One holy church

Photo courtesy of Leo Reynolds

I was talking to someone about religion a while back and the discussion got onto the topic of the church universal, as in the little-c catholic church.  I mentioned that many Protestant churches use the apostle's creed as a statement of faith, and that the apostle's creed mentions belief in one universal church.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell. [this is one of the more controversial parts of the creed]  The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.

Some of the more anti-big-C-Catholic folks changed that phrase to state belief in "one holy church," the literal meaning of little-c-catholic.  But anyway, I mentioned this to my friend, who is a devout, church-going guy, and his response surprised me.  He said, " Well, I most certainly do not believe that there is only one church."  I was shocked into silence.  I'd thought that this was one of the least controversial parts of the creed. 

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I thought about that conversation yesterday when reading Ephesians 4:

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. (Ephesians 4:4-6; ESV)