Pro Unione Web Site - Full Text B-RC - Summons to Witness to Christ in Today's World

II. COMMON STATEMENT

4. This statement does not offer a summary of the individual sessions. It attempts, rather, to synthesize the discussions over five years and to articulate our shared response to the revelation of God in Jesus Christ as this has been given to us in the Bible and in the faith and practice of our respective communities.

A) Our witness to Christ

5. Our common witness rests on shared faith in the centrality of Jesus Christ as the revelation of God and the sole mediator between God and humankind (1 Tim 2:5). We come to know Jesus Christ through the Scriptures, especially of the New Testament, which we share in common as the source and sustainer of our faith. That knowledge is experientially confirmed by the internal witness of the Holy Spirit, is handed down by the community of believers, and is certified by the authoritative witness of the church throughout the ages. We are also aware that God set forth in Christ "the mystery of his will" (Eph 1:9). All human language is inadequate to express the mystery of God's grace and love manifested in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We strive, with Paul as our guide, to gain "insight into the mystery of Christ" (Eph 3:4).

6. The distinction between the person and the work of Christ, while helpful to later theology, does not capture the riches of the biblical testimony to Jesus Christ. The christological statements in the New Testament express the faith of individuals and groups. In their earliest forms such as we find in Paul's resurrection paradosis (1 Cor. 15:1-11) and in the "kerygmatic" speeches of Acts (e.g. 2:22-24; 3:14-16; 4:10-12; 10:40-43) Jesus is proclaimed as the one who God raised up (or made Lord and Messiah) for our sins or in whose name we are saved. The doctrine of the person of Christ cannot be separated from the message of the saving work which God accomplished in and through Christ.

7. The New Testament speaks of Jesus in different ways. The Synoptic Gospels present Jesus as the one who proclaims the advent of God's reign and enacts it in his ministry (Mk 1:14-15). He calls sinners to repentance (Lk 5:32) and conquers the power of evil (Lk 11:19f.). He takes the side of the sick and the marginal in his society (Lk 4:16-19). He gathers disciples who were to be with him and to be sent by him (Mk 3:13-15). He possesses a unique familiarity with God and teaches those who follow him to pray to God as Father (Mt 6:7-15) and to walk in loving trust in God's power and presence (Mt 6:25-33). He summons those who would follow him to love God and neighbor with whole heart, mind and soul (Mk 12:28-34) and gives his life as a ransom that others may be free (Mk 10:45).

8. The Gospel of John is a rich source for understanding Christ and its language and perspective gave shape to the christological formulation of the councils. It was written in order that people might believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing they might have life in his name (Jn 20:31). Jesus is presented as the Word who was with God from the beginning and through whom all things were made (Jn 1:1-3): This Word became flesh and dwelt among us so that his glory could be seen. He was full of grace and truth (Jn 1:14). Eternal life was to know the one true God and Jesus Christ whom God had sent (Jn 17:3). Access to this eternal life was by way of faith. The Christian was summoned to confess with Martha, "Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world" (Jn 11:27). Through the death and resurrection of Jesus the Holy Spirit was given for the remission of sin (Jn 20:22-23). Through the witness of the Paraclete the disciples were made witnesses to Christ (Jn 15:2627). Jesus in dying prayed for them that the Father keep them in his name and make them one (Jn 17:11).

9. Jesus is proclaimed as the one who descended from David according to the flesh and is designated Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead (Rom 1:4). He is also the suffering servant and the Son of Man who came not to be served but to serve (Mk 10:45). He is the Savior born for us in the city of David (Lk 2:11) and the one who, though equal to God, emptied himself, taking on the form of a servant, being born in human likeness (Phil 2:7).

10. The work of Christ is presented under a variety of metaphors such as justification (Gal 2:16; Rom 3:26-28; 5:18), salvation (2 Cor 7:10; Rom 1:16; 10:10; 13:11), expiation and redemption (Rom 3:2425; 8-:32) and reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18-20; Rom 5:10-11). These expressions point to the ontological, objective event wherein God has begun the restoration of a fallen humanity to relationship with himself and has inaugurated a renewal of creation through Christ's death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. The offer of salvation from God in Christ is received in faith which is a gift of God "who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim 2:4).

11. Discussion of our witness to Christ has revealed that our two communions are one in their confession of Jesus Christ as Son of God, Lord and Savior. The faith in Christ proclaimed in the New Testament and expressed in the first four ecumenical councils is shared by both of our churches. Our discussion uncovered no significant differences with regard to the doctrine of the person and work of Christ, although some did appear with regard to the appropriation of Christ's saving work. We believe that this communion of faith in Christ should be stressed and rejoiced in as a basis for our discussions of other areas of church doctrine and life, where serious differences may remain.

