People of God: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

Article Images

Line 1:

~~{{short description|Description in the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible that applies to the Israelites and that in the New Testament applies to Christians}}~~

{{Multiple issues|

{{For|the historical term about various groups of people who have considered themselves to be chosen people by a deity for a purpose|Chosen people}}▼

}}

▲{{For|the historical term about various groups of people who have considered themselves to be chosen people by a deity for a purpose|Chosen people|Indian films|Devudu Chesina Manushulu (disambiguation)}}

'''''People of God''''' ({{lang-he|עם האלהים}}) is a term used in the [[Hebrew Bible]] to refer to the [[Israelites]] and used in [[Christianity]] to refer to [[Christians]].

==In the Bible==

===Hebrew Bible and Old Testament===

In the Hebrew Bible and [[Old Testament]], the [[Israelites]] are referred to as "the people of God" in {{bibleverse||Judges|20:2|ESV}} and {{bibleverse|2|Samuel|14:13|ESV}}. The ~~equivalent~~ phrases "the people of [[Yahweh|the Lord]]"<ref>{{bibleverse||Numbers|16:41|ESV}}; {{bibleverse||Judges|5:11|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Judges|5:13}}; {{bibleverse|1|Samuel|2:24|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb|1|Samuel|10:1|ESV}}; {{bibleverse|2|Samuel|1:12|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb|2|Samuel|6:21|ESV}}; {{bibleverse|2|Kings|9:6|ESV}}; {{bibleverse||Ezekiel|36:20|ESV}}; {{bibleverse||Zephaniah|2:10|ESV}}</ref> and "the people of the Lord your God" are also used.<ref>{{bibleverse|Deuteronomy|27:9|ESV}}</ref> In those texts God is also represented as speaking of the [[~~Children of Israel~~Israelites]] as "my people".<ref>{{bibleverse||Exodus|3:7|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Exodus|3:10|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Exodus|5:1|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Exodus|6:7|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Exodus|7:4|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Exodus|7:16|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Exodus|8:1|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Exodus|8:20-23|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Exodus|9:1|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Exodus|9:17|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Exodus|10:3-4|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Exodus|12:31|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Exodus|22:25|ESV}}; {{bibleverse||Leviticus|26:12|ESV}}; {{bibleverse|1|Samuel|2:29|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb|1|Samuel|9:16-17|ESV}}, {{bibleverse|2|Samuel|3:18|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb|2|Samuel|5:2|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb|2|Samuel|7:7-11|ESV}}; {{bibleverse|1|Kings|6:13|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb|1|Kings|8:16|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb|1|Kings|14:7|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb|1|Kings|16:2|ESV}}; {{bibleverse|2|Kings|20:5|ESV}}; {{bibleverse|1|Chronicles|11:2|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb|1|Chronicles|17:6-10|ESV}}; {{bibleverse|2|Chronicles|1:11|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb|2|Chronicles|6:5-6|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb|2|Chronicles|7:13-14|ESV}}; {{bibleverse||Psalms|50:7|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Psalms|81:8-13|ESV}}; {{bibleverse||Isaiah|1:3|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Isaiah|3:15|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Isaiah|10:24|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Isaiah|40:1|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Isaiah|47:6|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Isaiah|51:4|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Isaiah|52:4-6|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Isaiah|58:1|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Isaiah|63:8|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Isaiah|65:10|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Isaiah|65:19|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Isaiah|65:22|ESV}}; {{bibleverse||Jeremiah|2:11-13|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Jeremiah|2:31-32|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Jeremiah|4:11|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Jeremiah|4:22|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Jeremiah|5:26|ESV}}, and over 30 other verses of the Book of Jeremiah; {{bibleverse||Ezekiel|11:20|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Ezekiel|13:9-10|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Ezekiel|13:19-23|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Ezekiel|13:19-23|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Ezekiel|14:8-11|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Ezekiel|21:12|ESV}}, and at least another 15 verses of the Book of Ezekiel; {{bibleverse||Hosea|4:6-12|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Hosea|6:11|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Hosea|11:7|ESV}}; {{bibleverse||Joel|2:26-27|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Joel|3:2-3|ESV}}; {{bibleverse||Amos|7:8|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Amos|7:15|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Amos|8:2|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Amos|9:10|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Amos|9:14|ESV}}; {{bibleverse||Obadiah|1:13|ESV}}; {{bibleverse||Zechariah|2:8-11|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Zechariah|8:7-8|ESV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Zechariah|13:9|ESV}}</ref> The people of God was a term first used by God in the Book of Exodus, which carried stipulation in this [[Covenant (biblical)|covenant]] between man and God ({{bibleref2|Exodus|6:7|ESV}}).

The people of God was a term first used by God in the Book of Exodus, which carried stipulation in this [[Covenant (biblical)|covenant]] between man and God ({{bibleref2|Ex. 6:7}}). God promised deliverance, in return the people owed obedience.

