The Church is One
Last week we started looking at the four marks of the true Church. Each of the four marks was detailed briefly as an introduction to the topic. This week we will more closely look at each of the marks, starting with the “oneness” of the Church.
Accepting the oneness of the true Church requires that Jesus did in fact establish a Church. Some of our separated brethren, and perhaps some Catholics, are confused on this point. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus blesses Peter in response to Peter’s confession of faith by saying “You are Rock, and upon this rock I will build my Church”. (Matthew 16:18)
There is a great deal that happens in this exchange between Jesus and Peter and much will be said of it in future articles, but for now it must suffice to say that Jesus states that he is building a Church. Note that Jesus is not just building any old church in any location. Jesus says “my Church” and it is built on the person named Rock.
What is this about a Church built on a person? Well, thankfully Saint Paul helps explain this a little bit. Perhaps the Ephesians were somewhat confused, so Paul explained that the household of God is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred to the Lord.” (Ephesians 2:20-21) He further explains to the Ephesians that there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5).
Saint Jude ties these two thoughts together by stating the need to “encourage you to contend for the faith that was once for all handed down to the holy ones.” (Jude 3) Who were the “holy ones” of whom Saint Jude was speaking? The same persons Saint Paul referred to as the “foundation” of Christ’s Church, the apostles and prophets! And who was the rock on whom this structure was to be built? No one other than Rock himself, Peter.
Putting these verses together, we have: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, once given for all. Paul asked this of the Philippians as well when he told them to stand firm “in one spirit with one mind struggling together for the Gospel” and to complete Saint Paul’s joy by “being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing.” (Philippians 1:27, 2:2)
Saint Paul was not satisfied with explaining this great mystery to the Ephesians, however, with just a verse or two. No, this singular devotion of Christ to his Church is beautifully presented as this command to husbands: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)
Saint Paul certainly speaks to the holiness of the Church, which we will explore in greater detail next week, but he sets this holiness in the context of a marital relationship. This is one reason that Marriage is quite properly understood as a sacrament, a covenant, and not a simple contract between people. Perhaps this is why many of our separated brethren have a doctrine of serial polygamy instead of the proper understanding of the spousal covenant that Jesus taught.
The oneness of the Church is reflected in the oneness of Marriage. Christ handed himself over to sanctify his Church, not several churches founded by who knows who or when. No, Christ knew his bride and knew where she was to be found.
Jesus firmly established his bride on Rock for all to see as “the light of the world, a city set on a mountain that cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14) In doing this, Jesus calls all to her so that his prayer may be fulfilled “that they all be one.” (John 17:21)