The paradox of the visible/invisible church
One of the biggest challenges I’ve experienced with church is the overlap between the spiritual and the physical. Ideally, everything in church is a spiritual matter. However, there are lots of places that physical separates from the spiritual at its core. What color should the song books be? Should we have song books? What type of ministry staff should we have? How should our church organization function? These may be tied to spiritual matters, and they may support spiritual function, but in and of themselves these are not spiritual issues to be resolved.
The author of Hebrews, whoever he or she is, illustrates this convergence in chapter 12 when discussing the new assembly that Christians have come to. Specifically, 12:22-23 says:
You have come… to the church of the firstborn whose names are written in heaven.
There is something conceptual in this passage to process about church. Church exists simultaneously in two spheres: visible and invisible. There are visible manifestations of church, such as humans that are currently on earth being a part of it. Then there are invisible parts of church, which would be similar to the names being written in heaven. A good majority of the manifestations overlap, or co-exist on the visible and invisible plane at the same time. There are some aspects of the invisible church, however, that those in the visible sphere will not see, and there are some parts of the visible church that do not correlate to the invisible.
In getting my head around this, I’ve started to borrow Wayne Grudem’s understanding that the visible church is the church as man sees it and the invisible church is the church as God sees it. Thinking of it in this way helps me figure out where this whole church leadership thing is going anyway. Our job is to make the visible look and act as much like the invisible as possible. This, of course, is an impossible task.
And this is where much of the conflict in church comes from. The gap between the visible and the invisible is where the discrepancies are revealed, and is the location of the sparks that set churches ablaze.
Historically, there have been some significant debates/fights/conflicts over invisible church type issues. Was Jesus really God’s son? Is baptism necessary for salvation? How does the trinity affect the church on earth? In recent times (last 50-100 years?), though, a vast majority of our conflicts and issues have been over visible church type things. The sad thing is, issues that affect the visible church negatively eventually have an effect on the invisible as well. How many people have you heard say they were tired of church? How many do you know whom have left Jesus because they found His church to be corrupt? The damage is significant.
So, how do we work in the visible church so that the invisible is emphasized and advocated for? More difficult, how to we act when we’re thinking about the invisible church and people around us are focused on the visible? That’s a tough one to work through.
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Brad Palmore
Brad,
I’ve struggled grasping this and recently have found some resolution in seeing and promoting the visible realm as a subset of the invisible. Seeing the “Kingdom of God” (visible and invisible) for what it is, helps me understand that the Church is a current, physical manifestation of the Kingdom. I guess I would say that the church is a subset of the kingdom.
As for how we work so that the invisible is emphasized more… I think there has to be significantly more stressing of the invisible as opposed to just the visible. Spiritual warfare is an excellent example of this. Because of my thoughts about “the miraculous,” I used to advocate that angels, Satan, and evil entities were incapable of inhabiting our realm. The thought was incongruous with my thoughts about one matter. But then in hit me…Why does Paul say “We wrestle not against flesh and blood…”? I had no answer. Something is going on, that I can’t necessarily see, and yet I am a part of it. So I accept it on faith. Consequently, I took a man to a hotel and purchased a room for him last night because of Hebrews 13:2. You just never know, but I think I’ve come a long way to a better understanding of how the visible is wrapped up in the invisible. Faith leads the way!
Great comment, Doug. Thanks!
I grasping the concept of visible vs. invisible also helps us maintain focus. If we monitor ourselves, we can point out when we’re focusing on the wrong things.
Hi Brad,
Great post. My entire life is dedicated towards trying to make the visible positive and therefore increase the invisible concepts. We do this through a network of non-denominational micro-churches (churches of Christ) that meet in pizzerias and Starbucks and nursing homes, and apartments.
By the way, your name intrigues me. I once had a DJ named Bad Brad call me a derogatory name while he was broadcasting on the radio. It wasn’t you was it? If so, congratulations on your conversion from DJ to minister.
: )
Yours in Christ,
Brian
@casadezach
Thanks for stopping by. I’ve been a lot of things, but never a DJ.
Very interesting post. I am 60 years old and was raised Church of Christ. I left the church when I was 18 because our elders and men could not come to terms with this concept. I never could understand why we didn’t have musical instruments (not even a pitch pipe) or a kitchen or community programs. Anything other than Sunday and Wednesday worship was done at a member’s house. And heaven forbid if two congregations should decide to join together to further a particular ministry.
Brad, it sounds like you have a very progressive family there.
There are lots of people that share your story, Alan. It sounds like you were a part of a particularly legalistic sect within the Churches of Christ. There are many variations between churches, some of them extremely different.
Have you found another church home outside of the church of Christ?
I didn’t realize my previous post would immediately show up on the blog. I guess I should note that although I have never met a Palmore I couldn’t trace our genealogy back to a common ancester, I live in California and Brad and I do not know each other.
I think you posted once before. Once I approve you the first time, your subsequent posts publish immediately.
I think you found me on facebook or Plaxo first. I’m sure we’re related somehow, just don’t know how.
I think welding the visible and the invisible is difficult because humanity is involved. I have no real input, but I am enjoying this study with you. It is giving me a lot to think about.
Good stuff, Brad. This is also my understanding of what Jesus meant when he prayed “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.” The people of his day were having trouble visibly representing and re-creating concretely the reality of heaven. He, however, shows us how since in him heaven and earth collide.
Outstanding post Brad!
I enjoyed this read.
Keep up the great work.