One of the most common problems that many Christians face today is knowing which churches they should embrace as part of the catholic or universal church of Christ. One helpful solution to this difficulty can be found in the three traditional marks of the church. Essentially, the marks enable Christians to distinguish genuine congregations of the visible catholic church from impostor congregations.

The marks of the church were absolutely necessary in order to find out where the church is, because in reality, anything could call itself a church. In points of great theological crisis, such as in the Reformation of the 16th century, the question is where is the true church to be found? And thus the reformers, for instance, most carefully defined the marks of the church by saying, well, it’s not the sign out front. It’s not the architecture of the building. It’s whether or not, first of all, there is the preaching of the Word of God. Wherever there is the right preaching of the Word of God, there is a church. Wherever the ordinances and the sacraments are found rightly administered, there is the church. Later marks included especially, the discipline of the church, and understanding that without that mark of discipline the purity of the church is surrendered and thus the church eventually is surrendered in terms of its integrity and identity. [Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr.]

There is no church or denomination that has an exclusive claim to the possession, interpretation, application or proclamation of the Word of God. Some churches and denominations claim to have the exclusive right to interpret and teach Scripture. Some claim to have special enlightenment that makes their understanding of the Bible truer than all others. But no church perfectly manifests any of the marks, including the preaching of the Word. God has given the Bible to the whole visible church. And he has given the whole visible church his Holy Spirit to help us understand the Bible. Moreover, Scripture exhorts the whole visible church to read, to understand, and to teach God’s Word.

It is the privilege and responsibility of every congregation within the visible church to administer the sacraments according to the Scriptures. We see this in the Great Commission’s command to baptize in Matthew 28:19, and in Paul’s teaching on baptism in 1 Corinthians 1:13-17. We also see it in Jesus’ institution of the Lord’s Supper in Luke 22:15-20, where the Lord indicated that the supper was for his entire kingdom, for all those who were included under his covenant headship. Passages like these are the reason that most Protestant churches recognize and affirm the sacraments of other churches and denominations.

No Christian enjoys exercising formal church discipline, especially excommunication. And this has often led churches to avoid the use of formal discipline. Even so, discipline has its place. There are times when a person’s sin is so troublesome that it must be addressed through discipline — especially when it endangers the church and its reputation. At times like this, discipline is intended both to protect the church and to drive the offender to repentance. Scriptural grounds for formal discipline can be found in passages such as Matthew 16:19, and we see it practiced in passages like 1 Corinthians 5:1-13. Because the entire visible church belongs to Christ and represents him on earth, it’s important for every part of the visible church to protect Christ’s people and to defend his honor through the proper exercise of church discipline.

The marks of the church are still important for us to consider today. They help us ensure that our own congregations remain within the boundaries of the visible catholic church, in covenant with God under the headship of Christ. They also help us identify impostors and enemies of the church, so that we can warn Christians away from such groups, and so that we can proclaim to the world that these false groups do not represent our Lord and his gospel. They can also encourage us to work across denominational lines as we engage in ministry. When we recognize that the body of Christ is not limited to our churches or denominations, but extends universally throughout the world wherever the gospel of Christ is proclaimed, we can be encouraged to embrace everyone who is part of the visible church.