THE ONE, TRUE CHURCH

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.                   
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, was Crucified,  and Resurrected.                                       
I believe in the Holy Spirit.                                                                                                            
I believe in the Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.                                                         
I believe in the resurrection of the body.                                                                               
I believe in life everlasting,    Amen.


CC 2 …. Biblical Images of the Church
Which images does the Bible use to describe the Church ?
In order to explain the mystery of the Church, Christ employed many images.  He compared the Church to a ‘flock’ or to a ‘fold’, guided, led by one shepherd (Jn. 10, 1 – 10).
Another time He calls her a ‘vine’ (Jn. 15, 5), or a ‘field’ (Mt. 13, 24 ff).                                                                                                                                                                                               St.Paul uses the image of the ‘household’  to emphasis the organic structure of the Church (Eph. 2, 19 – 22)
The Church is also called ‘the dwelling place of God with man’ (Rev. 21, 3),   ‘the Holy Temple of God’  (Eph. 2, 21),                                                                                         ‘the Holy City of God’ (Rev. 21, 2).   

 ‘How does St.John describe the true Church ?’

In the Book of revelations (21, 10 – 14), St.John gives a description of the Church of all time; the Church of yesterday, the Church of today and the Church  of always.  This church travels her pilgrims way down the centuries, through struggles, blood sheds and victories, heroism and betrayals, boldness and cowardice.
But, this same Church is based on the foundation – rock of the Apostles.
So the TRUE Church is APOSTOLIC: founded on the “Apostles of the Lamb” ((Rev. 21, 14)

IN BRIEF
•    The Church, which gathers all the children of god together, is born of God, it is the instrument of Christ for the salvation of mankind.

•    In order to explain the mystery of the Church, the Bible uses several images: “vine”, “household”, “flock”, “Body of Christ” etc.

•    The true Church is not founded on the Bible (New Testament).     The New Testament is a report, account about the foundation and life of the early Church.

•    It was Christ Himself who founded, personally, His Church on living men, the Apostles.  (Rev. 21, 14)

•    The Bible is the official record (like a history book) of the foundingand initial expansion of the Church.  The Church precedes the New Testament, as much as any event precedes its report in the papers or in books.

•    It is not the Bible which gives origin to the Church. Rather it is  Christ Himself who, building it on living men, made the Apostles the official witnesses and messengers of the Bible.    /CC3                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Extracts taken from the Book, and by kind persmission of HG. Mons. Sylvester Magro ofm, Apostolic Nuncio of Benghazi.