===New Testament===

In the [[New Testament]], the expression "people of God" is found in {{bibleverse||Hebrews|4:9|ESV}} and {{bibleverse-nb||Hebrews|11:25|ESV}},. ~~and the~~The expression "his people", (that is, God's people,) appears in {{bibleverse||Revelation|21:3|ESV}}, and "my people" in {{bibleverse||Revelation|18:4|ESV}}. {{bibleref2|2 Corinthians| 6:16|ESV}} mentions the same promises to the New Testament believer "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people", which is a parallel to {{bibleref2|~~Exodus 6~~Ezekiel|37:27|ESV}}.

~~In [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=~~{{bibleref2|Romans~~%209%3A25-26&version=NKJV Romans~~ |9:25-26]|ESV}}, ~~the apostle Paul~~ also quotes/refers to ~~[https://biblehub.com/hosea/1-10.htm~~ {{bibleref2|Hosea |1:10]|ESV}} and ~~[https://biblehub.com/hosea/2-23.htm~~ {{bibleref2|Hosea |2:23|ESV}}.~~] He writes:~~ {{quote|As He says also in Hosea: "I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved." "And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, 'You ''are'' not My people,' There they shall be called sons of the living God."}}

==Christianity==

==Later Catholic use==▼

Continued use of the expression "people of God" (in [[Latin]], ''populus Dei'') in the writings of the [[Church Fathers]] are found in [[Augustine]]'s ''[[De civitate Dei]]''<ref>[~~http~~https://www.~~thelatinlibrary~~newadvent.~~com~~org/~~augustine~~fathers/~~civ19~~120119.~~shtml~~ htm''De civitate Dei'' 19:26]</ref> and [[Pope Leo I|Pope Leo I's]] Lenten Sermon.<ref>[http://www.frcoulter.com/leo/latin/tractatus50.html Lenten Sermon 50:2]</ref> Its use continued up to and including [[Pope John XXIII]]'s [[Ecclesiastical letter#Letters_of_the_popes_in_modern_times|apostolic letter]] ''Singulari studio''<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_xxiii/apost_letters/1960/documents/hf_j-xxiii_apl_19600701_singulari-studio_lt.html ''Singulari studio'']</ref> of 1 July 1960, two years before the [[Second Vatican Council]].▼

~~Within the [[Catholic Church]], it has been given greater prominence because of its employment in documents of the [[Second Vatican Council]] (1962–1965).~~

In [[Goidelic languages|Gaelic]], Latin ''populus Dei'' became ''pobal Dé'' and has continued for centuries to be an expression in everyday use for the [[Christian Church|Church]] in a [[parish]], a [[diocese]] or the world.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.corkandross.org/documents/DPS_01.pdf |title=Parish as ''Pobal Dé'' |access-date=11 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117024937/http://www.corkandross.org/documents/DPS_01.pdf |archive-date=17 November 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>A poem in an eighteenth-century [http://www.isos.dias.ie/resources/image.html manuscript] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061010120100/http://www.isos.dias.ie/resources/image.html |date=10 October 2006 }} begins with ''Is fairsing dealbh pobal Dé'' ("Extensive is the aspect of the people of God").</ref>▼

▲Continued use of the expression "people of God" (in [[Latin]], ''populus Dei'') in the writings of the [[Church Fathers]] are found in [[Augustine]]'s ''[[De civitate Dei]]''<ref>[http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/augustine/civ19.shtml ''De civitate Dei'' 19:26]</ref> and [[Pope Leo I|Pope Leo I's]] Lenten Sermon.<ref>[http://www.frcoulter.com/leo/latin/tractatus50.html Lenten Sermon 50:2]</ref> Its use continued up to and including [[Pope John XXIII]]'s [[apostolic letter]] ''Singulari studio''<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_xxiii/apost_letters/1960/documents/hf_j-xxiii_apl_19600701_singulari-studio_lt.html ''Singulari studio'']</ref> of 1 July 1960, two years before the [[Second Vatican Council]].

▲==~~Later~~ =Catholic ~~use~~Church===

====Second Vatican Council====▼

▲In [[Goidelic languages|Gaelic]], Latin ''populus Dei'' became ''pobal Dé'' and has continued for centuries to be an expression in everyday use for the [[Christian Church|Church]] in a [[parish]], a [[diocese]] or the world.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.corkandross.org/documents/DPS_01.pdf |title=Parish as ''Pobal Dé'' |access-date=11 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117024937/http://www.corkandross.org/documents/DPS_01.pdf |archive-date=17 November 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>A poem in an eighteenth-century [http://www.isos.dias.ie/resources/image.html manuscript] begins with ''Is fairsing dealbh pobal Dé'' ("Extensive is the aspect of the people of God").</ref>

The phrase has been given greater prominence within the [[Catholic Church]] because of its employment in documents of the [[Second Vatican Council]] (1962–1965).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vatican II themes: The people of God |url=https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/essays-theology/vatican-ii-themes-people-god |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=www.ncronline.org |language=en}}</ref>

