When Christians recite the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed, we encounter language that can feel unfamiliar or even uncomfortable. The Apostles' Creed confesses belief in "the holy catholic church," while the Nicene Creed goes further, declaring belief in "one holy catholic and apostolic church." For many believers these words raise questions. We're not Roman Catholic, so why are we confessing belief in "the catholic church"? And what does "apostolic" mean in this context?
These ancient terms carry profound theological weight that we lose when we try to update or sanitize them. Understanding what the creeds actually mean by "catholic" and "apostolic" helps us grasp something essential about the nature of the church and our place in it.
The Word "Catholic" Doesn't Mean What You Think
Let's address the elephant in the room first. When both creeds speak of the "catholic" church, they're not referring to Roman Catholicism or any particular denomination. The word predates the split between Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism by centuries, and it has nothing to do with modern denominational divisions.
The English word "catholic" comes directly from the Greek katholikos, which simply means "universal" or "according to the whole." It's a compound of kata (according to) and holos (whole). When the early church used this term, they were distinguishing the true, universal church of Jesus Christ from various local heresies and schismatic groups that were popping up in different regions.
Ignatius of Antioch, writing around AD 110 in his Letter to the Smyrnaeans (8.2), made the point clearly: "Wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the catholic church." He wasn't talking about a particular organization or hierarchy. He was making a straightforward claim that the real church isn't confined to one location or faction—it's the whole body of Christ across the world.
Think of it this way: the church catholic is the church that exists everywhere, believes the same apostolic gospel, and spans all times and places. It's not limited to one city, one culture, or one era. It's the full body of Christ across all ages and nations. When we say "catholic," we're affirming that we're part of something far bigger than our local congregation or even our denominational tradition.
Why Both Creeds Use "Catholic"
Both the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed use the word "catholic" because both are making the same essential claim about the church's universal nature. This wasn't accidental or arbitrary—it was theologically necessary.
By the time these creeds were being used throughout the church, there were already groups claiming to be the "real" Christians while denying essential doctrines or splitting off into isolated factions. Against all these fragmenting forces, the creeds confess: we believe in the catholic church—the universal church, the whole church, the church that maintains apostolic teaching across all times and places.
The Nicene Addition: "Apostolic"
The Nicene Creed goes beyond the Apostles' Creed by adding a fourth mark of the church: it's not just "one, holy, and catholic," but also "apostolic." This addition wasn't random—it addressed a specific need in the fourth-century church.
The word "apostolic" points us to the foundation of the church's teaching and authority. Paul makes this explicit in Ephesians 2:20, describing the church as "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone." The church is apostolic because it continues to hold fast to what the apostles taught, wrote, and passed down.
Here's where the Reformed perspective offers clarity that some other traditions obscure: apostolic succession is fundamentally about message, not mechanism. A church that has bishops who can theoretically trace their ordination back to the apostles but has abandoned apostolic teaching is not truly apostolic. Conversely, a church that faithfully preaches and teaches what the apostles delivered—even if it was planted last year—stands in genuine apostolic succession.
How the Marks Connect
The Nicene Creed's four marks—one, holy, catholic, and apostolic—aren't just a list. They're interconnected realities that define the true church.
The church is one because there's one Lord, one faith, one baptism. The church is holy because it's set apart by God for his purposes. The church is catholic because it's universal—it extends across geography and history. The church is apostolic because it's built on the foundation of apostolic teaching.
These marks guard us against different errors. "One" challenges our divisions. "Holy" challenges our worldliness. "Catholic" challenges our sectarianism. "Apostolic" challenges our tendency to drift from foundational truth.
Why These Words Matter Today
Some might wonder if we shouldn't just update the creeds' language to avoid confusion. There's wisdom in retaining the historic language. First, using these ancient terms connects us with believers across twenty centuries of church history. Second, the very strangeness of these words forces us to think more deeply about what we're confessing. Third, these words challenge our tendency toward individualism and presentism.
What We're Really Confessing
When we say "I believe in the holy catholic church" or "We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church," we're not expressing faith in the church the way we have faith in God. The church isn't an object of saving faith.
Rather, we're confessing that we believe the church exists as a real, divinely established entity. We're affirming that God has called out a people for himself from every tribe and tongue and nation. We're declaring that Christ is building his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
This confession challenges our individualism. American Christianity in particular tends toward a "Jesus and me" spirituality that downplays the corporate nature of the faith. But the creeds won't let us get away with that. We don't follow Jesus as isolated individuals. We're part of a body, members of a household, stones in a temple. The church isn't optional or secondary—it's central to God's plan of redemption.
Confessing With Understanding
The next time you recite either of these ancient creeds—whether in corporate worship or private devotion—let these words land with their full weight. You're declaring that you belong to the universal body of Christ, united across oceans and centuries by the same apostolic gospel. You're standing on the foundation laid by the apostles and maintained by faithful teachers across two thousand years of church history.
This is the church catholic. This is the church apostolic. And by God's grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, this is your church too.
The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Nicene Creed (AD 381)
We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.
~ john
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