Bible saying to follow Catholic Church

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Are there any verses in the Bible that say people should follow the Catholic Church? Or that we’re not saved outside the Catholic Church?
 
The term “Catholic” is a later development (Ignatius of Antioch 110 AD who was a disciple of John). It is the monicker by which Christ’s true Church came to be known. Of course there are a number of passages which speak of us as one body, the Church.1 Corinthians 12:26-28 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

Ephesians 1:22-23 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of** the church, his body, of which he is the Savior**.:o
 
As posted above, the term Catholic is not found in the Bible. The only term for believers in Christ that is given in the Bible is Christian. However, as Christianity spread and time went on, there were those people who, though they called them selfs Christians, were really wolves in sheeps clothing (i.e. the heretics). In fact, St. Cyril of Jerusalem (315) wrote that “if thou should be in foreign cities, do not simply ask where is the church (kyriakon), for the heresies of the impious try to call their caves kyriaka, nor simply where is the Church (ekklesia), but where is the Catholic Church, for this is the proper name of this holy Mother of all”. Again, this was because there were those that were claiming to be called Christians, but weren’t.
Though the word Catholic is not mentioned in the Bible, that does not mean that Christ did not establish the Catholic Church, or a church period. Many people claim that Jesus just came to earth to give us the gospel (good news) of salvation. He rather came to establish his church, and through his church he wanted to spread his gospel. In Matt. 16:18 Jesus says “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church”. Jesus said a singular church, not churches, or a group of believers that will constitute a church, but a singular church, Christ’s Church, the Catholic Church. I hope this helps!
 
Thank you for your replys. How does one know to follow a visible church instead of a Protestant type of church based simply on belief?
 
A visible hierarchy was instituted by God in the OT. See Num 27:
16 “Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 17 who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.”
18 And the LORD said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; 19 set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. 20 And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. 21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the LORD for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.”
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Protestant Doctrine would demand that there is no longer any visible hierarchy to which we are to be obedient to on earth. Yet, they would agree we must be obedient to the rulings of the fallen, sinful apostles who wrote the bible. So, when did this hierarchy, established by God on earth, cease to be? Cite from the bible only please.
 
bmadamsberry said:
As posted above, the term Catholic is not found in the Bible.
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Actually, the name “Catholic Church” is in the Bible, in the Greek text of Acts 9:31 (google [ekklesia Kath olos] which is usually translated as “church throughout all”, if you didn’t know this).
 
Church throughout all might mean Catholic, but I think that original poster was looking for the actual word Catholic. Such as “Jesus established a Catholic Church” or “Jesus established the Catholic Church”. But, that is just how I inturpreted it. And I was correct that the word itself does not appear, but I also understand what you’re saying and I agree.
 
Of course the word “Catholic” itself does not appear… the New Testament was written in Greek not English 🙂

What does appear, in Greek, is “ekklesia Kath olos”. The process by which “ekklesia Kath olos” became “ekklesia Katholos” is the same as the process by which (for example) “electronic mail” became “e-mail” became “email”.

As for whether there any verses in the Bible that say people should follow the Catholic Church, there are verses which say that Jesus founded a Church upon Peter the Rock, there are verses which say “The person who listens to you listens to me, and the person who rejects you rejects me. The person who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” We know, from history, that the Church which Jesus founded had the rudiments of what we see in the Catholic Church today – papacy, hierarchy, priesthood, sacraments, and teaching authority – so, yes.
 
aball1035 said:
Are there any verses in the Bible that say people should follow the Catholic Church?
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The Bible does not say directly that we must follow the Church that Jesus Christ established.
Why, do you think Jesus should have had to?
 
Jesus said that we all have to enter heaven through the narrow door, not the wide door that leads to hell. So we all have to get in the same way. However, my parish priest said in a sermon that the parable of the Good Samaritan means that a pagan or non-Christian can go to heaven by living according to the spirit of the Gospel. Normally we need to receive the sacraments.
 
Well, that Catholic Church doesn’t say who goes to hell, because they leave that judgement for G-d. So your priest is mostly right.
 
Luke 10:16 “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me”
 
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