The phrase, “I believe in the holy catholic church” in the Apostles’ Creed has raised more questions than any other part of the creed. This troubles some people because they think it has something to do with the Roman Catholic Church. Protestant pastors find themselves explaining to parishioners that the word “catholic” simply means “universal.”
When we say, “I believe in the holy catholic church,” we are affirming our belief in the worldwide family of God, all Christian believers everywhere. Jesus left us with the commission to make disciples in every part of the world. He said that “repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations” (Luke 24:47).
Those who believe in Jesus as savior become a part of a new humanity called the church universal. This is what the New Testament calls “the Body of Christ” (Ephesians 1:22-23). This term is used 13 times in the New Testament, always in the singular, never plural. There is one Body of Christ and Jesus is its head. It is not a denomination. It is not a local assembly. It is the universal and spiritual Body of Christ.
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he is teaching about the universal, or “catholic” church. Ephesians does not give instructions about local church order or polity. In Ephesians, rather, the emphasis is on the Body of Christ of which Jesus is the head. The terms “church” and “Body” are used interchangeably. Christ is said to fill the church with himself just as he fills the whole universe (Ephesians 4:10).
This is not to diminish the Bible’s teachings about the importance of local churches. Every believer should be an active participant in a local assembly. It is in the fellowship of local assemblies that we are taught the scriptures, pray for one another, serve our communities, unite in worship, and support worldwide missionary advancement. Each local church, if it is faithful to the gospel, is an outpost of the church universal, the Body of Christ.
Maxie Dunham wrote, “There is no Christianity apart from the church. This is true because there is no such thing as solitary Christianity. Although our Christian faith and experience must be personal, they can never be private.” I think he is right. Jesus loves his church, he promised to build his church, and he is present whenever his church is gathered in his name.
The word “church” comes from the Old English, related to the Scottish word kirk, or German kirche. These are derived from the ancient Greek word kuriake, which means “belonging to the Lord.” A Greek word translated “church” in our English Bibles is ekklesia, which means a “called out assembly.” That is precisely what Paul has in mind: a group of people called out from the world and belonging to the Lord.
We may stumble over the word “holy” in the statement, “I believe in the holy catholic church.” This is because we who are in the church know how unholy we can be at times. Saints are not always saintly. The people of God are not always godly. That is why we are taught to regularly confess our sins to God.
The church can only be called holy because Jesus Christ is holy. The church is made up of unholy sinners who, by God’s grace, have been reckoned as righteous through the merit and sacrifice of Jesus who died for our sins. Thus the church is holy in the sight of God because we are “in Christ,” clothed in his righteousness. Bumper sticker theology puts it this way: “Christians are not perfect, just forgiven.”
We have no right to despise or neglect the local church. This is because it represents the universal church. Anyone who turns away from the church turns away from Christ’s Body. Loyalty to Jesus includes being loyal to the physical, visible expression of his universal Body on earth.
Will you join me in affirming, “I believe in the holy catholic church?” If you do, I expect Jesus will want to see you with his people in church on Sunday.
Pastor Randy Faulkner