of Church Corruption
- [25:49] - Jesus' Sobering Warning
- [28:12] - Making Faith Visible
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 7:21-23
2. Matthew 13:24-30
3. 1 Samuel 16:7
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Observation Questions:
1. What is the distinction between the visible and invisible church as articulated by St. Augustine? How does this distinction challenge our understanding of church membership? [02:13]
2. How does the sermon describe the "corpus per mixtum" and what biblical imagery does it use to illustrate this concept? [08:50]
3. What examples from history or scripture are given to illustrate individuals who might be part of the invisible church but not the visible church? [03:58]
4. How does the sermon describe the danger of hypocrisy within the church, and what personal story does the pastor share to illustrate this? [15:58]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus warns that not everyone who calls Him "Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven. How does this passage relate to the sermon’s discussion on the authenticity of faith? [25:49]
2. The parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24-30) is used to describe the mixed nature of the church. What does this parable suggest about the challenges of discerning true believers within the church? [09:32]
3. 1 Samuel 16:7 states that God looks at the heart rather than outward appearances. How does this verse support the sermon’s emphasis on the invisible church being known only to God? [14:22]
4. The sermon mentions John Calvin's call for the invisible church to make their faith visible. What might this look like in practical terms for believers today? [28:12]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own faith journey. Are there areas where you might be more focused on outward appearances rather than genuine faith? How can you address this? [13:10]
2. The sermon warns against hypocrisy. Can you identify any areas in your life where your actions might not align with your professed beliefs? What steps can you take to address this inconsistency? [18:12]
3. How can you ensure that your faith is not just a social or personal gain but a true reflection of your relationship with God? What changes might you need to make in your daily life? [18:44]
4. Consider the parable of the wheat and the tares. How can you practice discernment in your church community without being judgmental? What role does prayer play in this process? [09:32]
5. Jesus’ warning in Matthew 7:21-23 is sobering. How can you cultivate a deeper, more authentic relationship with Him to ensure you are not among those He turns away? [25:49]
6. John Calvin emphasized making faith visible through actions. Identify one specific way you can demonstrate your faith in your community this week. [28:12]
7. Reflect on the concept of the "Elijah syndrome" mentioned in the sermon. Are there times when you feel isolated in your faith? How can you seek out and connect with other believers to strengthen your walk with God? [23:36]
Devotional
Day 1: The Hidden Reality of the Invisible Church
The concept of the invisible church, as articulated by St. Augustine, challenges believers to reflect on the authenticity of their faith. The invisible church is known only to God and is largely contained within the visible church, which includes both true believers and those who merely profess faith. This understanding calls for introspection about one's genuine relationship with God and place within the church community. The visible church, being a "corpus per mixtum," is a mixed body where true believers coexist with those who outwardly profess faith without genuine belief. This mixture is not a result of human judgment but a reflection of divine insight, as only God can truly discern the heart. [02:13]
"For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7b, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways can you examine your own heart to ensure that your faith is genuine and not merely an outward show?
Day 2: Embracing the Mixed Nature of the Church
The church is described as a "corpus per mixtum," a mixed body of true believers and those who merely profess faith. This mixture is a divine reality, not a human judgment, reminding us of the importance of genuine faith over mere outward appearances. Jesus' teachings about the coexistence of wheat and tares, or sheep and goats, within the church illustrate this concept. The challenge for believers is to ensure that their faith is genuine and not merely an outward show. Hypocrisy, where individuals profess faith for social or personal gain, has been a persistent issue throughout church history. [08:50]
"Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, 'Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'" (Matthew 13:30, ESV)
Reflection: How can you cultivate a heart that seeks genuine faith rather than merely conforming to outward appearances?
Day 3: The Perils of Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy, where individuals profess faith for personal gain, has been a persistent issue within the church. True faith requires more than outward conformity; it demands a heart aligned with God's will, as only He can truly discern our sincerity. The visible church can sometimes be led by those who do not truly believe, highlighting the need for vigilance and discernment. Believers are called to examine their motives and ensure that their faith is not merely superficial but rooted in a genuine relationship with God. [18:12]
"Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." (Luke 12:1b, ESV)
Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you might be acting out of hypocrisy rather than genuine faith? How can you address this today?
