Ang Kahalagahan At Misyon Ng Iglesia
Sinulat ni GREG F. NONATO
MARAMI ANG HINDI NAKABABATID kung ano ang tinatawag na Iglesia na itinuturo ng Banal na Kasulatan. Kung kanino ito at kung ano ang kahalagahan at misyon ng Iglesia ay ilan lamang sa mga katanungan ng marami. Minarapat naming talakayin sa isyung ito kung ano ang Iglesia na binabanggit sa Biblia at ang kahalagahan ng misyon nito. Aling Iglesia ito? Kanino ang Iglesiang ito? Ano ang tinatawag na Iglesia?
Ang tinatawag na Iglesia
Ano ang Iglesia? Ang Iglesia ay binubuo ng mga tao na tinawag mula sa kapangyarihan ng kadiliman upang ilipat sa kaharian ng Anak (Col. 1:13). Ang bumubuo sa Iglesia ay tinawag sa pamamagitan ng pangangaral ng ebanghelyo (II Tes. 2:14). Inutusan ni Jesus ang Kaniyang mga alagad na ipangaral ang ebanghelyo (Mar. 16:15), ang sumampalataya ay dapat bautismuhan (Mar. 16:16), upang maging bahagi ng isang katawan (I Cor. 12:13, New Pilipino Version). Ang mga binautismuhan ay idinaragdag sa Iglesia (Gawa 2:41, 47). Ang Iglesia ay binubuo ng mga taong pinangaralan ng mga salita ng Diyos, sumampalataya sa mga ito, at binautismuhan. Ang Iglesia ay binubuo ng mga tinawag sa isang katawan (Col. 3:15) na ang ulo ay si Cristo (Col. 1:18). Isa lang ang katawan (Efe. 4:4). Ang isang katawan ay ang Iglesia (Col. 1:18). Kaya, isa lamang ang tunay na Iglesia at ito lamang ang ililigtas.
Sinasangayunan ito ng iba’t ibang nagsuri ng Biblia:
Iisa ang Iglesia Ni Cristo ayon sa pangungusap mismo ni Cristo
“Thus far we have drawn these assertions from the words of the Savior: There is one Church (from the word “Church”), it is Christ’s (from the word “My”), and it is holy (from the promise, “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”). From this we conclude that there is one, holy Church of Christ …” (Forerunners of the Reformation: The Shape of Late Medieval Thought, p. 233).
Sa sariling pangungusap ni Cristo ay mayroon lamang iisang Iglesia Ni Cristo
“Up to this point it has been deduced from the Saviour’s words that there is (1) one church—namely, from the very word “church”; (2) that it is Christ’s church—from the word “my” … (Valiant for the Truth, p. 82)
Mayroon lamang isang Iglesia Ni Cristo
“ … There can be only one Church of Christ. Christ said: ‘I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me. … And other sheep I have that are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd’ (John 10:14, 16) …” (Roman Catholicism, p. 285)
“There is but one Church of Christ.” (The Credo of the People of God, p. 136)
“Bakit iisa lamang ang tunay na Iglesya ni Kristo? Sapagka’t iisa lamang ang Iglesyang itinatag ni Kristo.” (Katesismong Kristiyano, p. 15)
“ … True there is only one Church of Christ. She alone is the body of Christ and without her there is no salvation …” (The Spirit of Catholicism, p. 192)
Iisa lamang ang Iglesia Cristiana sa buong mundo at ito ang Iglesia ni Cristo
“At the turn of this century, theologian John Murray wrote: ‘Ideally there ought to be only one Christian Church throughout the whole world, the Church of Christ, one in doctrine, one in worship, one in government, one in discipline.” (Monthly Moody, September 1984, p. 28)
Kinikilala ng Katoliko at Protestante na iisa lamang ang Iglesia ni Cristo
“Evangelicals and Catholics are brothers and sisters in Christ … We recognize that there is one Church of Christ.” (Protestant and Catholics, Do They Now Agree?, p. 135)
Ang Iglesiang ito na espirituwal na katawan ni Cristo ang tangi Niyang ililigtas (Efe. 5:23) sapagkat ang Iglesia ang tinubos ni Cristo ng Kaniyang dugo (Gawa 20:28). Dahil dito ang mga tinawag na mga kaanib sa Iglesia ay Kaniyang inaring ganap (Roma 8:30). Wala na silang hatol o hindi na sila hahatulan sa araw ng paghuhukom (Roma 8:1). Sila ang ipinakipagka-isa kay Cristo (I Cor. 1:9, Magandang Balita Biblia). Ang mga nasa Iglesia ay ang mga tinawag—hindi sa ikarurumi kundi sa pagpapakabanal (I Tes. 4:7). Kaninong Iglesia? Sinabi ni Jesus kay Pedro: “Sa ibabaw ng batong ito ay itatayo ko ang aking iglesia; …” (Mat. 16:18). Ang salitang “aking” ay nagpapakilala na si Cristo ang nagmamay-ari sa Iglesia. Ang ganitong pagpapakahulugan ay matuwid lamang sapagkat ang Iglesia ay katawan at ang katawang ito ay kay Cristo sapagkat siya ang ulo ng Iglesia (Col. 1:18).
Makatuwiran din na tawagin ito ni Apostol Pablo na Iglesia ni Cristo sapagkat si Cristo ang nagmamay-ari sa Iglesia. Sinasangayunan ito ng mga awtoridad sa iba’t ibang relihiyon:
“The Church is the body of Jesus Christ. Eph. 1:22, 23. The idea of ownership is absolute here. As a man’s body is his own not another’s, so the church is the church of Christ and not of another.” (The Church in the Bible, p. 349)
“The church wore the name of Christ. Speaking of the various congregations, Paul wrote, ‘The churches of Christ salute you’ (Romans 16:16).” (The Church of the Bible, pp. 22)
“All Christians ought to be members of one church, for there is but one foundation, which is Christ. And the name of this body originates from its head, which makes it “the Christian Church or the Church of Christ.” (The Stone-Campbell Movement: An Anecdotal History of Three Churches, p. 88).
“In regard to Mt. 16, 18, St. Cyprian speaks of the building of the Church by Christ, and designates the Church the ‘Church of Christ’ and the ‘Bride of Christ’.” (Fundamentals of Catholic dogma, p. 274)
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. The Gospel speaks here of the Church of Christ, its faith and its foundation and authority. The Church is referred to by the words, ‘will build my Church …’” (Forerunners of the Reformation: The Shape of Late Medieval Thought, p. 231)
“ … Christ predicted the founding of a new congregation or church, a divine institution that should continue his work on earth. Matt. 16:18. This is the church of Christ, which came into existence on the Day of Pentecost.” (Knowing the Doctrines of the Bible, p. 349)
“He conferred authority in the Church; explained the importance of designating the organization by its proper name—The Church of Christ; …” (The Great Apostasy, p. 12)
Ang Iglesia Ni Cristo ang iisang tunay na Iglesia na itinatag ni Cristo na dapat aniban ng mga tao upang sila ay maligtas sa parusa ng Diyos sa araw ng paghuhukom (Juan 10:9, Revised English Bible, Gawa 20:28, Lamsa Translation). Ito ang kahalagahan at misyon ng Iglesia.
Pasugo God’s Message/August 2014/Volume 66/Number 8/ISSN 0116-1636/Pages 44-45
