Someone who study Christian history
and the development of the Christian theology, they know Christian
creeds are early brief statements of the core beliefs of Christianity,
typically recited during worship. They articulate the nature of God, the
Trinity, and the Church. The three main ancient Christian creeds are the Nicene
Creed, the Apostles' Creed, and the Athanasius
Creed.
The Nicene Creed is the most
widely recited creed in Christianity and is used in Mass each week. It affirms
the belief in the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus Christ, and his resurrection.
The final verse of the Nicene Creed, "I believe in One, Holy, Catholic,
and Apostolic Church," summarizes the nature of the Church as a
unified, holy, and universal community of believers.
The Gospel of Matthew 16:18-19 tells us that Jesus established a Church and
gave it authority. As Christianity spread and divergent sects began to arise,
it became essential for early Christians to be able to recognize the true
Church and its teachings as they had been handed down by the Apostles.
The Four Marks of the Church (One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic) provided a compass for early Christians in this quest.
These four characteristics, which are famously included in the Nicene Creed,
were used to identify the Church that most faithfully preserved and transmitted
the apostolic tradition.
Allusions to the Four Marks of the Church can be
found in the writings of early Church Fathers such as Ignatius of Antioch and
Irenaeus of Lyons. For example, Ignatius wrote: "Pay heed to the bishop
and to the body of presbyters, even as Jesus Christ hearkens to the Father, and
the body of the Apostles to Christ." This passage highlights the
importance of apostolic succession, which is one of the key elements of the
apostolic mark. While many doctrines,
based on both tradition and different interpretations of the Bible, distinguish
one denomination from another, the Four Marks were indications of which
Church—and thus which doctrines—were of apostolic origin. In other words, the
Four Marks helped early Christians to identify the Church that was most likely
to be teaching the true gospel. The Four Marks of the Church remain important
today, as they continue to provide a way to identify the true Church of Christ.
The Church that is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic is the Church that Jesus
established and gave authority to.
The Church is One
The Church, as Christ’s mystical body on earth, is
united as one body of believers (Jn 17:20–23, 1 Cor. 12:-12-13, Phil. 2:2, Eph.
4:5-6). In the Catholic Church, this
unity is made manifest through participation in the Eucharist and made visible through
our recognition of Papal authority (Matt 16:18-19, Jn 21:15-17). Without the Eucharist, we are Christ’s Body
in name only. Without an authority to
rule definitively on a matter, any disagreement among members could ultimately
lead to dissolution of our unity (Matt. 12:25, 1 Tim 3:15, Matt 18:17)
The Church is Holy
This phrase is not intended to convey a perpetual
righteousness in the actions or behaviors of the individual members of the
Church, as the Church is considered to be a refuge for sinners. Rather the word holy means set apart for a
special purpose by and for God (John 15:19), just as the Tabernacle and Temple
of the Old Covenant were visibly set apart. Catholics understand the holiness
of the universal Church is derived from Christ’s holiness (Eph. 5:25-27) as the
Church is the mystical Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-13). The Church then provides its members the
means of holiness through the Sacraments it offers.
The Church is Catholic
The word “catholic” is derived from the Greek adjective
καθολικός (katholikos), meaning “universal”.
Although the church is spread throughout the world (Matt. 28:19–20, Rev.
5:9–10, Gal. 3:28), each local manifestation of the church contains the
wholeness of the Christian faith, full and complete, all-embracing, and with
nothing lacking. Although cultural
practices, garments, rites, etc may differ from place to place, the essential
doctrines and dogmas expressed in each place are universal.
The Church is Apostolic
The Church’s foundation and beliefs are rooted in the
living Tradition of the Apostles (Eph. 2:19–20, 2 Tim. 2:2, 2 Thess. 2:15, 1
Cor. 11:2) and continue through the apostolic succession of bishops who derive
their authority through a direct line of laying on of hands from the apostles
(Acts 6:6, Acts 13:3, 1 Tim 4:14, 2 Tim. 1:6).
This Apostolic Succession is made apparent by tracing the lineage of
bishops of the various churches back to their original founding Apostles or
close acquaintances of the Apostles.
This line of succession was very important to the Christians of the
first three centuries as this was the litmus test for verifying true doctrine
and Apostolic Tradition
“For where there is division and wrath, God does not dwell. To all of them that
repent, the Lord grants forgiveness, if they turn in penitence to the unity of
God, and to communion with the bishop.”
-Ignatius of Antioch “Letter to the Philadelphians 8:1”
(Written 107 A.D.)
(Written 107 A.D.)
“This is the sole Church of Christ, which in the Creed we
profess to be one, holy, catholic and apostolic. These four characteristics,
inseparably linked with each other, indicate essential features of the Church
and her mission.”
[CCC 811 (Catechism of the Catholic Church)]
Finally, anyone who claims to be a Christian but doesn’t
believe in The four Marks Of The Church, that person is not a Christian.