One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church: Unpacking the Four Marks
Ordained Minister, M.Div.
June 6, 2026
2 min read
When the bishops at Constantinople finalized the Nicene Creed in 381, they added a section on the Holy Spirit and expanded the church clause. The result gave us what theologians call the four marks of the church: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. Each mark has generated centuries of reflection and not a little controversy.
One
The church is one because its Lord is one and its Spirit is one. This does not require every congregation to share the same governance structure—but it does mean the church's fundamental unity is not destroyed by denominational diversity. Paul's appeal in Ephesians 4 rests on this: 'There is one body and one Spirit... one Lord, one faith, one baptism.'
Holy
The church's holiness is not achieved but given—a sanctification worked by the Holy Spirit who indwells it. This mark does not claim that every church member is morally perfect; it claims that the church has been set apart by God for God. It is called to reflect and embody what it has been given.
Catholic and Apostolic
Catholic means universal—the church exists across all nations, all cultures, and all ages. It is not the possession of any single ethnic group or political empire. Apostolic means the church's doctrine and authority derives from the apostles—a continuity of teaching that every generation receives and passes on. Together these two marks define both the breadth and the depth of authentic Christian identity.
