The early christians did not call themselves catholic, they were christian. Catholic refers to the universal?

Question

church the members who were believers of Christ all around the world. Why do some christians say that the word catholic was made up somewhere in 400 a.d. when theres more then 3 sources stating the word universal church before 400 a.d. most notably Ignatius of Antioch... which all christian theologians except as a good source... so why do you claim the word catholic wasn't used until 400a.d.?

Answer 1

The Catholic Church has referred to itself as the “Catholic Church” at least since 107 AD, when the term appears in the Letter of St. Ignatius of Antioch to the Smyrnaeans:

Wherever the bishop appear, there let the multitude be; even as wherever Christ Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church.

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-smyrnaeans-hoole.html

All of this was long before the Council of Nicea and the Nicene Creed from 325 A.D. which states, "We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church."

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Best answer so far is father K, thanks father.

Those who first followed Christ were called followers of The Way. But does that mean Christian and Catholic are not also valid? Of course not. In the city Antioch where they are first call Christian they all are members of the Catholic Church. The Christian Church was proclaimed the Catholic Church by bishop Ignatius of Antioch circa 100AD if you don't believe me just check out Christian history sometime read the Church Fathers.

One more thing find me any of the following in the bible, Evanglelical Christian Church, Baptist Church, Anglical Church, Methodist Church, Lutheran Church, PentecostalChurch, SDA Church, JW organization, Mormon Church, Nazerean Church, Assembly of God Church, Calvery Chapel Church and so on and so on and so on.

Roman Catholics are Christian get use to it!

Answer 3

No idea why they do.

The first known recorded reference of "Catholic" was that of St. Ignatius of Antioch( 107 AD):

"Wherever the bishop appears, let the people be there; just as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."

That's a LONG time before 400 A.D, don't ya think guys?

Answer 4

Most of the people who deny Saint Ignatius ever used the term "Catholic" are the types who believe the Catholic Church originated through Constantine in the 300s.

As you can see, those two claims are incompatible. By admitting that Saint Ignatius coined the phrase "Catholic", they would be debunking their belief that Catholicism originated with Constantine.

Answer 5

Christians got several sects, the earliest ones is Byzantine but its vanished from the Earth after Islam seiged Constantinople and Hagia Sophia. Then, Rome establishes new sect that is Roman Catholics while eastern Europe founds Orthodox. After Reinassance, British Empire constitutes Protestant later Lutheranian by Martin Luther King which being practice widely in Sweden & Norway. Nowadays, Christians develop missionaries including Methodist, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormon & etc

Answer 6

It does NOT mean "universal". It is a combination of two Greek words KATH = "according to" and HOLOS or HOLON = "the whole".

Catholic means = "according to the whole".

It means what the Creeds, St. Ignatius and all the rest of the Apostolic Fathers meant it to mean:

The Church is ONE (undivided) HOLY (indwelt with the Holy Spirit) CATHOLIC (WHOLE) and APOSTOLIC (in the line of Succession with the Apostles.)

Ignatius was right: "Where the Bishop is, there let the people assemble - as (it is) where Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church (The Bishop - "Episkopos" - is the Apostolic Link to the Resurrection)"

Answer 7

Umm; read the Book. they didn't call themselves Christian, either. the celebrated on Shabbat; they ate kosher food & studied Torah.
Read what the Book says; not what tradition teaches.