The Rhetoric of Time
Exploring the Eternal and Immediate: Chapter 1 in "How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place"
I once heard a parishioner say, “I think there is tension in the church.” I agreed, but I told him that according to Scripture, there must always be some element of tension in the Church. Tension is built into the Church like the twitch of a living cell. Living things are always “tense:” moving, reaching, searching for light, stretching towards it, and, at times, shrinking from it.
Around them boomed the rhetoric of time.
— W. H. Auden (1907–1973) Kairos and Logos (1941)
No one has crafter better descriptions of the Church than the late Dr. Edmund Clowney:
“The Church, according to Scripture, is not a religious club, a voluntary association of like-minded Christians who cultivate friendship and engage in joint projects. It is rather the institution of Christ and of the Spirit, formed by his power and governed by His Word.”—Edmund Clowney (1917-2005)1
As there is polarity in time and eternity, or “the rhetoric of time,” as Auden put it, there is tension in our understanding of the Church, the Body of Christ. I would posit that the tension reverberates from the same two sources: now and then. The tension is what we see and think to be true versus what we cannot see and know to be true. We witness the Church as an institution connected through its various organs but existing, many times, in isolation from each other. A Presbyterian here and a Methodist there, a denomination called the Christian Reformed Church, and a province called the Anglican Church of North America. At times, these denominational communities interact with each other. Mostly, they stay in their own lanes. They are led by pastors and lay leaders who often disagree with each other (and sometimes themselves). The “saints,” viz., the People, or laos, are as reliably fallible as the clergy. We each know of or have lived through the pain of Church splits. There are things said that should not be uttered. There are divisions, bickering, and, in some instances, betrayal. All of this causes us to wonder who Paul was talking about when he wrote the introductory lines to the Ephesians:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:3-14 ESV).
And there is the tension. We see the Church as boys fighting on the school grounds at recess. The shabby little fellows come to class with bruises, torn shirts, dirty faces, and black eyes. “Alright,” the teacher begins, “Who started it?” But the boys are not even sure what the fight is about. And the sweet little lasses? Well, the little girls gather together to talk about other girls. The “cool girls” oust the “other” girls from the sorority of kickball, fingernail painting, the latest chat on fashion, or who likes whom. They stroll back into the class in cliques or tears. And so the teacher begins her lesson on “civics.” But her class is hardly civil. United in their school, the girls are divided within themselves.
We might similarly think of the Church: “A brawling bride” (as I heard it put through the years) walking down the aisle with her white dress covered with grit and grime. And the truth is all over the Bible. God’s people in the Old and New Testaments display lamentable behavior. At times, they are so much like the pagan nations around them that they adopt evil practices, looking so much like their unbelieving neighbors that some today say things like “God must have allowed polygamy. Look at David. Look at Solomon.” But God never condoned the practice. And those followers of the one true God who sought after these false gods and illicit practices paid a heavy price for their sins. So, the truth is, we would not even have a New Testament if the churches (i.e., the newly established Christian communities) were getting it all right. The Epistles are written to correct or even condemn problems in the Christian communities, i.e., the Church.
The unstable finite and the unmovable eternal project their versions of ourselves and, thus, the Church. Institutions, including ostensibly Christian ones, rise and fall. But the Church—the congregation of the faithful, the Bride of Christ, the Redeemed of Jesus Christ, by baptism of water and spirit (viz., in time and yet outside of time)—is established and cannot die though all hell rages against her and all manner of men seek to destroy her.
So, we will move forward and reflect on the challenge of living in the tension between our limited understanding of the eternal and our flawed perception of the present. I turn to Psalm 84 as a source of divine truth, recognizing my limitations in speaking about such mysteries and admitting my internal tensions: living in the rhetoric of time.
— Michael A. Milton, Passion Sunday 2024
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1. Edmund P. Clowney, The Church, ed. Gerald Bray, Contours of Christian Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1995), 58.
Questions for Reflection
The questions we provide are meant to assist the reader in applying the concepts and lessons presented in the section. Think of these questions as a guide that will lead you through a conversation between your spirit and the Lord or between your personal experiences and those of others.
1. Exploring the Tension Between the Visible and Invisible Church:
In light of the tension between the visible manifestations of the Church (with its denominational divides, human failings, and conflicts) and the invisible, eternal Church that stands united in Christ, how can believers navigate these waters to foster a more profound sense of unity and purpose within the body of Christ? Reflect on ways you have experienced or observed this tension and consider steps you might take to contribute to the unity of the Church despite its human imperfections.
2. The Role of Divine Grace Amidst Human Imperfection:
Considering the passages from Ephesians that highlight God's predestined plan for the Church, including redemption, adoption, and inheritance through Jesus Christ, how does understanding the depth of God's grace toward us influence our interactions within the Church, especially in light of its flaws and conflicts? Reflect on your experience of recognizing God's grace and how it impacted your view and involvement in the Church.
3. The Eternal Perspective on the Church's Purpose and Identity:
Given the metaphor of the Church as a "brawling bride" versus the redeemed and sanctified Bride of Christ, how can believers maintain an eternal perspective on the Church's divine purpose and identity amidst the challenges and divisions seen in the present? Reflect on how Psalm 84 and other scriptural promises can serve as a source of hope and guidance in understanding the true essence of the Church beyond its earthly struggles.
O Son, in whom my Soul hath chief delight,
Son of my bosom, Son who art alone
My word, my wisdom, and effectual might,
All hast thou spok’n as my thoughts are, all
As my Eternal purpose hath decreed:
Man shall not quite be lost, but sav’d who will,
Yet not of will in him, but grace in me
Freely voutsaft; once more I will renew
His lapsed powers, though forfeit and enthrall’d
By sin to foul exorbitant desires;
Upheld by me, yet once more he shall stand
On even ground against his mortal foe.1
— John Milton (1608-1674)