12. While affirming that the Scriptures are our primary source for the revelation of God in Jesus, we give different weight to creeds and confessional statements. Roman Catholics affirm that Sacred Scripture and sacred tradition "flow from the same divine wellspring" and that "the church does not draw her certainty about all revealed truths from the Holy Scriptures alone" ("Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation," 9). The faith of the church expressed in its creeds through the ages is normative for Catholics. Baptists, while affirming the creeds of the first four ecumenical councils and producing confessional statements in their history, do not hold them as normative for the individual believer or for subsequent periods of church life. For Baptists, Scriptures alone are normative.

B) The call to conversion

13. Jesus inaugurated his public ministry by announcing the advent of God's reign and by summoning people to be converted and to believe in the Gospel (Mk 1:14-15). He immediately summoned disciples to follow him (Mk 1:16-20). Saul, the persecutor of the early Christians, through a revelation of the gospel of Jesus becomes Paul the apostle to the Gentiles (Gal 2:1-10). The mystery of who Jesus is and what he did for us can ultimately be grasped only in faith and in the practice of Christian discipleship through hope and love (1 Th 1:3).

14. After his resurrection Jesus announced to his disciples that "repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations" (Lk 24:47). Before he departed from his disciples Jesus commissioned them to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe all that he commanded them (Mt 28:16-20). After Pentecost the disciples began to proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations (Acts 2:5-13). Under the guidance of the same Spirit that was given to the disciples at Pentecost, in its preaching and witness the Church strives to fulfil the mandate of Jesus and through the ages renews this proclamation of conversion and forgiveness.

15. Conversion is turning away from all that is opposed to God, contrary to Christ's teaching, and turning to God, to Christ, the Son, through the work of the Holy Spirit. It entails a turning from the self-centeredness of sin to faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. Conversion is a passing from one way of life to another new one, marked with the newness of Christ. It is a continuing process so that the whole life of a Christian should be a passage from death to life, from error to truth, from sin to grace. Our life in Christ demands continual growth in God's grace. Conversion is personal but not private. Individuals respond in faith to God's call, but faith comes from hearing the proclamation of the word of God and is to be expressed in the life together in Christ that is the church.

16. Conversion and discipleship are related to one another as birth to life. Conversion is manifested in a life of discipleship. In the Gospels Jesus summoned disciples to be with him and to share his ministry of proclaiming the advent of God's reign and bringing the healing power of this reign into human life. He also summoned them to be like him in taking up their crosses and in living in loving service to others. After Easter and Pentecost the early community continued to announce and spread the good news, and to witness to the saving power of God. Like Jesus, the disciples were persecuted, but through the gift of the Spirit they remained faithful and continued to proclaim the Gospel.

17. Throughout history God continues to summon people to follow Jesus, and by the gift of the Spirit and the power of faith the risen Lord continues his ministry. Discipleship consists in personal attachment to Jesus and in commitment to proclamation of the Gospel and to those actions which bring the healing and saving power of Jesus to men and women today. The disciple is nurtured by Scriptures, worship, prayer in all its forms, works of mercy towards others, proclamation, instruction and the witness of daily life. The church, which can be called a community of disciples, is gathered in the name and presence of the risen Christ. This community is summoned to share the gift it has received. The gift is thus a mandate for a tireless effort to call all people to repentance and faith. A community of disciples of Jesus is always a community in mission.

18. As Baptists and Catholics we both strive to "be converted and believe in the Good News" (Mk 1:14). Yet, conversion and discipleship are expressed differently in our ecclesial communions. Baptists stress the importance of an initial experience of personal conversion wherein the believer accepts the gift of God's saving and assuring grace. Baptism and entry into the church are testimony to this gift which is expressed in a life of faithful discipleship. For Catholics baptism is the sacrament by which a person is incorporated into Christ and is reborn so as to share in the divine life. It is always consequent upon faith; in the case of an infant, this faith is considered to be supplied by the community. Catholics speak of the need for a life of continual conversion expressed in the sacrament of reconciliation (penance) which in the early church was sometimes called a "second baptism." In both of our communions changes in church practice challenge us to consider more deeply our theology of conversion and baptism. In the recently instituted "Rite for the Christian Initiation of Adults," Roman Catholics affirm that the baptism of adults is the paradigm for a full understanding of baptism. In some areas of the world Baptists receive baptism at a very early age.

