Do we cherish the Church because she is ancient or because she is new?
Q552 · The Church and Daily Renewal
Origen says, “But do not think that these words are spoken only to that ‘Israel’ which is ‘according to the flesh’ (cf. 1 Cor. 10:18). These words are addressed much more to you who were made Israel spiritually by living for God, who were circumcised, not in flesh, but in heart.”1107
The Church of the New Testament inherited all that the Church of the Old Testament had enjoyed, not literally but spiritually. In his description of the Church of the Old Testament, Paul the apostle said, “to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises” (Rom. 9:4). Confirming that all these privileges were inherited by the Church of the New Testament, because of her faith in the Lord Christ, he says, “They have all those promises …”1108 The Church is new because of her life in Christ, receiving the work of the Holy Spirit, who unceasingly renews our minds and lives. The Church is also very ancient because she existed in God’s mind who planned our salvation from before the foundation of the world.
Origen says, “I would not have you suppose that ‘the bride of Christ’ (Rev. 21:2) or the Church is spoken of only after the coming of the Savior in the flesh, but rather from the beginning of the human race, from the very foundation of the world; I may follow Paul in tracing the origin of this mystery even further, before the foundation of the world. For Paul says, ‘He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy …’ (Eph. 1:4–5). The Apostle also says that the Church is built on the foundation not only of the apostles but also of prophets (Eph. 2:20). Now Adam is numbered among the prophets, and he prophesied the ‘great mystery in respect of Christ and the Church’ when he said; ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife and the two shall be in one flesh’ (Gen. 2:24). For the apostle is clearly speaking of these words when he
1105 Origen, Origen: The Song of Songs, Commentary and Homilies 3.13 (ACW 26:237).
1106 Origen, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew 12:11 (Cf. ANF 4:457).
1107 Origen, Homilies on Exodus 8.1 (FOTC 71:130).
1108 Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty, The Church, the House of God , rev., Nabieh Fanous, Riad Habib, Nermine Morcos, Mary Hanna, and Lilian Hanna (Sporting, Alexandria: St. George’s Coptic Orthodox Church, 1994): pp. 7–8.
says: ‘This mystery is great; but I am speaking in respect of Christ and the Church’ (Eph. 5:32). Further the apostle also says: ‘For He so loved the Church that He gave Himself for Her, sanctifying her with the washing of water’ (Eph. 5:25–26) … And in this He shows that it is not the case that she did not exist before. For how could He love her if she did not exist? Without doubt she existed in all the saints who had been from the beginning of time. Thus loving the Church, He came to her. And as His ‘children share in flesh and blood, so He also was made partaker of these’ (Heb. 2:14) and gave Himself for them. For these saints were the Church, which He loved so as to increase it in number, to improve it with virtues, and by the ‘Charity of perfection’ (Col. 4:6), transfer it from earth to heaven.”1109
1109 Origen, Origen: The Song of Songs, Commentary and Homilies 2.8 (ACW 26:149f.).