There is a common misunderstanding regarding the catholic church. The word “catholic” is quite often used synonymously with the Roman Catholic church. The Roman Catholic church is a particular church in the catholic church. The “Nation of Israel” or “Israel” is also not the church. Nor is the Church the “New Israel.” In addition, the church did not replace the nation of Israel either.
The church originally was “ecumenical,” which is the representation of a number of different Christian Churches. The catholic church would come together and discuss doctrine in “Ecumenical Councils.” The first seven ecumenical councils happened between 325 AD until 787 AD and are generally acknowledged in the church. The First Ecumenical Council was the “First Council of Nicaea.” The churches from Rome, Persia, Asia, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Greece, Thrace, and others were represented in the council. There was no “pope” as a supreme leader over all the church.
In 1054 AD, the Eastern Church, in Constantinople and others, split from the western church in Rome, in what is called “The Great Schism of 1054.” One reason the east split from the west was over the rejection of the supremacy of the Pope of Rome. This is when the Roman catholic church grew its identity as “The Catholic Church.” The catholic church is actually many churches throughout the world that are not solely based in Rome.
So what is the “Catholic church”?
The word “catholic” comes from the Greek word “katholikos” which means “universal.” The Greek words “kata” and “holos” used in the Greek New Testament are a more accurate explanation. These words are translated as “throughout all” in the English Bible. An example of this is in Acts.
“So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and, going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.” (Acts 9:31 NAS)
The “Church throughout all” the world is the “catholic church.” This means that God brought His salvation to all the world and not only to people centralized in the land of Israel.
The word “Church” itself has a very specific meaning. The Greek word “ekklesia” is translated to the word “Church.” The Greek word “ekklesia” is actually the word “assembly.”
“And the news about them reached the ears of the church, “Ekklesia or assembly,” at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch.” (Acts 11:22 NAS)
The word “church” is used to differentiate between an ordinary assembly of common people and the assembly of God’s people.
The Church is a promise from God in the Old Testament.
The prophets in the Old Testament wrote that God would pour His spirit upon His people.
“And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. “And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.” (Eze 36:27-28 NAS)
“And I will put My Spirit within you, and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it,” declares the LORD.'” (Eze 37:14 NAS)
God had promised beforehand that He would save those who were not called His people. Hosea prophesied that those who were not from Israel would be saved.
“And I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, And I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they will say, ‘Thou art my God!'” (Hos 2:23 NAS)
Being a descendant of Israel does not guarantee salvation. Only the remnant from the people will be saved. Isaiah wrote,
“For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, Only a remnant within them will return; A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.” (Isa 10:22 NAS)
God promised to make a New Covenant with His People. This New Covenant was fulfilled with Christ and the beginning of His church.
“Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah… “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people… “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more”… “Then the offspring of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever.” (Jer 31:31-36 NAS)
The promises in the Old Testament were fulfilled in the establishment of the church.
According to Daniel the prophet, God promised to abolish the sacrifices in the temple. The sacrifices were abolished in the temple when the nation of Israel was destroyed in 70 AD. Prior to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, Jesus said there would be no location to worship the Father; but, that true worshipers must worship in spirit and truth.
“The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:19-24 NAS)
This was the beginning of the catholic church, the assembly of God that is throughout all the world. The church was established by Christ through the apostles.
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.” (Matt 16:18 NAS)
God ordained to call unto Himself people from every nation and language. The apostle Paul wrote,
“And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. As He says also in Hosea, “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.'” “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.” And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved; for the Lord will execute His word upon the earth, thoroughly and quickly.” (Rom 9:23-28 NAS)
God is the God of all humanity. Whether a Jew who is circumcised or a Gentile who is not circumcised, God is the God of all people. God chose to save people from all nations and languages.
“For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.” (Rom 3:28-30 NAS)
Only those who are children of the promise are considered descendants. This means God choose His people not based on a person’s descendancy but on God’s choice.
“But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “through Isaac your descendants will be named.” That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.” (Rom 9:6-8 NAS)
The true Catholic Church is composed of God’s chosen people from the world.
“For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matt 22:14 NAS)
“Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. “For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” (Matt 7:13-14 NAS)
So those who are chosen by God are the true Church. The true Church is called the “Invisible” Church.
The “Invisible” Church are the chosen people of God and true believers in Christ.
The “Invisible” church are the chosen people of God who truly believe in Him. They are not impostor’s pawning themselves off as God’s people.
“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,”
(1Co 1:26-27 NAS)
“These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”
(Rev 17:14 NAS)
God chose His people and called them by the kind intention of His will. These people are called the Church.
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”
(Rom 8:28-30 NAS)
God’s chosen are called “Invisible” because they are somewhat indistinguishable in appearance between the false believers. The “Invisible” church is part of the “Visible” church. The “Visible” church are those who attend church and claim to be Christians. Some of the “Visible” may be true believers and some may not.
The “Visible” Church is the assembly of all who claim to be Christian whether true or false.
The “Visible” Church is established by Christ to preach the gospel and minister to everybody, Christian or not. God has called His people to assemble in order to preach and teach the faith.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.” (Heb 10:23-25 NAS)
The “Visible” church is a mixture of those chosen by God and those who are not. The unbelieving church patrons give an impression or “false front” that they are God’s people. The “Visible” Church can become corrupt to the point where they are no church of God at all. They are called the synagogue of Satan.
“I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” (Rev 2:9 NAS)
Even though there are so called “churches” who do not faithfully preach and believe the true faith, God will always have a true church, the Invisible Church. There is no time where there is no true chosen church of God on earth.
There is no “Pure” Church.
Just attending church does not make you a Christian.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”
(Matt 7:21-23 NAS)
There is no pure or perfect church on earth. Nobody is 100% correct on everything they teach or do. Even the most faithful church has error somewhere in it. The Westminster Confession of Faith rightly states that,
“The purest churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and error; and some have so degenerated, as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan. Nevertheless, there shall be always a church on earth, to worship God according to his will.” (WCF Ch. 25 Of the Church)
It was common for the early church to be divided with all kinds of mischief within itself. False prophets infiltrate the church constantly. It is extremely important to be well studied in the faith in order to identify the false brethren in the church and expel them quickly.
“But it was because of the false brethren who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.” (Gal 2:4 NAS)
“For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Jud 1:4 NAS)
Many false churches have popped up throughout church history. The ecumenical councils convened to eradicate false doctrines. Over time, false brethren corrupted many churches to the point of apostasy.
“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.”
(Gal 1:6-8 NAS)
This is why many Christian churches seem completely corrupt while few hold faithful to God’s Word. The holy catholic church, as confessed in the Apostles’ Creed, refers not to a specific denomination or earthly institution, but to the universal assembly of God’s chosen people throughout all nations and generations. It is composed of true believers, those called and chosen by God, who make up the invisible church, and it finds visible expression in gatherings of professing Christians. While the visible church can be flawed, divided, or even corrupted, the invisible church remains the true body of Christ on earth. Through the fulfillment of God’s promises in Christ, the church transcends ethnicity, geography, and denomination, testifying to the power of God’s Spirit, His eternal covenant, and His saving grace.