C) Our witness in the Church

19. "Koinonia of the Spirit" (Phil 2:1, cf. 2 Cor 13:14) is a helpful description of our common understanding of the church. Koinonia suggests more than is implied by English terms used to translate it, such as "fellowship" or "community." Based on the root idea of "sharing in one reality held in common," it was used in a variety of ways by early Christians. According to 1 Cor 1:9, Christians are "called into the fellowship of the Son," which means the same as being "in Christ" or being a member of the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:12ff.). As we participate in Christ, we participate in the gospel (1 Cor 9:23; Phil 1:5) or in faith (Philem 6) or in the Lord's Supper (1 Cor 10:16ff.). To share in the Supper is to share in Christ's body and blood (v. 21). Fellowship with Christ entails participation in his life (Rom 6:8; 2 Cor 7:3), sufferings (Rom 8:17; 2 Cor 7:3; Gal 2:19-20), resurrection (Col 2:12; 3:1; Eph 2:6), and eternal reign (Rom 8:17; 2 Tim 2:12). For Paul koinonia with the risen Christ is the same as koinonia with the Spirit (2 Cor 13:14) and with other Christians. This is more than a bond of friendship. All share together in the spiritual blessings of the Spirit and are thus obligated to help one another (Rom 12:13) in their afflictions (Phil 4:14) as well as in their blessings. In 1 John to be a Christian means to have koinonia with God — Father and Son (1:3, 6) — and with other believers (1:3, 7). The accent is placed on active participation — "walking" and "doing" — as an expression of this fellowship.

20. Discussion of the passages cited above led to the following conclusions: (1) that in and through Christ God has laid down the foundation of the church, (2) that koinonia both between God and human beings and within the church is a divine gift, and (3) that the Spirit effects the continuity between the church and Jesus. The uniting of a diverse humanity — Jews and Greeks, males and females, slaves and masters (Gal 3:28) — in one body could not have occurred on human initiative. It depended, rather, on God's action through Jesus Christ — dead, buried, and risen. We are now called into communion with God and with one another in the Risen One. God actually binds us together in an intimate fellowship through the Holy Spirit. God offers the Spirit as a gift to the whole community of faith to guide it and nurture it and bring it to maturity.

21. Koinonia, whether between God and humanity or among human beings, must be regarded as a gift of God. Though made "in the image of God," both male and female (Gen 1:27), to dwell in community, Adam, humanity, has ruptured the relationship with God and with one another that would make such community possible. God's longsuffering love alone sufficed to salvage a broken humanity, through Israel and, above all, through God's Son, Jesus Christ, the new Adam. In the Son God did for us what we could not do for ourselves. The free gift of God in Christ surpassed by far the effects of Adam's transgression (Rom 5:15-17).

22. The Spirit continues in the church the redemptive work God began in the Son. In baptism the Spirit unites the diverse members — Jew and Gentile, slaves and freeborn, male and female, and we could add, black and white, rich and poor, etc. — into a single body (1 Cor 12:12-13; Gal 3:28). The Spirit is the ground of every dimension of the church's life — worship, interior growth, witness to an unbelieving world, and proclamation of the gospel (Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-37). The Spirit apportions different "gifts" with which the members may build up the Body of Christ and carry out the mission of the church (1 Cor 12:4-11, 27-30; Rom 12:4-8).

23. Koinonia, which is at the heart of the church, is the result of the manifold activity of the Spirit. In the church there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit, and varieties of service, but the same Lord, and varieties of working, but the same God, and, though composed of many members, the church is the one body of Christ (1 Cor 12:4, Rom 12:5). When Baptists speak of church they refer primarily to the local congregation gathered by the Spirit in obedience and service to God's word. Catholics by church refer to the community of faith, hope and charity as a visible structure established and sustained on earth by Christ ("Dogmatic Constitution on the Church," 8). While both Baptists and Catholics admit the presence of Christ in the church (Mt 18:20; 28:20), they understand this in different ways. Catholics believe that the Church is a "society furnished with hierarchical organs and the Mystical Body of Christ (which) are not be considered two realities,... Rather, they form one interlocked reality which is comprised of a divine and a human element" (ibid.). Baptists affirm that the church is divine as to its origin, mission and scope; human as to its historical existence and structure.

D) Our witness in the world

24. The gift of faith we have received is a gift to be shared with others. Jesus was sent by God to proclaim the good news of God (Mk 1:14; cf. Lk 4:18; 7:22). He sent the Twelve (Mt 10:5ff.) and the Seventy (Lk 10:1 ff.) to carry the same message. After the resurrection he directed his followers to go into all the world and make disciples (Mt 28:1620) and commissioned them to be witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). The church has engaged in this task throughout its history.

