TOS079 Truth about the Body of Christ For audio only PPN
Rick Brunner speaks to the confusion about the “Truth about the Body of Christ” on this episode of “Truth of the Spirit” hosted by Patti Brunner. Baptized Christians are in the body of Christ. Using the Catechism and scripture, Rick brings clarity to these points: 1) One Baptism, one Lord, for all; 2) The judgment will be for sin not denomination; 3) The duty of a Catholic, who has been given fullness of truth; 4) The duty of other Christians who have been given a portion of truth yet fullness of life through Baptism; 5) The difficulties that men who are different find in sharing truth when truth is not understood because of training; 6) One in the Spirit; 7) Teaching of the Church concerning salvation for separated brothers and sisters in Christ. He then will share some of his personal history with separated brothers and sisters in Christ when lack of truth and with truth.
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There is some confusion about who makes up the Body of Christ. Some of my brothers and sisters in faith are separated from the Catholic Church yet they are baptized, what does that mean to the Body of Christ? In our search for answers, we have found that the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Holy Word of God in the Bible have the answers. We’ll share them with you today on the “Truth about the Body of Christ”. I welcome today Rick Brunner, who is going to share some of his own experiences and the Truth of the Spirit.
You are listening to Truth of the Spirit hosted by Patti Brunner. Our guest is Rick Brunner.
1) There is One Baptism, one Lord, for all
866 The Church is one: she acknowledges one Lord, confesses one faith, is born of one Baptism, forms only one Body, is given life by the one Spirit, for the sake of one hope (Ephesians 4:3-5), at whose fulfillment all divisions will be overcome.
172 That’s why through the centuries the church has constantly confessed this one faith, received from the one Lord, transmitted by one Baptism, and grounded in the conviction that all people have only one God and Father.
249 From the beginning, the revealed truth of the Holy Trinity has been at the very root of the Church’s living faith, principally by means of Baptism. It finds its expression in the rule of baptismal faith, formulated in the preaching, catechesis, and prayer of the Church.
1267 Baptism makes us members of the Body of Christ: “Therefore we are members one of another.”(Ephesians 4:25) Baptism incorporates us into the church as one people of God of the New Covenant, which transcends all the natural or human limits of nations, cultures, races and sexes: “For by one Spirit were all baptized into one Body.”1st Corinthians 12:13
1271 Baptism constitutes the foundation of communion among all Christians, including those who are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church: For men who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in some, though imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church. Justified by faith in Baptism, they are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers -by the children of the Catholic Church. Baptism therefore constitutes the sacramental bond of unity – existing among all – who through it – are reborn.
681 On judgment day at the end of the world, Christ will come in glory – to achieve the definitive triumph of good over evil -which, like the wheat and tares, have grown up together in the course of history.
2) That brings up the second point – The judgment will be for sin – not denomination
682 When he comes at the end of time to judge the living and the dead, the glorious Christ will reveal the secret disposition of hearts – and will render to each man according to his works -and according to his acceptance of grace.
1059 The holy Catholic Church firmly believes and confesses – that on the Day of Judgment – all men will appear in their own bodies before Christ’s tribunal – to render an account of their own deeds.
No place in scripture – or the catechism – does it say that we will be judged – by what denomination we belong to. But we will be judged – by our deeds, both good and bad including what we have done – and what we have failed to do.
3) What is the duty of a Catholic, who has been given fullness of truth? “What is truth?”
2465 The Old Testament attests that God is the source of all truth. His Word is truth. His Law is truth. His “faithfulness endures to all generations.” Since God is “true,” the members of his people are called to live in the truth.
2466 In Jesus Christ, the whole of God’s truth has been made manifest. “Full of grace and truth,”hecame as the “light of the world,” he is the Truth. “Whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” The disciple of Jesus continues in his word so as to know “the truth that will make him free” and that sanctifies. To follow Jesus is to live in “the Spirit of truth,” whom the Father sends in his name and who leads “into all the truth.” To his disciples Jesus teaches the unconditional love of truth: “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes or No.'”
