I mentioned I was catholic in my post about Common Good. What does it mean to be catholic?
There are a few angles to examine.
First, there is the common method of looking at the definition or etymology of the word. Catholic is from a Greek word “katholou” which means “in accordance with the wholeness.” You may remember hearing the Nicene Creed just after a sermon or homily with the line “I believe one holy Catholic and Apostolic church.” Catholic… meaning there is one, complete, whole, universal church. There can only be one church; scripturally, there is one body.
Second, the catholic church believes that there are four components that define or characterize the church; those things that unify or complete the church. These components are based on the life and ministry of Jesus and include: the apostolic ministry, the sacraments, the faith and the scriptures.
Apostolic Ministry (Matthew 28:18-20). The authority of the church is in the hands of living people and the apostolic succession provides the commissioning of those in that authority.
The Sacraments (John 3, 1 Corinthians 15, Acts). The outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. There are seven taught by the church. Do you remember them?
The Faith (Matthew 24:14, 26:13). What you believe makes you who you are. What do you believe? The creeds of the church summarize the tenants of the faith. See the Nicene Creed. Do you seriously believe it?
The Scriptures (Mark 15:28). The scriptures are the words of God split between the history and prophecy of the Old Testament and the life of Jesus and the early church in the New Testament. The Bible has primacy over all other sources of doctrine.
Third, there are five churches that specifically describe themselves as catholic: the Anglicans (including the Episcopal church, for now), the Orthodox, the Roman Catholic and, the “Old” Catholic and the Philippine Independent Church.
End Notes: I hade to research those last two, so the links are provided. Most of this information is taken from “Whole Christianity” by the Reverend Hugh C. Edsall. It’s a lengthy study and some of the teaching is off the wall (e.g., his belief that women’s ordination is scripturally mandated because Mary was the first priest). If you happen to come across the study book, proceed with caution.
And just for fun, here are more creeds than you could shake a stick at.
There are a few angles to examine.
First, there is the common method of looking at the definition or etymology of the word. Catholic is from a Greek word “katholou” which means “in accordance with the wholeness.” You may remember hearing the Nicene Creed just after a sermon or homily with the line “I believe one holy Catholic and Apostolic church.” Catholic… meaning there is one, complete, whole, universal church. There can only be one church; scripturally, there is one body.
Second, the catholic church believes that there are four components that define or characterize the church; those things that unify or complete the church. These components are based on the life and ministry of Jesus and include: the apostolic ministry, the sacraments, the faith and the scriptures.
Apostolic Ministry (Matthew 28:18-20). The authority of the church is in the hands of living people and the apostolic succession provides the commissioning of those in that authority.
The Sacraments (John 3, 1 Corinthians 15, Acts). The outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. There are seven taught by the church. Do you remember them?
The Faith (Matthew 24:14, 26:13). What you believe makes you who you are. What do you believe? The creeds of the church summarize the tenants of the faith. See the Nicene Creed. Do you seriously believe it?
The Scriptures (Mark 15:28). The scriptures are the words of God split between the history and prophecy of the Old Testament and the life of Jesus and the early church in the New Testament. The Bible has primacy over all other sources of doctrine.
Third, there are five churches that specifically describe themselves as catholic: the Anglicans (including the Episcopal church, for now), the Orthodox, the Roman Catholic and, the “Old” Catholic and the Philippine Independent Church.
End Notes: I hade to research those last two, so the links are provided. Most of this information is taken from “Whole Christianity” by the Reverend Hugh C. Edsall. It’s a lengthy study and some of the teaching is off the wall (e.g., his belief that women’s ordination is scripturally mandated because Mary was the first priest). If you happen to come across the study book, proceed with caution.
And just for fun, here are more creeds than you could shake a stick at.
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