In his book, “The Baptized Body” Peter Leithart points out the problem in speaking of the Church as both a visible and invisible reality. The reason, is the implication that while there is a visible manifestation of the Church, the TRUE Church is ultimately an invisible reality. The argumentation is that because not everyone part of the visible Church will be numbered among the elect, and because only God knows who his elect are, the true Church is really invisible to us. It seems to make conceptual sense. However, as Leithart points out, what do we make of the fact that the Church is called “the Body of Christ?” If, as many Protestants would say, the true Church is invisible, how do we account for the language of “Body?”—a tangible, physical, VISIBLE reality.

Without intending it, those who promote the idea of an invisible Church fall into the same Gnostic Docetist heresy that would suggest that Christ only “appeared” physical, but in actuality was in fact something more akin to spiritual realities, like a phantom. The Docetists wanted to maintain the reality of Christ apart from any real physical reality. This is the same heresy when the Church is spoken about as “visible” and “invisible”—the implication being that the TRUE Body of Christ is the invisible reality, not the physical one.

Leithart convincingly argues against this heresy by pointing out that the Church should be spoken of in relationship to time rather than as “visible” and “invisible.” He does this by proposing two phases of the Church: the historical Church and the eschatological Church. In both cases, the Church is entirely visible. The difference, however, is the difference that those in heresy have attempted (poorly) to make: that not all those who are part of the current visible Church will be numbered among the elect. Leithart—along with myself—affirm that reality. In fact, all orthodox Christians affirm that not all baptized believers will be glorified. Apostasy is a real and dangerous reality. However, what this distinction draws out quite well, is that at the end of the day, the glorification of the Church is a future reality, and because that glorification is future to us, the current manifestation of the Church is history is one in progress.

The problem with Rome and the East, and their claims to being the one, true Church, is that they seem to be conflating the historical Church with the eschatological Church. Within the historical Church you have heresy, schism, false converts, etc. In other words, you have the presence of sin—sometimes sin that is serious enough to cut one from Christ. This does not mean, however, that the people who commit these grievances cannot be considered as having been part of the body of Christ. That would be placing the eschatological Church in the present and ignoring the nature of the historical Church. For example, if you and I fall into sin on an individual level, it doesn’t follow that you and I are not part of Christ’s body. Christ came to save sinners, not the righteous. Therefore, sin is part of the ongoing nature of the historical Church. That being said, the historical Church, like the individual Christian, is undergoing sanctification from all of her imperfections. This will result eventually in the eschatological Church: the Church made perfect at the last day.

To claim to be the one true Church protected from error is to conflate the historic Church with the eschatological Church. This claim ignores the necessity for inward, progressive transformation. However, it is also a mistake—a heresy even—to speak of the true Church as invisible. This minimizes the physical and visible nature of Christ, and once again misses that the historical Church is in progress unto glorification.

The proper way to speak of the Church is to speak of her as visible, tangible, physical, and real at every stage of history. This can be done while at the same time accounting for the issues found in her today, and accounting for the fact that not all who are united to Christ through her will be glorified. This takes seriously the possibility for apostasy.

In closing, don’t rush the eschaton by looking for a glorified bride here and now; but at the same time, don’t make the bride to be invisible to make up for the sin and apostasy currently characterizing her. Instead, recognize that through baptism, you are united to the Body of Christ, a body that is being saved, being cleansed, and being purified until glorification. The Church, like the new creation, has an already/not yet reality attached to her. If we miss that, we fall into error. There is only one, true, Church and she is entirely visible, despite her current imperfections that by the grace of God will be cleansed so she stands as a purified, perfect, and blameless bride on the last day.

Bibliography:

Leithart, Peter J. The Baptized Body. Canon Press, 2007.