2467 Man tends by nature -toward the truth. He is obliged to honor and bear witness to it: “It is in accordance with their dignity – that all men, because they are persons . . . are both impelled by their nature and bound by a moral obligation – to seek the truth, especially religious truth. They are also bound to adhere to the truth – once they come to know it – and direct their whole lives in accordance with the demands of truth.”
2470 The disciple of Christ consents to “live in the truth,” that is, in the simplicity of a life in conformity with the Lord’s example abiding in his truth. “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth.
2471 Before Pilate, Christ proclaims that he “has come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. The Christian is not to “be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord. In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it without equivocation, after the example of St Paul before his judges. We must keep “a clear conscience toward God and toward men.”
Christ formed the Church to be the holder, the conveyor, and the protector of truth.
2472 The duty then of Christians – is to take part in the life of the Church which impels us to act as witnesses of the Gospel- and of the obligations that flow from it. This witness is a transmission of the faith in words and deeds. Witness is an act of justice that establishes the truth or makes it known. All Christians by the example of their lives – and the witness of their word, have an obligation – to manifest the new man which they have put on in baptism – and to reveal the power of the Holy Spirit – by whom they were strengthened at Confirmation.
4) What is the duty of other Christians who have been given a portion of truth – yet – fullness of life through Baptism?
819 Many elements of sanctification and of truth”273 are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: for instance “the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements.”274 Christ’s Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth – that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church. All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him, and are in themselves calls to “Catholic unity.”276
871 “The Christian faithful are those – who – inasmuch as they have been incorporated in Christ through Baptism, have been constituted as the people of God; for this reason, since they have become sharers in Christ’s priestly, prophetic, and royal office in their own manner, they are called to exercise the mission which God has entrusted to the Church to fulfill in the world, in accord with the condition proper to each one.”
872 “In virtue of their rebirth in Christ – there exists among all the Christian faithful – a true equality with regard to dignity and the activity whereby – all cooperate in the building up of the Body of Christ – in accord with each one’s own condition and function.”
5) Let’s look at the difficulties that men who are different- find in sharing truth – when truth is not understood because of training
When the truth is not fully understood – because of the different teachings and training people receive from their various backgrounds and denominations – we can understand why sharing truth with each other – can become more difficult. People are rooted in the beliefs that they were brought up with from their families and communities. Even in our Catholic faith there are sometimes difficulties in sharing our faith with each other – because of lack of proper training or because we are at different levels of knowledge and understanding in our progress towards the fullness of faith. And the result can be to share our faith wrongly causing division, but most often there seems to be a reluctance to share our faith and thus shield our ignorance out of pride and fear of revealing our limited knowledge of the faith.
But the greatest difficulty of men in sharing truth –when truth is not understood because of training is that the Body of Christ which is the church–has been split into various denominations resulting in disunity of the Body. “The continuity of the church – is the continuity of the Body of Christ on earth. You cannot separate an arm from a leg and thus you cannot act ‘independently’ from the body of Christ – Jesus is the head pure and simple. Those who step aside to abuse the body affect the remaining members. It is still one body but it is injured and repair has been delayed time and again through arrogance, false teaching and misguided affection for the law -and for the simplicity of the written word. As the Spirit healed the break – another reckless action would endanger the healing and it was delayed. Chronic illness set in and the body adapted to it with ‘antibodies’ in a state of constant attack – until a thick ‘callus’ was formed so that the body, without the fullness of repair, began to function as if it were healed – each ignoring the other, each concentrating on following the head –Christ- but without clear communication with the parts. Can an eye taste? Can a fingertip hear? No, and so the perfection planned by the Father was disrupted by the freewill of man –by the sinfulness of pride – and by the destruction of true unity.
