Throughout the history of the Christian church, believers have recognized four characteristic traits of the community of faith established by Jesus Christ. The church is singular, sanctified, spread abroad, and scriptural. It’s important that you understand these four attributes of the church because they highlight fundamental truths about the nature of the church.
First, the church of Jesus Christ is singular, or one. Yes, it is true that there are many different kinds of churches, and hundreds of denominations, but there is really only one church of which Jesus Christ is the head. The apostle Paul said, “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Cor. 12:27). Since Jesus is one, and he is the head of the church, there can only be one church, consisting of everyone who truly embraces the good news of Jesus Christ. Hence, Paul could say again, “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4:4-6). Our singular unity as a church is grounded in the one faith handed down to us through the gospel and administered to us in baptism.
This singular church is also sanctified or holy. Now, when we look at the church from our perspective, it is sometimes difficult to call it a holy institution. We hear stories every day about churches and ministry leaders doing things that taint the reputation of Christianity. What do we mean, then, when we say the church is holy? The church isn’t inherently holy, but she is made holy because of her union with Jesus Christ: because Jesus is the head of the church, and the church is his body—the church is sanctified by her belonging to Jesus, the Holy One. This is why Christians (even ones struggling with sin) are often referred to in the New Testament as saints or holy ones (1 Cor. 1:2; Eph 1:1). The church’s holiness is rooted in God’s redeeming action, not her perfection. During the time of the Reformation, there was a slogan that was used to highlight that Christians are simultaneously righteous (justified), and yet still sinful: simul justus et peccator! Similarly, the church is holy now through Christ’s work despite the sin that still exists in her.
The third characteristic trait of the church is that it is spread abroad or catholic. Sometimes people mistake the word catholic as referring to the Roman Catholic Church. In actuality, the word catholic simply means universal. The true church isn’t confined to a corner of the world, or some particular nation (as it was under the Old Testament with the Jews), but it is one, holy, world-wide church that has existed for thousands of years! Jesus indicated that his church wouldn’t be relegated to one place when he told the woman at the well, “the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father… the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him” (Jn. 4:21 & 23).
Lastly, the church of Jesus Christ is scriptural or apostolic. Paul said that the church was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20). The message of Scripture, rooted in the teaching of the apostles, is the foundation of the church. That teaching, sometimes called the rule of faith, consists of the cardinal apostolic doctrines handed down to the church concerning the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To say that the church is apostolic is to say that it exists in continuation of the apostolic faith grounded in the gospel.
To be a part of the church is to be a part of this one, holy, catholic and apostolic community!
