Community's Role in Connecting Experiences to God's Glory Narrative
The community plays a vital role in connecting individual experiences to the broader narrative of God's glory, serving as a collective expression and reflection of divine attributes. This is evident from the Old Testament understanding of Israel's corporate identity to the New Testament's portrayal of the church.
In the Old Testament, the concept of holiness, which encompasses all of God's attributes, was intrinsically linked to the community of Israel [4]. God's "glory" is understood as the manifestation of his perfect person, nature, and character [4]. The covenant established with Israel meant that the entire people participated in God's holiness, a participation that brought with it specific ethical and ritual expectations [4]. The benefits and responsibilities of a relationship with God were realized within this communal context [2]. For instance, the community of Israel was expected to observe holiness, which was not merely an individual pursuit but a corporate endeavor [4]. The Psalms further illustrate this communal aspect, with the community ascribing all glory to the Lord in hymns of thanksgiving, confessing their faith that God would rescue them for the glory of his name [5]. This communal praise was envisioned to extend globally, with kings and nations eventually joining in to acknowledge the Lord's ways of truth and love as his glory fills the earth [6].
The New Testament continues to emphasize the community's role in manifesting God's glory. Jesus prayed that his followers would display the same glory he received from the Father, indicating a communal reflection of divine glory [3]. The Apostle Paul, in Ephesians, articulates that the church—comprising both Jews and Gentiles—is intended to be the "reflection and full expression of the glory of God" [1]. This suggests that the church, as a unified body, is the primary means through which God's glory is made visible in the world.
The early Christian community in Acts provides a practical example of this principle. Luke highlights a clear connection between personal faith and membership in the Christian community [8]. Life within this new community involved devotion to apostolic teaching, fellowship (Greek koinōnia, signifying a close mutual relationship and participation in life together), sharing, joy, and praise [8]. This communal life was not merely a social gathering but a context in which God's presence was evident, leading to the continuous growth of their number [8]. The community's shared experiences, including prayer, were integral to their corporate identity and their witness to God's work [8].
The glory of the Lord, particularly the glory of Jesus Christ, is understood to fill the earth, and the community's role is to acknowledge and proclaim this [7]. This includes recognizing the glory of Christ's person as divine and the glory of his office as Mediator [7]. The community, through its collective life and witness, contributes to the knowledge of this glory spreading throughout the world [7]. Thus, from ancient Israel to the early church, the community serves as the essential framework for understanding, experiencing, and expressing God's glory in a tangible way.
Sources
- Ephesians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ephesians 3:21: 3:21 The church—the community of believers, both Jews and Gentiles—is to be the reflection and full expression of the glory of God.”
- Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 12:6: 12:6 the whole assembly of the community: Both the benefits and the responsibility of a relationship with God are realized in community.”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 17:22: 17:22 The community of believers should display the same glory that Jesus displayed from the Father.”
- Leviticus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Leviticus 17:1: 17:1–26:46 This section deals with how the community of Israel was to observe holiness. Holiness does not describe one attribute of God among many. Rather, it is the sum of all attributes of his person, nature, and character (see study note on Exod 3:5). His “glory” is the manifestation of his perfect person, nature, and character (see Lev 9:6). God’s covenant with Israel meant that the people and the nation participated in God’s holiness. This holiness depended on Israel’s relationship with God. This relationship brought certain ethical and ritual expectations”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 115:1: Ps 115 In this hymn of thanksgiving for God’s blessings, the community ascribes all glory to the name of the Lord, who is the true source of hope and blessing. Meanwhile, those who trust in idols are greatly disappointed. The blessing of the Creator of heaven and earth extends to future generations (115:14), and especially to the priesthood (115:12). 115:1-3 The community confesses their faith that God will rescue them for the glory of his name.”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 138:4: 138:4-5 As the Lord’s glory fills the earth, the world’s population must willingly submit to him. Every king (cp. Ps 2) will join the community of praise as they hear the Lord’s ways of truth and love.”
- Habakkuk (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Habakkuk 2:13: For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,.... Of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ; of the glory of his person, as the Son of God, and truly God; which is essential to him, and underived; the same with his Father's, and what transcends the glory of all created beings; and of the glory of his office as Mediator, which itself is glorious and honourable: and this his glory lies in his fitness for it; in his faithful performance of it, and the honour given him by his Father upon it; as well as in the fulness of grace in him, which makes”
- Acts (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Acts 2:42: 2:42-47 Luke makes a clear connection between personal faith and membership in the Christian community. Life in this new community involved devotion to the apostolic teaching of God’s Word, fellowship, sharing, joy, and praise, and it resulted in the Lord’s continuing to add to their number those who were being saved. 2:42 fellowship: Greek koinōnia, a close mutual relationship and participation in life together. • At this stage, prayer probably included participation in the formal prayers of the Temple (see 3:1).”