When we say the Nicene Creed, we confess we believe “one holy catholic and apostolic Church”. From this we get what we call the “attributes” of the church: unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity. (These are sometimes called the “marks” of the church, but it is better to use that phrase to refer to those things by which the true church may be recognized: preaching, sacraments, and discipline.) Since we have been looking at the doctrine of the church in the Book of Ephesians, it is helpful to ponder each of these attributes.
Unity
The Lord Jesus Christ has only one Bride. While there are millions of local churches, all of God's people are joined together in one body. Note the seven uses of the word “one” in Ephesians 4:4-6:
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.
When Jesus prayed in John 17, the church's unity was at the forefront of his mind:
That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:21)
Now, it is not possible that Jesus' prayer would be left unanswered. The Church really is one. We can still strive for unity, but the attributes of the Church concern the underlying reality. Sometimes it may be hard to see – that is why we say, “I believe... one holy catholic and apostolic Church”.
Both these verses are spoken in the context of Jews and Gentiles being united together in Christ, but it applies in many other ways: in the church we have people from all different racial, national, ethnic, cultural, socio-economic, and educational backgrounds. Our union with Christ transcends all those differences. This leads on to...
Catholicity
The Church is made up of people from all ethnic groups and language groups:
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages…. (Revelation 7:9)
“Catholic” does not, of course, mean being in communion with the Pope in Rome. It means “universal”: spread out over all the earth. (It's from the Greek kata, “according to”, and holos, “whole”.) Even though we live in different countries and come from different cultures, we all believe the same thing. (This is the problem with constructions like “Scottish theology”, “Pacific theology”, or “Black theology”.) What is it that the Church believes? That's the next attribute:
Apostolicity
Ephesians 2:20 says the Church is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets”. This refers to those who wrote the New Testament. It is the Word that forms the Church, rather than the Church that forms the Word. So “apostolicity” does not mean having bishops ordained in a succession from the apostles, but founded on the teaching of the apostles.
The building imagery in Ephesians is particularly that of a temple, which leads us to:
Holiness
Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. (Ephesians 2:20-21)
This is also something Jesus refers to in John 17, when he prays:
Sanctify them (= make them holy) in the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17)
We are God's special people, called out of the world to be his.
Conclusion
These four attributes describe the Church as she really is now. The true Church – the church that the Nicene Creed is talking about – is one; she is holy; she is catholic; she is apostolic. Yes, we pursue unity and holiness. Yes, we hold fast to the truth of Scripture that all Christians everywhere have always believed. But the oneness, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity of the Church are not things we can change.