Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace. Ephesians 4:3
The Unity of the Spirit refers to the Peace of Messiah Given in our hearts by the Spirit which Grows when the True Faith is preached.
In The Apostles' Creed, read in nearly all Churches today, there is the Statement:
"One Holy Church"
The "Apostles Creed" has been retranslated several times and you may have heard, "One Holy and Catholic Church" (Catholic means "Universal as One", not "Roman Catholic"), or you may have heard "One Holy and Apostolic Church" ("Apostolic" does not mean U.P.C.).
The Apostles' Creed was written about 150 A.D. It was not written by the Apostles as some may have been taught, but because of Gnostic doctrines attempting to creep into the "One Holy Church". What does "One Holy Church" actually mean?
THE CHURCH REALLY WAS "ONE HOLY CHURCH" AT ONE TIME?
People may not be aware that when the Apostles' Creed said, "One Holy Church", there actually was just "One Holy Church": no "Denominations", "separate sects", "other ways of looking at Scripture", "added Books", "revelations", "prophecies" that might add to Scripture, or anything else in the way of "division". There was only "One Holy Church". That is what the Apostles' Creed meant when it said: "One Holy Church".
When the Apostle John wrote:
"They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but [they went out] that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us." I John 2:19[1]
The verse also applied to anyone who sought to depart from the "One Holy Church" with some "new idea" or "new interpretation" that was not held in common by all the early Churches. Guess what. They all knew what the Greek New Testament said about "other new revelations", "added books", etc. They could read, write and speak Greek the same as any school student or English-speaking person today would read a newspaper, or better! The Bishops (Pastors) were even more studiued in Koine Greek and knew exactly what it said, and what it didn't say. They spoke it every day! That is why we can look to what they wrote in the early centuries as very authoritative. They knew the language and its real meaning, for the most part, better than any of us.
Many who read the Apostles Creed today have no idea that they may be in violation of the Creed itself. They might be told, "it only means be a part of our Denomination", or "if you just believe the Bible it means you". Their teachers just "skip over" the part about the "One Holy Church" and say it means something else other than what it really meant originally when the Apostles' Creed was written.
Others may be taking great satisfaction in having memorized the Apostles Creed. but they may have overlooked one very important part of the Creed: "One Holy Church".
They may have been taught "it means them" and so "let's just forget about it", or "let's bury our doctrinal differences and just love everybody". All these things are false teachings.
While reading or reciting the Apostles' Creed itself, some may be naively led to believe their "group" is "included", while they really may not be "included" at all! The doctrines they may hold may actually be at total variance with the "One Holy Church" in the Apostles' Creed is specifically referring to! Some of their "pet doctines" may have been actually Ruled Heresies BY the "One Holy Church" spoken of in the very Apostles' Creed which they take such pride and boast themselves in memorizing and reciting! They however, go right along assuming they are "O.K.".
Furthermore, anyone led to believe that when they read the New Testament they are reading exactly as those who read it in the First Century Church and they do not bring with them traditions that influence its interpretation, are living in an illusion.
HOW CAN WE KNOW WHAT IS RIGHT?
If the doctrines that a person holds as "true Christianity" vastly differ from the Original Doctrines held by the "One Holy Church" when it was "One Holy Church" they may in fact be deceived.
What persons may be taught could have been "made up" over a century or even a millenium later and not Original Christianity at all; in fact, certain doctrines may be exactly the reverse? Yes, this is exactly what has happened in some cases.
HOW COULD THERE HAVE EVER BEEN JUST "ONE HOLY CHURCH"?
In the First 5 Centuries of the Churchs' existence, all the Churches, which were based in each major city, were all in Doctrinal Agreement. There was total Agreement on every Major Doctrine of the New Testament.[2]
For anyone to "split off" and start calling themselves "the real church" was unthinkable. There were no "separate churches" let alone "Denominations". Separate from "the world", yes, but not separated from the "One Holy Church" and its Original Doctrines and Rulings.
During the First 5 Centuries, there were no "doctrinal differences" in the main, because all the Churches communicated directly with each other and decided what was Doctrinally sound (true doctrine) and what was not. There was a consensus in the "One Holy Church". If anyone arose with a different interpretation of ther Scriptures than the one which the Churches all held in common, there might be Councils or Synods called to accurately determine whether or not the teaching was in fact true, or false.
THE "ONE HOLY CHURCH" KEPT ERROR AND HERESY AWAY
Let's go over again what the Apostles' Creed actually meant when it said "One Holy Church".
The "One Holy Church" (it means nothing else) of the Apostles' Creed simply meant the consensus of all the True Assemblies which were truly "One Holy Church" which sought to keep Original Christianity Pure and free from error and heresy. The Original "One Holy Church" acted together to identify and judge error and heresy as it appeared.
In the First 5 Centuries, each Congregation of the "One Holy Church" acted together to make sure Original Christianity was preserved and passed down to the next generation intact. The same way it had been received by them.
Here are some of the Rulings from then and later which identified both the HERESY AND DEFENSES for the Faith to maintain "One Holy Church".
The next time you read or hear of "The Apostles' Creed" remember that it speaks of no "Denominations" or "separate sects", but only the "One Holy Church" when the Churches were all in Agreement in the First 5 Centuries of the True Church, before there was any "pope".
PEOPLE OF G-D MINISTRIES
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FOOTNOTES
[1
Some Gentile teachers have said, "the Jews rejected their Messiah" but the New Testament clearly says otherwise. As a matter of fact, they sought to crown Him King after the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes. Possibly tens of thousands of Jews believed at that time, and many more later and in every generation since.
[2
Luther, Calvin, Knox and others didn't seek any "new doctrines" to make a "whole new church" called "the Protestant church" as they were accused. They hoped to Reform the existing Church and cause it to return to Original Christianity: by teaching what the "One Holy Church" had handed-down and always stood for since day one.