“The most important role of a church today is reconciliation.'
Evaluate this statement. In your answer you should
• refer to Christian teaching
give developed arguments to support this statement
give developed arguments to support a different
point of view
• reach a justified conclusion

“The most important role of a church today is  reconciliation.'

We can reconstruct this statement a little as "The most important role of the Church today is reconciliation."   This reconstruct is necessary in order to put the subject in perspective.  A church is a building or a branch of the Church.  The Church is the institution, the spouse of Jesus Christ, founded on the Rock (St. Peter).

The Church was founded by Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ's mission on earth was to reconcile humanity with the creator of the universe, God the Father.  When Adam and Eve, our biblical first parents fell from grace and surrendered their authority to Satan, God promised to send a messiah who would reconcile man back to God's presence and grace.

After Jesus had finished his work of redemption, to continue the Father's salvific work in creation, he instituted the Church built on the foundation of the apostles, and handed the key to the kingdom of God to Peter.  He also commissioned the apostles in these words: "Go out into the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

In the gospel of John 20: 21 - 23, Jesus said "... as the Father sent me, so I send you."  22: "Receive the Holy Spirit."  23: "If you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."  These prove that his reconciliation mission has been entrusted to the Church.   According to the Joyful Heart Foundation, there is a difference between forgiveness and reconciliation, "Reconciliation is the final step in the forgiveness process." The Church must continue to engage in and discharge this mandate of reconciliation among Christians, with other people, with creation as a whole, and with God.

Some have argued that this is not the most important role of the Church.   They postulate that Jesus Christ had completed the work of reconciling the world to himself.  Yes, as God he had completed his reconciliation mission.  But, the Church exists to perpetuate and make present this reconciliation in every generation and age.  Have we forgotten that St. Paul said, "... and he has entrusted to us the message of reconciliation," in 2 Corinthians 5: 18 - 19.  This statement of St. Paul implies that Christians (the Church) must continue the work of reconciliation.  God started the work of reconciliation in Jesus Christ as God.  Man who first sinned has been entrusted with the task to continue the ministry of reconciliation.

Explanation:

2 Corinthians 5: 18 - 19: "18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."

In Corinthians 5:18-20 Paul tells us that God has given us the ministry of reconciliation. He calls us 'Christ's ambassadors' to share the message of reconciliation with others. This is our call to witness to those who are not yet reconciled to God through the cross.

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