What are the four marks of the Church as described?

What are the four marks of the Church as described?

• A. United, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic.
• B. Great, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic.
• C. United, Holy, Local, Apostolic.
• D. United, Holy, Catholic, Episcopal.

Answer: (A)

The four marks describe how the Church is really meant to be: united in faith, holy by grace, universal in mission, and rooted in the teaching of the apostles. In this sense, the option that includes United (capturing the oneness of the Church) along with Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic best matches the traditional fourfold description. One emphasizes the church’s oneness in doctrine and communion; Holy shows that Christ makes the Church holy and continues to sanctify its members; Catholic (universal) means the Church is open to all people and is present everywhere; Apostolic points to the Church’s foundation on the Apostles and its uninterrupted teaching authority through apostolic succession. The other choices misname or omit one of these essential qualities, such as using a nontraditional term like Great, or attributing Local or Episcopal as marks rather than the universal, apostolic nature of the Church.

The four marks describe how the Church is really meant to be: united in faith, holy by grace, universal in mission, and rooted in the teaching of the apostles. In this sense, the option that includes United (capturing the oneness of the Church) along with Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic best matches the traditional fourfold description.

One emphasizes the church’s oneness in doctrine and communion; Holy shows that Christ makes the Church holy and continues to sanctify its members; Catholic (universal) means the Church is open to all people and is present everywhere; Apostolic points to the Church’s foundation on the Apostles and its uninterrupted teaching authority through apostolic succession.

The other choices misname or omit one of these essential qualities, such as using a nontraditional term like Great, or attributing Local or Episcopal as marks rather than the universal, apostolic nature of the Church.