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Paris_Blues
Guest
Is that true that there never was a single church that was Catholic? Or was there? 
I’m getting confused by what I’m reading and what I hear.
I’m getting confused by what I’m reading and what I hear.
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Della
Guest
The Catholic Church always was one Church since Pentecost 33 AD. Paul wrote that the body of Christ is one in faith and one in baptism. All the “churches” (we would say parishes these days) mentioned in the Bible were started by and/or formed by the Apostles. They were all one in faith and baptism–they all believed the same things and they all baptized converts. However, from the beginning there were persons not sent by the Apostles who tried to co-op the newly forming parishes for their own agendas to push their own ends. This fulfilled the parable of the wheat and the tares in which Jesus warned that the Church would always have heretics within it. Such heretics hardly constituted a separate and legitimate Church also founded by Christ. If you read the problems the early Church had with these people in the NT, it is obvious that they were not separate but equal but seen by the Apostles as sent by the devil to try to destroy the unity of the Church. Attacks of this sort continued down through the centuries and to this very day, but the Catholic Church founded by Christ is still one in faith and baptism just as Christ promised it would be.
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RattleSnake
Guest
Paris,
I keep reading your “I am confused” posts… (which is fine)
However, do yourself a favor… GO GET THESE TWO BOOKS.
I keep reading your “I am confused” posts… (which is fine)
However, do yourself a favor… GO GET THESE TWO BOOKS.
- Four Witnesses
- Jurgen’s the early Church Fathers
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Thal59
Guest
The first century church referred to themselves as Christians.
St. Ignatius of Antioch, around 105 AD., encouraged the Christians to stick with their Bishops if they wished to be true to the apostolic teachings. (As compared to the nonsense of the heretics.) It was St. Ignatius who first referred to the apostolic church as “Catholic.”
So, there were Christians who, after the expression of Ignatius later called themselves Catholic to maintain between themselves the difference between a member of the apostolic church, or someone who was in schism via the heretical false teachers.
The problem you are having is that you are reading too much mush from the Protestants who have an utter contempt for history and reality. It seems to be a pet hobby of theirs lately to rewrite history. (Before, they simply ignored it.) When that approach didn’t work, they decided to revise it. So now, suddenly, the “original” church of the apostles was Ana-Baptist, Eastern Orthodox, Paulinian…etc., and Roman Catholicism came later as a man-made invention.
Ignore the nonsense from the Protestant camps. You are in the Apostolic Church of Christ.
History can only be rewritten on paper, not in reality.
Thal59
St. Ignatius of Antioch, around 105 AD., encouraged the Christians to stick with their Bishops if they wished to be true to the apostolic teachings. (As compared to the nonsense of the heretics.) It was St. Ignatius who first referred to the apostolic church as “Catholic.”
So, there were Christians who, after the expression of Ignatius later called themselves Catholic to maintain between themselves the difference between a member of the apostolic church, or someone who was in schism via the heretical false teachers.
The problem you are having is that you are reading too much mush from the Protestants who have an utter contempt for history and reality. It seems to be a pet hobby of theirs lately to rewrite history. (Before, they simply ignored it.) When that approach didn’t work, they decided to revise it. So now, suddenly, the “original” church of the apostles was Ana-Baptist, Eastern Orthodox, Paulinian…etc., and Roman Catholicism came later as a man-made invention.
Ignore the nonsense from the Protestant camps. You are in the Apostolic Church of Christ.
History can only be rewritten on paper, not in reality.
Thal59
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scylla
Guest
There has always been people rebelling against the Church, but there has always been one Church. It is historically correct and logically correct. There is absolutely no proof of a hidden Church or a collection of Churches all independant (a la protestant version of what is today) with no unity.
You can go to britannica.com/ look up Cephas and it should give you a good secular explanation.
If you read the Church Fathers you will see the first instance of the Church being called Catholic by Ignatius of Antioch in about 105AD. Continuing through the ages you see the term used to describe the Church until now. You see the first major division started about 1054 and really was divided about the 1450’s, then Martin Luther came along and the rest is what you see today.
I think about 85 years ago a guy came up with a theory called the trail of blood which tried to give a sort of new history to the Baptist Church, saying it was founded by John the Baptist and perpetuated through the ages secretly, and persecuted by the Catholic Church.
This might be what some people would cite as their history, I don’t know what they would base their doctrines on, as the canon of the Bible wasn’t created until well after their supposed existance. Unless they stayed separate from the Church, then accepted the canon of the Bible from the Church, and then took that as their base for their beliefs.
You can go to britannica.com/ look up Cephas and it should give you a good secular explanation.
