The phrase “communion of the saints” appears in the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, two foundational statements of Christian belief that date back to the early centuries of the church. But what does this short phrase actually mean? Here is an overview of the biblical basis and historical understanding of the “communion of the saints.”
The Biblical Basis
The idea of the “communion of saints” is rooted in several biblical themes:
Unity of Believers
The New Testament speaks frequently of the close spiritual bond between believers in Christ. This includes their shared connection to Christ and common experience of salvation. For example:
– “There is one body and one Spirit…one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).
– “We who are many are one body in Christ” (Romans 12:5).
– “You are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
This unity is possible because believers are indwelt by the one Holy Spirit and comprise the singular body of Christ.
Metaphors of Christian Community
The New Testament uses several metaphors to describe the close fellowship between believers. These include:
– The church as a spiritual family (1 Timothy 3:15, 1 Peter 4:17).
– The people of God (1 Peter 2:9-10).
– Branches on a vine (John 15:5).
– Sheep in a flock (John 10:16).
Each metaphor evokes ideas of belonging, care, interdependence, and shared identity found in human families and communities. The church is a spiritual community bound together in Christ.
The Obligation to Love
Christians have a special obligation to actively love and serve fellow believers. As Jesus taught:
– “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).
– “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
The close relationship between believers necessitates mutual love and service within the body of Christ.
Shared Spiritual Blessings
Every believer shares in the spiritual blessings that come from union with Christ. This includes access to God, forgiveness, eternal life, and the indwelling Holy Spirit. Paul writes that God “raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). This spiritual position and divine grace is shared by all believers.
Participation in Christ’s Sufferings
Believers also participate together in Christ’s sufferings. Peter encourages suffering Christians that “as you share in the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:13). Paul writes that “as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows” (2 Corinthians 1:5). Believers share a common experience of persecution and trial as they identify with Christ.
Mutual Responsibility and Service
Christians have a duty to build up and serve one another through acts of love and spiritual gifts. As Peter writes, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others” (1 Peter 4:10). Believers must bear each others’ burdens (Galatians 6:2), confess sins to each other (James 5:16), and “carry each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2). There is a mutual responsibility to labor for each other’s growth and welfare.
The Example of the Early Church
The practices of the apostolic early church demonstrated this close fellowship between believers. The first Christians “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). They shared meals, resources, and spiritual bonds. They saw themselves as members together of Christ’s body.
In summary, the New Testament highlights the shared spiritual life, experiences, blessings, and obligations that unite believers in Jesus Christ. This theology undergirds the historic idea of the “communion of the saints.”
Early Church History
The phrase “communion of saints” emerged in the creeds to summarize this New Testament understanding of the church. Here is some background:
Tertullian and Cyprian
Early church fathers Tertullian (c. 160 – c. 225 AD) and Cyprian (200-258 AD) spoke of the “bond of unity” and “unblemished connection” between believers. They emphasized the shared spiritual life of Christians tied together in fellowship.
Nicene Creed (325)
The Nicene Creed (325 AD) was the first ecumenical creed to include the phrase “the communion of saints.” It states that the church is “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.” The communion of saints is linked to the unity and catholicity of the worldwide church.
Apostles’ Creed (390)
Later copies of the Apostles’ Creed also added “the communion of saints.” It is listed alongside other core Christian beliefs like “the holy catholic church” and “the resurrection of the body.”
Augustine (354-430)
Augustine referred to the communion of saints as “the whole unity of the body of Christ” including both the living and the dead. He emphasized the spiritual bond believers share through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Reformation Views
Some Reformers criticized abuses and superstitions connected to the communion of saints. But they affirmed the core idea of the spiritual union of all believers. The Belgic Confession (1561 AD) called it “a community of holy persons.”
Key Elements of Meaning
Based on the creedal context and historical understanding, “communion of the saints” points to three main realities:
1. The spiritual unity of the universal church
All true believers in Jesus across time, space, and traditions share an abiding spiritual unity and fellowship in Christ. Though the visible church has divisions, there is an invisible bond of peace in the worldwide communion of saints.
2. The mutual communion of living believers
Christians have a profound spiritual fellowship with other believers in their local congregations and global connections. They share blessings, responsibilities, and life together as members of Christ’s body.
3. The connection between living and dead believers
Saints on earth remains spiritually connected to saints who have gone before through their shared relation to Jesus Christ. The communion of saints transcends time and death.
Implications for Christian Practice
This historic phrase has several implications for how Christians should live:
– It inspires awe at the amazing grace that unites sinners from all tribes and nations into Christ’s church.
– It motivates Christians to actively pursue spiritual fellowship with other believers in their local church and through partnerships between churches. The communion of the saints should be lived out in practice.
– It encourages intercession for fellow members of Christ’s body, both near and far, living and dead. Christians share a family bond.
– It promotes practicing hospitality, care, giving, and service toward other Christians in need. Practical love expresses the communion of the saints.
– It gives hope of eternal reunion with departed brothers and sisters in Christ at the resurrection. Death does not sever the connection between believers.
– It fosters greater charity, patience, and understanding between diverse Christian traditions. Unity in Christ remains under the differences.
The historic phrase “communion of the saints” offers a vivid summary of essential New Testament truths about the nature of the church. It spans the ages and unites all believers. Christians in every place and time are called to live out this rich fellowship they share in Jesus Christ.