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IGotQuestions
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And what did the church look like before 312 AD?
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Joe_5859
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The same as it did after.
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gilliam
Guest
No, the Church was in existence prior to Constantine
Read the Acts of the Apostles for an idea of what the Church was like before 312 AD.
There was a strong Church prior to the Council of Nicea. Note by far the majority of Christians for a long time prior to Nicea believed that Jesus was God (the Da Vinici code is pure fiction when denying this by the way.) Most beliefs as we know them now had been set for awhile prior to the council.
The council in 312 AD was held partially because there was a Christian named Arius who said that Jesus was the first being created by God, that Jesus was a divine being created by God, that Jesus created the entire world but that there was a time when he didn’t exist. And the Council of Nicea took up that issue, about whether Jesus was a created being or whether he was co-eternal with God the Father.
Noticing there was some division within the Church about this issue. Constantine was the Emperor at the time and did not want division in the Church. A synod of bishops was formed to see what issues there were inside the church and recommended the council. Constantine wanted Christianity to be a unifying force not a dividing one; so he called the council. Constantine had nothing else to do with what happened at the council.
The council voted overwhelmingly that Jesus was co-eternal with the Father (the vote wasn’t even close.)
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Peebo
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I thought Jesus Christ started the Catholic Church when he said …" You are Peter…and upon this rock I will build MY church.
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gilliam
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He did.
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SonOfMan
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How do you reasonably know that it was the Catholic Church that he started with that statement?
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gilliam
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BartholomewB
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Prior to 312, Christianity was one religion among many in the Roman Empire and Christians were often persecuted for their refusal to honor the pagan gods. The Church had no official standing in that period. In the course of Constantine’s 25-year reign (312-337), the Church first became officially tolerated, so that Christians became entitled, for the first time, to government protection against their persecutors. At a later stage, Constantine raised Christianity to the status of the official religion of the Empire, replacing the worship of Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and the other gods of antiquity.
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SonOfMan
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Other Churches have Apostolic succession too. Why is it only Rome’s succession that matters?
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gilliam
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The question was how do we know we are the Church that Christ founded? And the way is because we can trace our roots back to Peter.
I can’t explain what others believe.
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ComplineSanFran
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I find interesting the different communities of Christians, or followers of ‘the Way.’ So many groups and visions of what following Jesus was about.
My particular fascination is with the Gentiles vs the Jews. There were Jews who were followers of Jesus who wanted to remain Jewish. The traditional Jewish structure (both Temple and post-Temple times) didn’t know what to do with these revolters.
Fascinating to study early Christian history. Full of strife and disagreements. But that is how they began to sort out who they were and who they were not.
My particular fascination is with the Gentiles vs the Jews. There were Jews who were followers of Jesus who wanted to remain Jewish. The traditional Jewish structure (both Temple and post-Temple times) didn’t know what to do with these revolters.
Fascinating to study early Christian history. Full of strife and disagreements. But that is how they began to sort out who they were and who they were not.
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Peebo
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gilliam
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All you have to do is read the Acts of the Apostles to realize that.
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Loving_disciple
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Yes there was a split in the orignal Church about 100" years ago but both are founded by Christ. Outside of these all others are heretical
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estesbob
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No.
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JerryZ
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Constantine was a Roman Emperor, had he founded any church it would probably have been names “Constantine church” not Catholic or Christian. Emperors of Rome declared themselves to BE, gods. Worthy of ADORATION.
So, NO Constantine did not start the Catholic Church.
It was started by the son of virgin, adopted son of a Carpenter who was killed by the romans in aprox. 33 AD whom by the power of GOD resuscitated from the dead on the 3rd day of his crucifixion.
His Church has spread to the 4 corners of the planet, counts more than 5 billion followers, all under the care of HIS steward, left for our comfort and guidance, the successor of St. Peter, the Pope who now is Francis.
…
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The_Wizard
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Sorry, BartholomewB, the statement above is incorrect. Nicene Christianity became the state church of the Roman Empire with the Edict of Thessalonica in AD 380, when Emperor Theodosius I made it the Empire’s sole authorized religion. Unlike Constantine I, who with the Edict of Milan of 313 AD had established tolerance for Christianity without placing it above other religions.
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fasolislithuan
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Constantine never was catholic. He was pagan but was baptized arian days before his death. He not even started arian heresy…
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gilliam
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That’s a myth. Constantine was not an Arian. The bishop that baptized him had sympathy for Arianism but the bishop signed what was established by the Council of Nicea and Constantine wasn’t a believer in Arianism. The council he called voted that Arianism was a heresy. Constantine was baptized a Christian (Catholic)
See my post here
forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=13145357&postcount=3
And an article that specifically debukes this myth here
johnsanidopoulos.com/2012/05/was-constantine-great-baptized-arian.html
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johnnyc176
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The first known mention of the Catholic Church in the written word was by St. Ignatius of Antioch around 107 AD and it was not an introduction. It was mentioned as if people already called it the Catholic Church for some time.
catholic.com/quickquestions/what-were-christians-called-before-st-ignatius-of-antioch-referred-to-them-as-catholi
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