In many places of his writings, Calvin explains the church in connection with the Kingdom of Christ. To understand Calvin"s explanation, it is necessary for us to acknowledge the theological foundations upon which he connects the church with Christ"s Kingdom. First, Calvin does not relates the church with the Kingdom without emphasizing that the church has the mission to preach the Word. For Calvin, the church is a distinct agent of Christ"s Kingdom in salvation history because Christ gave the church the mission to expand his Kingdom by preaching and teaching the Word which he calls the "scepter" of Christ"s rule. Second, Calvin always presupposes the eschatological accomplishment of the mission of the church in his explanation. Christ uses the church to rule his people until the last day when he comes again and completes salvation history. On that day, the visible church, the sum of elect, will enjoy the perfect blessings and happiness in the Kingdom of God. The visible church will also be perfect in the sense that its mission of the Word will be completed and terminated. In Calvin"s explanation of the church as an eschatological agent of Christ"s Kingdom, we see his idea that the invisible and the visible churches have "inseparable but distinct" relationship to each other. These two churches are inseparable because both progress in an eschatological way in salvation history. However, they are distinct to each other because the end of the invisible church is the completion of its progress but the appearance of the perfect believers, the end of the visible church is the termination of its mission. There are his pastoral purposes for which Calvin speaks of the church as the agent of the Kingdom of Christ from this eschatological perspective. First, Calvin tries to assert the unity of believers in their church in spite of its imperfection. The visible church has its authenticity not in its perfection but in the fact that Christ uses the church to expand his Kingdom in this world. Second, Calvin endeavors to encourage the church in affliction with his explanation. Even in the hard time, the church and its members ought to endure their sufferings and hope that Christ will complete his Kingdom on the last day.
In many places of his writings, Calvin explains the church in connection with the Kingdom of Christ. To understand Calvin"s explanation, it is necessary for us to acknowledge the theological foundations upon which he connects the church with Christ"s Kingdom. First, Calvin does not relates the church with the Kingdom without emphasizing that the church has the mission to preach the Word. For Calvin, the church is a distinct agent of Christ"s Kingdom in salvation history because Christ gave the church the mission to expand his Kingdom by preaching and teaching the Word which he calls the "scepter" of Christ"s rule. Second, Calvin always presupposes the eschatological accomplishment of the mission of the church in his explanation. Christ uses the church to rule his people until the last day when he comes again and completes salvation history. On that day, the visible church, the sum of elect, will enjoy the perfect blessings and happiness in the Kingdom of God. The visible church will also be perfect in the sense that its mission of the Word will be completed and terminated. In Calvin"s explanation of the church as an eschatological agent of Christ"s Kingdom, we see his idea that the invisible and the visible churches have "inseparable but distinct" relationship to each other. These two churches are inseparable because both progress in an eschatological way in salvation history. However, they are distinct to each other because the end of the invisible church is the completion of its progress but the appearance of the perfect believers, the end of the visible church is the termination of its mission. There are his pastoral purposes for which Calvin speaks of the church as the agent of the Kingdom of Christ from this eschatological perspective. First, Calvin tries to assert the unity of believers in their church in spite of its imperfection. The visible church has its authenticity not in its perfection but in the fact that Christ uses the church to expand his Kingdom in this world. Second, Calvin endeavors to encourage the church in affliction with his explanation. Even in the hard time, the church and its members ought to endure their sufferings and hope that Christ will complete his Kingdom on the last day.
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