The Authentic Witness

Traditional Protestant theology has long answered the question What is the true church? by pointing to the visible church--its location nature and structure. The recent increase of interest in missions however has raised the issues of the churchs role and identity--its mission in the world. It is no longer enough to use orthodoxy as the criterion for the genuineness of the church identifying the body of Christ by organization or clerical structure perfection in lifestyle or ecstatic experience of the Holy Spirit. Rather says Norman Kraus the mark of the true church is its authenticity--its ability to remain true to its original prototype in character and purpose. Thus the churchs mission is to be the authentic community of witness to the world. The Christian community affirms each individual as a person in Christ and its objective for the world is the same as for itself: it calls the world to peace in Christ. The church in mission then must be a sign to the world of the kingdom of God. As an authentic community it is a healing community characterized and organized around its mission of reconciling witness rather than creeds various practices or preaching. Following Christ as its model its message is salvation and reconciliation. C. Norman Kraus retired in Harrisonburg Virginia is Professor Emeritus at Goshen College. He is the author of numerous books including Evangelicalism and Anabaptism and Jesus Christ Our Lord.