What Constitutes a 'True' Church?

Introduction

Throughout church history, there have been various debates over what constitutes a church, yet there has been much consensus as well. The marks of the church are agreed upon by virtually all Christians; differences arise in their understanding and practice. While much could be said of the denominational differences in interpretation, this short essay will be concerned with the marks in an objective sense, interpreted in light of Scripture and history. These marks transcend denominational boundaries and are absolutely true across Christian traditions, whether it be Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant.

A true church is marked by faithfulness to Christ and His gospel through Apostolicity, in which unity, holiness, and catholicity are rooted. These marks are expressed in the right preaching of the Word, the right administration of the sacraments, and lived out as an eschatological community until Christ returns. The former marks, called the Nicene marks, provide the broad ecclesiological foundation, while the latter marks, characterized by the Reformation Era, demonstrate how the Nicene marks manifest in practice. Together, the Nicene and Reformation marks explain the constitution of the church. Thus, the true church is Apostolic at its root—built upon Christ and His Gospel given to the Apostles—and therefore one, holy, and catholic; she rightly practices the preaching of the Word and administration of the sacraments as an eschatological community anticipating the return of her Savior.

The Foundation: A Case for Apostolicity

The marks of the true church are grounded in the Scriptures. The early church devoted itself to the Gospel preached by the Apostles. They were unified and holy in their ministry, devoted to partaking in the sacraments and worshipping together as one body of Christ (Acts 2:42-47). Likewise, the church imitates the Apostles’ doctrine because the Apostles imitate Jesus. Jesus and His gospel are the sure foundation of the church: “[T]herefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation’” (Isa. 28:16) and “the household of God [is] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Eph. 2:19-20). Fundamentally, “the church is apostolic because it is built upon the apostolic foundation. Changing the expression, but not the sense, Paul spoke of laying one foundation, Jesus Christ. Other teachers might build on that foundation… but they can lay no other foundation. The Apostle’s task was to build on the foundation laid by Jesus himself.”¹

The Nicene and Reformation Marks

While all of the Nicene marks—unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity—are important, apostolicity is the root from which the other sprout. For instance, “the apostles and prophets are the foundation of the church because they have received by revelation the mystery of the gospel.”² Apostolicity focuses not on the Apostles themselves but on Christ and His gospel. From this foundation, unity is established as the church is joined to Christ Himself; holiness flows from the sanctifying power of the Word of God (John 17:17), for without Christ and Scripture holiness is impossible; and catholicity is realized in the universal proclamation of the gospel, for there is no universal church apart from the universal gospel. Without apostolicity, unity is superficial, holiness is impossible, and catholicity is void of the gospel’s expansion.

Recognizing the primacy of the Gospel, the reformers saw that the marks “coalesce around the Gospel. It underlies, shapes, and frames, the church’s unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity; it is the message preached and presented in the sacraments. It is a true sine qua non of a true church.”³ Moreover, regarding the reformers’ view of apostolicity as opposed to the Roman Catholic understanding, Clowney writes, “To be apostolic, the church must be built upon the doctrine of the apostles (1 Cor. 3:10-11; Eph. 2:20; 3:4-5). Not the pretended chair of Peter, but the teaching of Peter was the real mark of apostolicity.”⁴ Thus, in an effort to convey and conform the church chiefly to the Gospel and to the classical marks of the church, particularly apostolicity, the reformers emphasized the practices of rightly reading the Word and administering the sacraments as key characteristics of the church, enabling it to live as an eschatological community awaiting Christ’s return in conformity with Him.⁵

Conclusion

In summary, the true church is apostolic at its root and built upon Christ and His Gospel delivered to the Apostles and passed down through Scripture. From this foundation, the Nicene marks flow and are expressed concretely in the right preaching of the Word and administration of the sacraments, particularly the Lord’s Supper and baptism. The Reformers emphasized these practices as essential to a proper understanding of apostolicity, ensuring that the church is grounded in the Gospel of Christ, “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

Bibliography

Clowney, Edmund P. The Church. Contours of Christian Theology. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1995.

Hammett, John S. Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches: A Contemporary Ecclesiology. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic, 2019.

Footnotes

1. Edmund P. Clowney, The Church, Contours of Christian Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1995), 74. ↩

2. Ibid., 75. ↩

3. John S. Hammett, Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches: A Contemporary Ecclesiology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic, 2019), 73. ↩

4. Clowney, 101. ↩

5. Ibid. ↩