Images of the Church are extremely important in the history of the Church. They explain how and why people of a certain era viewed the church. There are many different images that people associate the Church with. Most of these images are based on a time period, whether it is a time of suffering or a time of triumph. The first image is one of the first images to describe the Church and it comes from the New Testament. In the first century, the church was identified as the “New Vine”. (Isaiah spoke of Israel as a vine of God.) This image helped answer questions of how Gentiles could become members of God's chosen people without first becoming Jews. It also served as a reminder that everything Christians do must be directly rooted in Christ, otherwise it will have no life or meaning. It describes very clearly the conception that the Church had of itself in biblical times. Christians believed that a new branch, Jesus Christ, had been created in the vine; a new vine. It was different from the Old Testament because it would never run amok and produce what God did not desire because God Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, was its main vine. All the branches (people) of the vine came from it. This led to the persecution of Christians by the Romans during the first three centuries. In those times of torture, the image was considered a “dwelling place of God.” This symbolized the Church where God dwells with humanity. At that time, the Church offered the presence of a loving and caring God. It is a community whose common life reveals God. This led to the end of all persecution as the Church began to grow. After all the persecuting rulers and emperors, came Constantine. He made a deal and formed an alliance with Lincinius. Part of the... middle of paper ... will feed, educate and protect its people. She will give them the Bread of Life. It will teach the truth about God, human nature and salvation. She will also save her people when they fall into sin and offer them protection from hell. This image played an important role in the evolution of the Catholic Church beyond the Protestant Reformation. All these images represent people from different eras. They show how people viewed God and how they believed that God would always be good. I think all of these images are still representations of the Church. They explain all the struggles and difficulties the Church has gone through. They also represent how members of the Church have remained united during these difficult times. The Church is something that will never fail because all people are connected to the idea of ​​accomplishing God's will for them and having eternal life with God..