Relating to the catholic/universal church
Mahtani argues for recognizing and relating to believers in the universal church of Christ across denominational lines, grounding this practice in the Apostles' Creed confession of "an holy catholic church." While maintaining doctrinal vigilance and acknowledging that formal ecclesiastical ties may not be appropriate, he contends that genuine spiritual fellowship with confessing Christians outside one's own denomination reflects a proper understanding of God's universal church and should move beyond mere lip service to active relationship.
In my last article on the church catholic or universal (Jan. 1, 2018, SB, v. 94, p. 156), I addressed the need to recognize that the church redeemed by Christ is made up of all God's elect people from different places, races, and faces -- of difference nations, vocations, and denominations. Our weekly confession of this in the Apostles' Creed should be more than habitual speech; we ought rather to believe sincerely that God preserves the existence of such a people here in this world, including...
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