820 “Christ bestowed unity on his Church from the beginning. This unity, we believe, subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose, and we hope that it will continue to increase until the end of time.”277
Christ always gives his Church the gift of unity, but the Church must always pray and work to maintain, reinforce, and perfect the unity that Christ wills for her. This is why Jesus himself prayed at the hour of his Passion, and does not cease praying to his Father, for the unity of his disciples: “That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be one in us,… so that the world may know that you have sent me.”278 The desire to recover the unity of all Christians is a gift of Christ and a call of the Holy Spirit.279 (2748)
821 Certain things are required in order to respond adequately to this call for Christian unity: (827, 2791)
1st—a permanent renewal of the Church in greater fidelity to her vocation toward unity;280
2nd—conversion of heart as the faithful “try to live holier lives”;281 I believe this is the key requirement to unity!
3rd—prayer in common, because “change of heart and holiness, along with prayer for the unity of Christians, should be regarded as the soul of the whole ecumenical movement, 282
4th—fraternal knowledge of each other;283
5th—ecumenical formation of the faithful and especially of priests;284
6th—dialogue among theologians and meetings among Christians of the different churches;285
7th—collaboration among Christians in various areas of service to mankind.286
822 Concern for achieving unity “involves the whole Church, faithful and clergy alike.”287 But we must realize “that this holy objective—the reconciliation of all Christians in the unity of the one and only Church of Christ—transcends human powers and gifts.” That is why we place all our hope “in the prayer of Christ for the Church, in the love of the Father for us, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.”288
6) We are One in the Spirit
As a body is one – though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves, or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13.
9/18/99 Only by allowing the Holy Spirit into our heart can we be joined with the Son. It is a meeting of our beings into one. This is the Body of Christ!
Jesus prayed “I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are one in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may know that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. John 17: 20-23
Have you been around other spirit filled people and felt a oneness with them? How about non-Catholic Spirit filled people? I have and the oneness and unity I feel with them is very strong and very similar to the unity I feel with the Catholic Spirit filled. Unity and oneness in the church will come about only through the Holy Spirit and the love among the people for each other and their God. Someday all barriers will be broken and unity will happen. It could happen in our lifetime.
7) Let’s look at specific teaching of the Church concerning salvation for our separated brothers and sisters in Christ.
First of all it is important to know that Jesus is Lord of all. In Acts 2:36 it says ‘therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus you crucified.” Through his resurrection and glorification God gave Jesus all the power in heaven and on earth and he was given the glorious title of “Lord”. And in Philippians 2:9-11 it says “God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him – the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord”.
Secondly it is also important to remember that we are One Body of Christ in Christ. It is the Presence of the Holy Spirit both within us and Jesus – that connects us into the one body of Christ. Jesus followed the Spirit’s lead and together with the Holy Spirit did the Father’s Will. The Power of the Most High dwells within you. Do not forget it. Do not forget Jesus. Do not forget the Father. Do not forget the Holy Spirit. Do not forget your brothers and sisters, and the saints. Are we one? YES! “One in faith, in Baptism, in the Life.” (Romans 8: 8-11)
Who is the Holy Spirit? – “The Holy Spirit is God connected to man. When you are “inspired” it is the Spirit speaking to your spirit.” It is an awesome thing to think that God dwells within you. Like a tabernacle within your heart God is present. When the Spirit came upon the apostles at Pentecost he unified the Body of Christ. Fire came upon them and their hearts burned within them. It is this fire that moves us to share our faith in Christ Jesus and to do the things that Jesus did.
Remember there is only one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called, one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4: 4-6
So what about our separated brothers and sisters in Christ? Do they have salvation too? Are they not part of the body of Christ?
818 First of all they cannot be charged with the sin of the separation – those who at present are born into these communities that resulted from such separation and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers…. All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; [let me repeat that, “All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ” –thus receiving salvation–] they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and – with good reason – are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church.”272 (1271)
819 “Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth”273 are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: “the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements.”274 Christ’s Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church. All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him, and are in themselves calls to “Catholic unity.”
Who belongs to the Catholic Church?
