St. Cyprian and Ecclesiology

[PhilopateerMercurios]

It was St. Cyprian who said,"No one can take God as Father who does not embrace the Church as Mother."

I was wondering what thoughts you all might have on this...(NOTE: This is not a debate thread, just a sharing of ideas and opinions).

 

[BBAS 64]

Good Day, PhilopateerMercurios

Yes he said it:

But what a thing it is, to assert and contend that they who are not born in the Church can be the sons of God! For the blessed apostle sets forth and proves that baptism is that wherein the old man dies and the new man is born, saying, 'He saved us by the washing of regeneration.' But if regeneration is in the washing, that is, in baptism, how can heresy, which is not the spouse of Christ, generate sons to God by Christ? For it is the Church alone which, conjoined and united with Christ, spiritually bears sons; as the same apostle again says, 'Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify it, cleansing it with the washing of water.' If, then, she is the beloved and spouse who alone is sanctified by Christ, and alone is cleansed by His washing, it is manifest that heresy, which is not the spouse of Christ, nor can be cleansed nor sanctified by His washing, cannot bear sons to God....But as the birth of Christians is in baptism, while the generation and sanctification of baptism are with the spouse of Christ alone, who is able spiritually to conceive and to bear sons to God, where and of whom and to whom is he born, who is not a son of the Church, so as that he should have God as his Father, before he has had the Church for his Mother? But as no heresy at all, and equally no schism, being without, can have the sanctification of saving baptism, why has the bitter obstinacy of our brother Stephen broken forth to such an extent, as to contend that sons are born to God from the baptism of Marcion; moreover, of Valentinus and Apelles, and of others who blaspheme against God the Father; and to say that remission of sins is granted in the name of Jesus Christ where blasphemy is uttered against the Father and against Christ the Lord God?...For it has been delivered to us, that there is one God, and one Christ, and one hope, and one faith, and one Church, and one baptism ordained only in the one Church, from which unity whosoever will depart must needs be found with heretics" - Cyprian (Letter 73:6-7, 73:11)

Peace to u,

Bill

 

[qootle]

It was St. Cyprian who said,"No one can take God as Father who does not embrace the Church as Mother."

I was wondering what thoughts you all might have on this...(NOTE: This is not a debate thread, just a sharing of ideas and opinions).

Well it's an interesting thought, but not one that I agree with. Yes, when we are born again, the Most High God becomes our Father.

However, Ephesians 2:21 says that "We who believe are carefully joined together, becoming a holy temple for the Lord". Ephesians 4:4 continues that "We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future".

I haven't found any scriptures that indicate that the church is any believer's spiritual "mother" ... the Bible is clear that as believers, we are the church!

 

[JVAC]

It was St. Cyprian who said,"No one can take God as Father who does not embrace the Church as Mother."

I was wondering what thoughts you all might have on this...(NOTE: This is not a debate thread, just a sharing of ideas and opinions).

It was also St Cyprian who said, "If there was salvation outside of the Ark of Noah, then too there is salvation outside the Church" (St Cyprian, The Unity of the Catholic Church).

St Cyprian of Carthage had a very interesting ecclesiology that was brought about by his very unique circumstances of life. Not only was his church being persecuted by the roman empire, in Carthage, but he was also experiencing schismatics in the form of his own churchmen were seeking his expulsion from his See, and this because of an earlier flight during an intense bout of persecution. Even still his church in Carthage was suffering from heretical attacks on doctrine. It is very important to take into consideration all these aspects when reading Cyprians writtings, for it explains his desire for catholic unity, his hope for Rome, the only other latin see, to help him out, etc.

That being said, St Cyprian's claims dominated the the teachings on western ecclesiology for the next thousand years at least.

-James

 

[Outrider]

Cyprian's statement was undoubtedly based on Galatians 4:24-26 (ESV)
Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. [25] Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. [26] But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.

 

[Philip]

Cyprian's statement was undoubtedly based on Galatians 4:24-26 (ESV)

Why do you say that?

 

[Outrider]

It is the only reference in Scripture that depicts the Church as our mother.