If you read the Church Fathers you will see the first instance of the Church being called Catholic by Ignatius of Antioch in about 105AD. Continuing through the ages you see the term used to describe the Church until now. You see the first major division started about 1054 and really was divided about the 1450’s, then Martin Luther came along and the rest is what you see today.
I think about 85 years ago a guy came up with a theory called the trail of blood which tried to give a sort of new history to the Baptist Church, saying it was founded by John the Baptist and perpetuated through the ages secretly, and persecuted by the Catholic Church.
This might be what some people would cite as their history, I don’t know what they would base their doctrines on, as the canon of the Bible wasn’t created until well after their supposed existance. Unless they stayed separate from the Church, then accepted the canon of the Bible from the Church, and then took that as their base for their beliefs.
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Paris_Blues
Guest
Of course it is! 
I was reading “Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth” and it confirmed to me:
**The Church Is One (Rom. 12:5, 1 Cor. 10:17, 12:13, CCC 813–822)
Jesus established only one Church, not a collection of differing churches (Lutheran, Baptist, Anglican, and so on). The Bible says the Church is the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:23–32). Jesus can have but *one *spouse, and his spouse is the Catholic Church.
His Church also teaches just one set of doctrines, which must be the same as those taught by the apostles (Jude 3). This is the unity of belief to which Scripture calls us (Phil. 1:27, 2:2).**
All right, I understand! No more asking on this subjec! LOL! Just turn to the “Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth” for answers!
I was reading “Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth” and it confirmed to me:**The Church Is One (Rom. 12:5, 1 Cor. 10:17, 12:13, CCC 813–822)
Jesus established only one Church, not a collection of differing churches (Lutheran, Baptist, Anglican, and so on). The Bible says the Church is the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:23–32). Jesus can have but *one *spouse, and his spouse is the Catholic Church.
His Church also teaches just one set of doctrines, which must be the same as those taught by the apostles (Jude 3). This is the unity of belief to which Scripture calls us (Phil. 1:27, 2:2).**
All right, I understand! No more asking on this subjec! LOL! Just turn to the “Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth” for answers!
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dumspirospero
Guest
YOu need to do some serious reading…there are several books out there you can start with…there are a lot of them you can buy from Catholic Answers Shop…I suggest you do a lot of reading, because I have read all of your post, and it doesn’t seem to me you are clear about anything regarding Catholicism…Im not trying to be rude here…I promise All I am saying is that you have a lot to learn and the best thing you can do is read…Read Acts of the Apostles, Romans, St. Paul, Aquinas, some other fathers of the Church…then try some Hahn, Madrid, and Akin…and I think you will have a firm grasp on Catholicism…then you can use the forums to fill in the gaps…just my 2 cents…Good luck on your journey.
Paris Blues:
All I am saying is that you have a lot to learn and the best thing you can do is read…Read Acts of the Apostles, Romans, St. Paul, Aquinas, some other fathers of the Church…then try some Hahn, Madrid, and Akin…and I think you will have a firm grasp on Catholicism…then you can use the forums to fill in the gaps…just my 2 cents…Good luck on your journey.Paris Blues:
Is that true that there never was a single church that was Catholic? Or was there?
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Paris_Blues
Guest
I have read a book that I got free from this cool site: and I even ordered the one about Mary so I can learn more about her too! However, I am kinda tight on money so can’t really go out and buy a lot stuff :nope: but I’ll see what I can do. I keep on forgeting to read the books I got from RCIA too!YOu need to do some serious reading…there are several books out there you can start with…there are a lot of them you can buy from Catholic Answers Shop…I suggest you do a lot of reading, because I have read all of your post, and it doesn’t seem to me you are clear about anything regarding Catholicism…Im not trying to be rude here…I promise
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dumspirospero
Guest
Let me know what you need…I may know some people including myself that have some books laying around that we could mail you. Also…someone sent me this link a while back…check it out…it is supposed to be a place to swap religious books, items, etc…also, people sometimes offer to give things away…Maybe you can find some reading materials on there…I am not sure if it is a Catholic or Protestant site…or it could be for both…check it out.
groups.yahoo.com/group/freebiesanddonations/
YOu will have to become a member of the site.
Paris Blues:
groups.yahoo.com/group/freebiesanddonations/
YOu will have to become a member of the site.
Paris Blues:
I have read a book that I got free from this cool site: and I even ordered the one about Mary so I can learn more about her too! However, I am kinda tight on money so can’t really go out and buy a lot stuff :nope: but I’ll see what I can do. I keep on forgeting to read the books I got from RCIA too!
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