Christianity: The Tangible and Non-tangible

Jesus began, "repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," or is it, do penance: "for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17 K.J.V.). The two words repent and penance have somewhat the same connotation in the understanding of having sorrow for ones’ sins, nevertheless the two words are at the heart of Christianity and Christendom. The Catholic Church exerts the Latin term “paenitentiam agite” to justify its position on sacramental penance. The Latin term can be variously translated into English by the word repent or do penance, though similar, but somehow un-unified as earthly is with spiritual. This concept of repentance and abhorrence of one's sins before God is a heart issue. To do penance for one's sins before God is a heart issue. The dividing factor between the two words is who can know an individual’s heart in relationship to the scripture; As Paul wrote, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation…but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Corinthians 7:10 K.J.V.). The same factor affects the relationship between Christianity and Christendom, who can discern the motives of human hearts in relationship to history. Christianity is a universal appeal to man's heart, heart of Christendom is a universal appeal for an earthly kingdom. The union of these two or schism as one wishes to perceive, is in the concept of a visible church and an invisible church.

This is not a paper on the Catholic doctrine or reformation theology of visible versus invisible church, but an essay on the tangible (visible) and non-tangible (invisible) of Christianity. Christianity is a belief grounded in history, in where God revealed himself neither in doctrinal statements nor in theoretical studies, but in actions through men an...

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...nd oppressed. These members, who are grafted to the true vine, sit upon the limbs of the allegorical mustard tree joined by the fowls of the air; fowls perched to shade themselves in earthly glory to claim thrones, principalities and powers. The invisible little flock few in number spread the knowledge of Christ in pure religion and undefiled. All were not of Israel who was called Israel and not all are members of Christ's body who call themselves Christians.

Works Cited

King James Bible. Nashville, Tn: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1976. Print.

MacCulloch, Diarmaid. A History of Christianity: the First Three Thousand Years. London: Penguin, 2010. Print.

Martin, Malachi. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Church. New York: Putnam, 1981. Print.

Meister, Chad, and Stump. Christian Thought a Historical Introduction. 1st ed. New York: Routledge, 2010. Print.