Mothers naturally play an integral and indispensable role in the dynamics of children knowing their father. Think about it for a moment. Without the mother, upon conception, a child will not survive. Without the nurture, provision and security of the mother conceived life will not endure. Even after birth the mother's natural provision of breast milk is absolutely necessary for survival. It is only when these basic provisions of a mother are available and enjoyed that life thrives. A child, or new life, NEEDS these provisions or resources in order to live. If the mother isn't in the equation the father never will be. When a child is deprived of these resources or basic provisions, that life will not proliferate. When this happens the child will never thrive, develop or mature to a place of consciousness whereby that child will come to KNOW their father.
This is analogous to the relationship of the children of God the Father with their Mother - The Local & visible church. Or in Augustin's phraseology, "Thy Church, the mother of us all." (Confessions, Book I, Chap.XI,17). Without the nurture, provision and security of the local church as mother the children of God will not know Father God as they ought because they will not be partaking of their mother's provision. To be a bit more explicit, it is impossible to know Father God unless the church is your mother. As Cyprian of Carthage wrote (3rd century A.D.):
“You cannot have God as your Father unless you have the church for your Mother"
After all it is through Mother Church's proclamation of the Gospel that God uses as an outward call to bring us to new life. And it is through the Mother Church's provision et al that we are raised as Father God's adopted children. As John Calvin wrote in his Institutes:
"For there is no other way to enter into life unless this mother [local, visible church] conceive us in her womb, give us birth, nourish us at her breast, and lastly, unless she keep us under her care and guidance, until, putting off mortal flesh, we become like the angels in heaven (Matt. 22:30). Our weakness does not allow us to be dismissed from her school until we have been pupils all our lives" (IV.1.iv)
The primary biblical emphasis of the church being understood this way is in terms of the local, visible, physical & organized expression of CHURCH. It's imperative to understand this crucial biblical distinction related to the aforementioned. Many claim participation or membership in the universal or invisible church. This is a biblical category that basically refers to all who believe in Christ past, present and future regardless of locality or proximity. Scripture clearly affirms the universal/invisible church. However, it is scant compared to the attention the local church receives. The true or invisible/universal church WILL worship locally.
To put it plainly, without going into the minutiae of biblical evidence which is beyond cavil, all of Scripture - or each of the 66 books in the bible - is written to a localized people who physically worship together daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and so on. Even the genre of letters intended to be circular are circulated in a region consisting of organized local church's - be they city churches or house churches (Hebrews possibly being an exception).
Mother Church is where we grow in the grace of Christ. She enables us to grow in our knowledge of God the Father as revealed in Christ Jesus. She encourages us, strengthens us, suffers with us, mourns with us, informs our faith, teaches us, corrects us, comforts us, protects us...She promotes and imparts life. It is through Mother Church that the manifold wisdom of God is made known (Eph.3:10). It is through Mother Church that Father God receives glory (3:21).
Mother Church is where we grow in the grace of Christ. She enables us to grow in our knowledge of God the Father as revealed in Christ Jesus. She encourages us, strengthens us, suffers with us, mourns with us, informs our faith, teaches us, corrects us, comforts us, protects us...She promotes and imparts life. It is through Mother Church that the manifold wisdom of God is made known (Eph.3:10). It is through Mother Church that Father God receives glory (3:21).
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