836 “All men are called to this catholic unity of the People of God…. And to it, in different ways, belong -or are ordered: the Catholic faithful, others who believe in Christ, and finally all mankind, called by God’s grace to salvation.” (831)
837 “Fully incorporated into the society of the Church are those who, possessing the Spirit of Christ, accept all the means of salvation given to the Church together with her entire organization, and who—by the bonds constituted by the profession of faith, the sacraments, ecclesiastical government, and communion—are joined in the visible structure of the Church of Christ, who rules her through the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops. Even though incorporated into the Church, one who does not however persevere in charity – is not saved. He remains indeed in the bosom of the Church, but ‘in body’ not ‘in heart.’” (771, 815, 882)
838 “The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety – or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter.”322 Those “who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church.”323
So our separated brother and sisters are really catholic, they just don’t know it and have a less than fullness of truth but have access to salvation because they profess the same Jesus as Lord, and the same baptism and are united with him in the same Body of Christ in Christ by the Holy Spirit that dwells within them.
My experiences with our separated brothers go back to when I was a kid and knowing almost nothing about my faith. I remember neighbor kids would make fun of our religion and say hurtful things that I couldn’t really defend. I remember some of our friends were not allowed to go to the movies or watch TV but they would sneak off to the movies with us sometimes on a Saturday afternoon. One time their mother found out about it and actually came into the theater and pulled them out embarrassing all of us. And later in high school I remember a neighbor friend across the street started dating my cousin, who was Catholic, and how his dad would beat him trying to prevent them from seeing each other simply because she was Catholic.
These stories go on and on. My mother, a non-Catholic, told us that when she was about to marry my dad her girl friends’ told her that she would have to sleep with the priest the first night after she was married. Mom later joined the Church after I started Catholic school. But one of the saddest moments is when my mother died and we had a Catholic funeral for her and some of her own family members refused to attend because it was in a Catholic church. I still have to continue to forgive them for that. But I truly do love my separated family members.
But at the same time my aunts and uncles were good people and strong in their particular faiths and I always enjoyed being around them.
I remember about some years ago when Patti and I were first baptized in the Spirit and became spirit filled my mom’s family recognized the change in us right away and they were sincerely glad for us – but found it difficult to believe that we would remain Catholic. But they were accepting of our conversion of heart and we actually began to pray with them and even laid hands on them for healing.
Our conversion led us to seeking God and truth more fully, especially reading and studying scripture and attending various conferences and seminars even some non-Catholic ones. But never once did we consider leaving the church. What we were learning just confirmed our faith and commitment to the Catholic Church.
But we did go where ever the spirit led us and so we attended numerous protestant conferences including the International Charismatic Bible Ministries conferences in Tulsa for several years, and attended Protestant Holy Spirit Revivals numerous times in Florida and Missouri. Wherever the Spirit was moving that’s where we wanted to go. We felt a unity with our brothers and sisters in the Holy Spirit and discovered that we had much more in common than we thought. And invariably they would get around to asking what church we attended and we were always proud to say SVdP Catholic church. They were always accepting but some of their reactions were really fun to watch.
Our biggest interaction with Protestants was with friends who had a small retreat center in Little Rock. We would gather there on weekends with them with about 20 others– usually split evenly between protestant and Catholic– and spend the weekends together praising God and studying and listening to his word and sharing in the gifts of the Spirit. We did this two or three times a year for 12 years until 2011 when we started our ministry at the Patriarch House.
We could easily see that unity was possible and could happen through the working of the Holy Spirit. But at the same time – there was recognition that we were not fully united. It was sad to know that they did not have the sacraments– mainly the Eucharist –or the Magisterium of the church to guide them. But the truth and love we were able to share was very powerful. Know this: truth is truth. And know also that God wants all his people to receive and accept salvation and to be truly one and fully united in him. Amen!
Thank you, Rick, for sharing with us the Truth about the Body of Christ. We are truly one in faith and in the Holy Spirit in the Body of Christ. You’ve been listening to Truth of the Spirit, I’m Patti Brunner and you can find out more about what Rick had to say on my blog on the PatriarchMinistries.com website. And we ask you to continue to watch by subscribing. It makes it very easy. It’s free. And be sure and come back next time for more, because with the Holy Spirit, there’s always more!