Day 4: The Call to Authenticity
John Calvin emphasized that while the invisible church is known only to God, its members should strive to make their faith visible through their actions and witness. This call to authenticity is crucial, as Jesus warned that many who believe they have a relationship with Him will be turned away on the last day for failing to truly follow His commandments. Believers are encouraged to live out their faith in a way that reflects their genuine relationship with God, demonstrating their commitment through their actions and interactions with others. [28:12]
"Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." (1 John 3:18, ESV)
Reflection: What specific actions can you take today to make your faith more visible and authentic to those around you?
Day 5: Heeding Jesus' Sobering Warning
Jesus' warning that many who profess faith will be turned away on the last day is a sobering reminder of the need for genuine obedience and relationship with Him. It challenges believers to examine their faith and ensure it is not merely superficial. This warning serves as a call to deepen one's relationship with God, aligning one's life with His commandments and living out a faith that is both genuine and transformative. [25:49]
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21, ESV)
Reflection: How can you ensure that your relationship with Jesus is genuine and not just based on outward profession? What steps can you take to align your life more closely with His will today?
Quotes
In this session, what I want to do is to take us back to the 4th century and try to gain a deeper understanding of the significance of that distinction. I've already mentioned at least in passing about the phenomenon that we experienced in America in the decade of the 60s with the Advent of the so-called underground Church. [00:38:52]
Augustine would include in that little blip outside the visible Church people like the thief on the cross who was converted in his hour of death. He had no opportunity whatsoever to align himself with some visible institution. There was no opportunity for church membership or even for baptism as he hung on the cross in preparation of death. [04:01:56]
The reason for this distinction at this point is that Augustine said that the church is a body, a corpus, as we've already seen with the concept of the Corpus Christi, the body of Christ, but that it is a corpus per mixtum, that it is a mixed body. This was not a judgment that Augustine learned empirically or inductively. [08:37:44]
Jesus speaks of the condition of the church as including a mixture of Tears or weeds, if you will, that live and grow along with the wheat. In fact, though Christ institutes a process of church discipline that involves the expulsion from the membership of the visible Church those who are engaged in Gross and heinous sin. [09:42:56]
Jesus again indicated that it was clearly possible for people to make a profession of faith and do all of the things that are required by the visible Church to enter into her membership. A person can go through a communicant Class, give a credible profession of Faith, receive the sign of baptism, and do all of those things that are required for church membership. [12:43:24]
The invisible Church therefore is invisible to us; it's not invisible to God. Christ knows his sheep; he knows who are authentically his. He can read their hearts just as he read the thoughts of the woman of Samaria and of Nathaniel and all of that. God can read the state of your soul without seeing any external visible evidence of your faith. [14:22:24]
I remember when I first became a Christian and went home to my home church and I had a discussion in the drugstore one night with a friend of mine who had always been an outstanding student. Now he was working on a degree in science at Carnegie Mellon University, and he kind of prided himself in his academic skepticism. [15:13:28]
There are still pockets of our society where there are business advantages and social advantages and other kinds of advantages for being perceived by your neighbors and your fellows as an upstanding Christian. So there are still reasons in our society other than the right ones to give this pretext, and that's always been the case. [18:35:52]
From the first century to the 20th century, there's always been the clear and present danger of unbelievers present mixed together with the real Believers in the body of Christ. Those unbelievers may in fact be head of the church, the clergy of the church, the Bishops of the church, or whatever. That's always a serious possibility. [20:38:28]
There are dark moments in church history, Dark Ages, where the church falls into deep deep corruption and Disobedience so that churches become, as the scriptures suggest, synagogues of Satan where we are fortunate to find the remotest speck or presence of the invisible Church within the visible Church. [22:17:24]
Jesus ever gives, and that's his conclusion to The Sermon on the Mount when he says many will come to me saying Lord, Lord, and he says it's not everyone who says Lord, Lord who will enter the kingdom but those who do the will of his father. And again he says they will come and saying Lord, Lord didn't we prophesy in your name. [25:13:24]
John Calvin struggled with this distinction between the visible and the invisible, and he said yes, the hearts of the faithful are known only to God, but it is not as if the church is to be a corporation of H.G. Wells's invisible men. Calvin said that the task, the principal task of the invisible church is to make the invisible Church visible. [27:50:44]
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