Fr. Dale Matson
“Through the church, the
manifold wisdom of God might now be made known.” (Ephesians 3:10a, ESV)
"For this cause I bow my
knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in
heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of
his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That
Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in
love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length,
and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge,
that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able
to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the
power that worked in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus
throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." (Ephesians 3:14-21)
How fitting and proper
that this epistle reading was selected for the Feast Day of Gregory of
Nazianzus since St. Paul’s prayer includes the three Persons of the Trinity that
Gregory helped define and defend in the second ecumenical council (381). Note
also that St. Paul claimed that while he was the minister of the Gospel to the
Gentiles, the mysteries of God are revealed by God the Holy Spirit to the church. It is to the mystical body of Christ, the church, that God the Holy
Spirit reveals the mystery of unity of fellowship and truth. These mysteries
are spoken to the church by Apostles and Prophets BUT it is the church that
tests, weighs, and confirms what has been revealed. St. Paul himself warned ” but though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you
than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”
In the Catechism in the
Book of Common Prayer, the Church is described as “The Body of which Jesus
Christ is the Head and of which all baptized persons are members. It is called the People of God, the New
Israel, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, and the pillar and ground of truth.”
In Article XX (39 Articles) we read the
following concerning the church. "The church
hath power to decree Rites or Ceremonies, and
authority in Controversies of Faith: and yet it is not lawful for the church to ordain anything that is contrary to God’s Word written, neither may
it so expound one place of Scripture, that it be repugnant to another.
Wherefore, although the church is a witness and a keeper of Holy Writ, yet, as
it ought not to decree anything against the same, so besides the same ought it
not to enforce any thing to be believed for necessity of Salvation".
Finally, this is written
to the contemporary prophets and churches as a caution. New revelations do not
set the Word of God against itself. “The Old Testament is not contrary to the
New: for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to
Mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and Man, being both God
and Man” (Article VII) Although the Church is under the Word of God, it is the
one Holy, catholic and apostolic church that is and remains the steward of the
mysteries of God.
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