25. Both Baptists and Roman Catholics respond to this summons through a ministry of evangelism or evangelization. Baptists typically emphasize free personal response of individuals to the gospel, often to the neglect of corporate responsibility. In more recent years, however, some Baptist groups have focused less on the individual and more on the corporate and social implications of evangelism/evangelization.

26. Roman Catholics apply the term "evangelization" to the "first proclamation" of the gospel to non-believers ("Apostolic Exhortation on Evangelization," 21) and also in the wider sense of the renewal of humanity, witness, inner adherence, entry into the community, acceptance of signs, and apostolic initiative. These elements are complementary and mutually enriching (ibid., 24). Christ is the center and end of missionary effort. Catholic emphasis upon incarnation, however, encourages a greater concern for "inculturation" than does Baptist emphasis upon redemption of fallen humanity from sin. It also opens the way for assigning sacraments a more prominent place in the evangelization task.

27. Recent ecumenical developments have led to increased appreciation by Roman Catholics and Baptists for each other and for other Christian bodies and may open the way to common witness. Documents of the Second Vatican Council and after speak of many factors uniting Catholics and Protestants: faith, baptism, sharing in the life of grace, union in the Holy Spirit, the Christian life, and discipleship. While Vatican II maintained that the church of Christ "constituted and organized in the world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church" ("Dogmatic Constitution on the Church," 8), it also acknowledged that "some, even very many, of the most significant elements or endowments which together go to build up and give life to the Church herself can exist outside the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church" ("Decree on Ecumenism," 3).

28. Baptists and Roman Catholics differ among themselves about salvation within non-Christian religions. The Second Vatican Council brought to an end the negative attitude toward them that had prevailed in the Church and made it possible to enter into dialogue with them about some of the common problems of the present which need global attention. The Council expressed its high regard for the manner of life, precept, and doctrines of these religions which "often reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men" ("Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions," 2). At the same time the Council made it clear that the Church "proclaims and is in duty bound to proclaim without fail, Christ who is 'the way, the truth and the life' (Jn 14:6), in whom men find the fullness of religious life and in whom God reconciled all things to himself (2 Cor 5:18-19)" (ibid.). Baptists have issued no major statements on salvation through other religions, but must construe the biblical pronouncement, "for there is no other name under heaven given among humankind by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12), in a rather strict fashion. They frequently cite also: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me" (Jn 14:6), and apply it in the narrow sense. Some Baptists, nevertheless, have engaged in dialogue or conversations with representatives of the other major world religions. Similarly, they discern the need for cooperation among world religions to solve urgent human problems.

E) Challenges to common witness

29. We respond to the summons to be heralds of the good news by proclaiming the name of Jesus to humankind in such a manner that people will be led to believe in Jesus Christ and to live as true Christians. As we strive to make our lives a witness of the faith that sustains us, certain issues emerge which are of common concern.

30. An important area of common concern is the language we use in speaking of our common witness. "Common witness" means that Christians, even though not yet in full communion with one another, bear witness together to many vital aspects of Christian truth and Christian life. We affirm that it embraces the whole of life: divine worship, responsible service, proclamation of the Good News with a view to leading men and women, under the power of the Holy Spirit, to salvation and gathering them into the Body of Christ.

31. Realizing that "for freedom Christ has set us free" (Gal 5:1), we seek ways that people may respond to the gospel in freedom and love. We also confess that competition and bitterness among Christian missionaries have often been a stumbling block for those to whom we seek to proclaim the Gospel. Often Christian missionaries are accused of "proselytism" which in both secular and religious circles has taken on the pejorative connotation of the use of methods which compromise rather than enhance the freedom of the believer and of the Gospel.

32. A historical overview shows that the understanding of "proselytism" has changed considerably. In the Bible it was devoid of negative connotations. A "proselyte" was someone who, by belief in Yahweh and acceptance of the law, became a member of the Jewish community. Christianity took over this meaning to describe a person who converted from paganism. Mission work and proselytism were considered equivalent concepts until recent times.

33. More recently the term "proselytism" in its pejorative sense has come to be applied by some to the attempts of various Christian confessions to win members from each other. This raises the delicate question regarding the difference between evangelism/evangelization and proselytism.

34. As Baptists and Catholics we agree that evangelization is a primary task of the church and that every Christian has the right and obligation to share and spread the faith. We also agree that faith is the free response by which people, empowered by the grace of God, commit themselves to the Gospel of Christ. It is contrary to the message of Christ, to the ways of God's grace, and to the personal character of faith that any means be used which would reduce or impede the freedom of a person to make a basic Christian commitment.

35. We believe that there are certain marks which should characterize the witness we bear in the world. We affirm: