United in Christ: The Reformation Renewal of an Ancient Faith
Reoriented by the Reformation
In our current theological environment, Anglicanism seems to be a hot new trend among Evangelical Christians. I would argue that this comes largely from a desire for more structure and a connection to the historic church. And this is a good thing! I actually wrote about my own journey from Baptist to Anglican here at Anglican Compass. I found my way into this tradition through historic doctrines such as the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and maintaining the historic episcopate.
Because of this movement towards historical Christianity, however, it can be tempting within the Anglican Church (especially those of us with Anglo-Catholic leanings, myself included) to view our upholding of traditional catholic practices with praise while regarding our historical ties to the Reformation as a moment of theological weakness. However, our ties to the Reformation are nothing to be ashamed of, but rather a necessary reorientation towards the catholic and apostolic faith.
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Salvation in Christ Alone
In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus reveals an important biblical truth that is just as pertinent today as it was at the time of the Reformation: it is Christ that unites us to his church, not the church that unites us to Christ.
John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
Mark 9:38-41
John comes to Jesus with concerns about a person who was casting out demons in Jesus’ name but was not a follower of the disciples. Instead of affirming the disciples’ attempt to stop the person, Jesus instructs John not to stop them, reminding John that their shared love for Christ and desire to serve him unite them with one another despite their differences. Or, as Christ put it: “For the one who is not against us is for us.”
Now, this is not to downplay theological differences. Christ did not tell John that doctrine does not matter or that the Apostles’ authority was merely symbolic. However, Jesus did tell John that their lack of theological unity was, in a way, superseded by their spiritual unity in Christ.
This teaching brings us to a hallmark doctrine of the Reformation: we obtain salvation through Christ Alone (Solus Christus). Article 18 states it like this:
They also are to be had accursed that presume to say, That every man shall be saved by the Law or Sect which he professeth, so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that Law, and the light of Nature. For Holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the Name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved.
This article affirms the teaching from Scripture and from Jesus himself in Mark 9 that union with Christ alone is sufficient for our salvation. Sound teaching and authority certainly guide and lead us in truth, but they alone can not save us. Only genuine faith in Christ brings us out of death and into eternal union with him (Romans 10:9, John 14:6). We must only repent of our sins and turn to Christ to receive salvation. This does not mean that the church is unnecessary, but it does mean that the salvific grace of Christ transcends what we see as the visible walls surrounding his church.
The Thirty-Nine Articles and the Invisible Church
The Anglican doctrine of the church complements its teaching of salvation. Article 20 says this of the church:
The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ’s ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.
Since the time of the Reformation, there has been a debate within the Anglican tradition regarding what exactly fits into this category of the visible church. Specifically, debate exists around whether bishops are required for sacraments to be “duly administered.” Regardless, there is an essential biblical truth we can gather from reading Articles 19 and 20 in concert. The church is bigger than what we can visibly see. God’s grace to his people transcends the ecclesial (or denominational) categories that we comprehend, even within the minds of his Apostles.
It is true that the visible church is an essential body ordained by Christ himself. However, it is also true that union with Christ transcends the visible structures of his church. Some call this the invisible church, especially those in Reformed and Evangelical traditions.
The Beauty of the Via Media
Today, we can take this truth for granted. Since the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s, even Roman Catholics have become more comfortable with ideas such as the reality of an invisible church and salvation (or justification) being found in Christ alone. However, these biblical teachings were a major dividing point between many Roman Catholics and Reformed Christians during the Reformation. In the medieval period, it was a common belief that visible communion with the church, specifically the pope, was a prerequisite for salvation.
As Anglicans, we should praise God that our forebears stood up for these biblical truths under persecution, with many risking their lives in the process. The beauty of the via media (middle way) is that Anglicans preserved the riches of the catholic tradition while trimming the fat of dangerous accretions that strayed from the catholic and apostolic faith once delivered (Jude 1:3).
Now, when a return to tradition is the hot trend, we can (and should) celebrate our preservation of the catholic faith while, at the same time, expressing gratitude for the work done by those before us to reform the church where Scripture commands. While we continue the good work of preserving and defending the doctrines of the faith, let us remember to work charitably with all who proclaim Christ and serve him with their lives, affirming with Christ himself that those who are not against us are for us.
Photo: University Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Oxford, by Txllxt TxllxT, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Digitally edited by Jacob Davis.
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