A Catholic Spirit

By Pastor Randy Booth

I want to introduce myself. I am the pastor of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church of Nacogdoches, Texas. My wife and I have lived and ministered here for a little over four and a half years, and we have greatly enjoyed the Nacogdoches community. My ancestors have roots in this area dating back to the 1840s, and my father grew up on North Street. One of the blessings we have enjoyed about this area is its distinctively Christian aroma. Like every community in our country there are plenty of problems and sins to deal with, yet there remains here an underlying Christian spirit. I hope and pray that we can work together to develop an even greater catholic spirit among like-minded Christians.

Now I am not referring to “Roman Catholic,” as a separate branch of the Christian Church; that would be “Catholic” with a capital “C.” Rather I am referring to “catholicity,” or the quality of being universal. In other words, there is really only one Church of Jesus Christ, not many. Certainly, some groups have claimed exclusivity for themselves, but I am contending for a somewhat broader understanding of what it means to be Christian. It is possible to maintain and advance our distinctives while recognizing other legitimately Christian churches that may not see things the same way we do. This is not relativism; it is maturity. The Bible demands a charitable and catholic spirit.

Many Christian churches recite, or have in their church documents the Nicene or Apostles’ Creeds. These universal or catholic statements of faith unite the Christian Church through the ages. Clearly, Christians differ over many details, but in these broader statements of faith we can find common ground with one another. Jesus Christ is the foundation of Christianity: “No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11). This is the heart of our Christian faith.

Jesus prayed for the unity of His people in the seventeenth chapter of John. He wanted all of His people to be one. It often seems that Christianity is so fractured that this prayer could never be fulfilled. Unfortunately, we are frequently better known for our divisions than for our unity. It might even be difficult for us to believe that the Church can be united. But I do believe that Jesus will have His prayer answered. He was not engaged in naïve or wishful thinking.

Of course, unity apart from truth is not desirable. God’s Word sanctifies us from the world and unto God (John 17:17). This is why unity can never be accomplished apart from the infallible, authoritative Scriptures. All attempts at catholicity that seek to ignore this foundation will fail. We can be tolerant and patient with people who are ignorant, but not with people who are rebellious. Scripture alone is the basis for genuine unity in Christ’s church.

There is but one Church of Jesus Christ—one covenant people of God—“One Lord, one faith, one baptism…” (Eph. 2); one household of God (1 Tim. 3:15); one olive tree (Rom. 11); one church united around faith in Christ and belief in His Word. Jesus says in this passage that the kind of unity or oneness He is praying for is very visible, even to the world.  In fact, based on what people see regarding this unity or lack thereof, men will see the truth of the Christian faith.

Central to the catholic spirit is love (John 17:24-26). “God is love,” and it is in loving one another that the oneness of the church is publicly expressed. “By this shall all men know that you are My disciples…” The oneness of the Christian community presents a common front to the world, whereby we exert appropriate power and influence. “The spirit of unity and the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-6). Love of the brethren—this is the chief distinctive of all genuine Christians.

If there is to be unity among the saints, we must begin with humility. Even the purest churches under heaven are subject to some error. This should lead us to a healthy humility. Do we want to correct the doctrinal error of others? Then we will have to be near them. Do we want our own doctrinal error corrected? Then we will have to be near them. We can maintain our distinctives while advancing our unity. Our fellows Christians are not our enemies; they are our brothers.

Classification of some sort is essential. The categories of blond-haired people, self-taught people, two-income people, and gregarious people are relevant categories. The fact that these categories have fuzzy edges, and the fact that they can be used for foolish or malicious purposes, does not detract from their usefulness. Moreover, we cannot avoid the more essential classifications. As we develop a more catholic mindset toward one another, we must learn to think in different categories. Who are “our people”? Ask this of a room full of people and how long will it be before someone says, “Christians”?  People will usually identify with race, ethnicity, nationality, geography, political party, and even sports teams before they do the Church of Jesus Christ—but we are Christians first! The most practical application of this calling to unity is genuine charity toward our brothers.

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