The [[Apostolic constitution|dogmatic constitution]] ''[[Lumen gentium]]'' devoted its chapter II to "the new People of God", "a people made up of Jew and gentile", called together by Christ (section 9). It spoke of "the people to whom the testament and the promises were given and from whom Christ was born according to the flesh" as among those who "are related in various ways to the people of God" (section 16). It described in detail the qualities of this People of God in words "intended for the laity, religious and clergy alike" (section 30), while also pointing out the specific duties and functions of the different ranks of which it is composed, such as that of "those who exercise [[Holy Orders|the sacred ministry]] for the good of their brethren" (section 13).▼

▲===Second Vatican Council===

▲The dogmatic constitution ''[[Lumen gentium]]'' devoted its chapter II to "the new People of God", "a people made up of Jew and gentile", called together by Christ (section 9). It spoke of "the people to whom the testament and the promises were given and from whom Christ was born according to the flesh" as among those who "are related in various ways to the people of God" (section 16). It described in detail the qualities of this People of God in words "intended for the laity, religious and clergy alike" (section 30), while also pointing out the specific duties and functions of the different ranks of which it is composed, such as that of "those who exercise [[Holy Orders|the sacred ministry]] for the good of their brethren" (section 13).

In 2001, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was to become ~~in 2005~~ [[Pope Benedict XVI]] in 2005, stated that the council's choice of this term reflected three perspectives. The principal one was to introduce a term that could serve as an ecumenical bridge, recognizing intermediate degrees of belonging to the church. Another was to put more in evidence the human element in the church, which is also part of her nature. And the third was to recall that the church has not yet reached her final state and that she "will not be wholly herself until the paths of time have been traversed and have blossomed in the hands of God".<ref>[http://www.ewtn.com/library/curia/cdfeccv2.htm The Ecclesiology of Vatican II]</ref>

Ratzinger also declared that the term is not to be understood in way that would reduce it "to an a-theological and purely sociological view" of the church.<ref>[http://www.ewtn.com/library/Theology/ZMYSTERY.HTM Church as "Mystery" or "People of God"]</ref> [[Michael Hesemann]] wrote:

Line 31 ⟶ 37:

While the council distinguished between the Jewish people and "the new People of God", [[Carl E. Braaten]] has said that, being somewhat analogous to the expression "[[chosen people]]", the term "People of God" suggests a persisting trend of [[supersessionism]] in the church, and that the expression "People of God" implying that the church is the same people as [[Abraham]], [[Isaac]] and [[Jacob]] in the [[Hebrew Bible]].<ref>Jews and Christians : People of God, Carl E. Braaten</ref>{{Verify source|date=May 2009}}{{Page needed|date=May 2009}}

===~~Use since~~=Since the Second Vatican Council====

~~The Popes have continued to use the expression "the People of God".~~ [[Pope Paul VI]] used itthe phrase with regard to his profession of faith known as the [[Credo of the People of God]]. [[Pope John Paul II]] used it in his catechetical instructions, teaching that the church is the new ~~People~~people of God.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/alpha/data/aud19911106en.html |title=The Church Is the New People of God. General Audience at November 6, 1991 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020145251/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/alpha/data/aud19911106en.html |archivedate=20 October 2012 }}</ref> Pope Benedict XVI has spoken of "the Church, the people of God throughout the world, united in faith and love and empowered by the Spirit to bear witness to the risen Christ to the ends of the earth".<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2008/july/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20080721_farewell_en.html Farewell ceremony at Sydney airport, 21 July 2008]</ref> On 20 August 2018, [[Pope Francis]] released a letter, addressed to the "People of God", in response to recent revelations of [[Catholic Church sexual abuse cases|sexual abuse cases]] within the Church, quoting [[Paul the Apostle|St. Paul]]: "If one member suffers, all suffer together with it" ({{Bibleverse|1 Corinthians|12:26}}).<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2018/documents/papa-francesco_20180820_lettera-popolo-didio.html Letter of His Holiness to the People of God, 20 August 2018]</ref>

The concluding messages of each [[General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops]] are addressed to "the People of God."<ref>For example, [https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_doc_20081024_message-synod_en.html Message of the October 2008 assembly]</ref>

====Catechism====

The [[Catechism of the Catholic Church]] devotes a section to describing the church with this ~~image~~phrase,<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P28.HTM Catechism of the Catholic Church, ~~781-786~~781–786]</ref> and indicates the characteristics of the ~~People~~people of God "that distinguish it from all other religious, ethnic, political, or cultural groups found in history", so that it does not belong to any one of these groups. Membership ofin the ~~People~~people of God, it says, comes not by physical birth but by [[Faith in Christianity|faith in Christ]] and [[baptism]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church |url=https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/catechism/index.cfm?recnum=2991 |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=www.catholicculture.org}}</ref>

==See also==

Line 44 ⟶ 50:

* ''[[Communitas perfecta]]'', doctrinal theories regarding the Catholic Church

* [[Divine filiation]], Christian doctrine regarding Jesus and Christians

* [[Jews as the chosen people]]

* ''[[Mystici corporis Christi]]'', 1943 papal encyclical stating that the Mystical Body of Christ is identical with the Catholic Church

*[[Supersessionism]], the Christian doctrine which asserts that the New Covenant through Jesus Christ supersedes the Old Covenant, which was made exclusively with the Jewish people.

Line 53 ⟶ 59: