How can Protestants claim to be in Christ's Church?

Question

Jesus started a church around 33 A.D.

(Mt. 16 "And on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.)

How can protestant churches claim to be Christ's church when they are offshoots of Catholicism? All protestant denominations came into existence in the 1500s or later. How can any of these be Christ's Church? Are they really the original Christians?

Dixiemade: You claim you know what the early Christians believed. Can you prove it with quotes from the early church fathers? No. These are your opinions. Nothing more.

Grace B:

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."

107 A.D. is a bit before 400, don't youthink?

Hi Grace B:
I'm sorry, but I've read all the Chick Publication tracts on Catholicism. Jack Chick has distorted Catholicism's teachings by saying things such as Catholics worship Mary. I think its insulting that so many Protestants tell me what my Church teaches when they haven't even read a word of the Catechim. They hear it all from anti-Catholics who distort the truth.

Answer 1

Please read the Catechism of the Catholic Church #838

"The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter."

Those "who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church."

With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound "that it lacks little to attain the fullness that would permit a common celebration of the Lord's Eucharist."
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What this means is that validly Baptized Protestants really become members of the Catholic Church. But their membership is very weak since they do not accept everything the Catholic Church teaches, which we call the "Fullness of Truth".

Protestants only accept part of the Truth and in many cases add false doctrines (sola-fide, sola-scriptura, and a symbolic Eucharist)

The Catholic Church teaches the Fullness of Truth... that is EVERYTHING that Jesus revealed to us. This consists of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition (with a cap 'T').

Answer 2

if you look at the church in the book of Acts and today's Roman Catholic church. the differences are so big as the difference between black and white. Ever wonder why the Roman Catholic church is called "Roman". Back in the day old pagan Rome had a pantheon of gods, today's RC church has a pantheon of saints. with the use of figurines still in use nonetheless. An old pagan roman would feel quite confortable in today's RC church. the truth is Catholocism is an offshoot off Christianity not vice versa. If Paul, Peter or James were alive today and heard that the RC church is considered Christian, it's no exageration to say they would probably have heart attacks. No knock on the people who are born into this system. but catholic teachings is a different story. To put it simply us Christians are wary of anything that considers itself Christian yet contradicts the bible. Again no knock on the people who are born into this system. Do your homework and let the truth set you free.

Answer 3

That's a loaded question that will differ based on what one believes and is taught. It also depends on what one sees as the infallable Word of God. I believe that Catholics place the human Pope's word as infallable as well as human tradition based in the Catholic church. SO, they would NOT believe that others are part of Christ's church. Protestants believe that the Bible is the only infallable Word of God and the Bible no where tells us that the traditions of man or the words of a man are infallable. In fact, it discredits both of those. So, I, as a Christian, can not imagine how someone who is Catholic claims to be a Christian if they are adding (or taking away) from the gospel. Galatians tells us that anyone who adds or takes away from the gospel is presenting a false gospel. So, no we are not the original Christians (and neither are the Catholics). The original Christians have been dead for many centuries. You might want to reread your question. You asked how protestants claim to be in Christ's Church and further down you asked if they are really the original Christians. These are two separate questions. Quite frankly, Abraham, who was the first Jew, looked forward to the cross. He clearly understood the gospel, so he would, in fact, be the first Christian. But, I digress. Be careful how you word your questions. Being divisive is not only not attractive, but it also doesn't show that you are sharing Christ's light to the unsaved world.

Answer 4

When Martin Luther broke with the Catholic church it was over tenants that were in opposition to the Word of God. Protestants do not believe that the Pope is Christ on Earth - we believe that is blasphemy. We do not believe that we have to go to a priest to confess to God, that we have an intercessor in Christ Jesus. We do not assign Catholic saints higher status than the rest of us (we are all 'saints') and do not pray to them or ask them for intervention because they are people and not God.

But we do believe that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, Son of God, fully human, fully God, that He led a perfect life, was crucified and buried and on the third day He rose in victory over death. We believe that salvation was provided through His death and that it is a free gift of God, that none should boast. Therefore, although baptism is great. communion is wonderful, there are not necessary for salvation, nor are last rights, praying the rosary, etc.

There are Christians in Protestantism as well as Catholicism - there are some who are not. Let's look to the crux of the matter - Who is Jesus and what will you do with Him - that's the main point - the rest is just fluff.

Answer 5

Many Protestants claim the "rock" on which Christ's chruch is built is the confession Peter made, not Peter himself.

Also, the Catholic Church of today is quite different from that of Augustine. Also, there have been groups within the Catholic church that are proto-Protestant, like the Waldensians. Nor is the Catholic church as unified as it would like to appear to those one the outside. There are well known Catholic leaders who would like to see the church go back to teaching prior to the council of Tent and none thereafter.

Answer 6

You know, I've wondered the same exact thing about the Catholic Church.
I've read about Peter in the Bible...can you see Peter as a modern-day "pope"?? Haha!! Peter, wearing those robes and that ridiculous hat, and people kneeling down and kissing his ring? UH...I highly doubt it! No, the Peter of the Bible would make a really lousy pope, I'm afraid! To much humility!!
Did you know that both Peter and Paul deferred to the authority of the church in Jerusalem (not Rome, btw), which was headed by James, the brother of Christ?
Somehow, I don't see James in the role of the modern "pope", either. James did not see himself as an authority figure, but merely as one who was in a position to advise...
As a matter of fact, I can't really see Jesus behaving in such a manner...no, Jesus put on a towel, and got on His knees to wash His disciple's feet!! Jesus, also, would have made a lousy "pope"...again, too much humility!!

Although I can see the Roman Constantine doing it. Yeah, I think Constantine would wear the robes, and the ridiculous hat, and insist that people get on their knees before him and kiss his ring...just like any Roman Emperor who thought he was a "god"...

Who, in your opinion, were the "original Christians"??

Answer 7

Because the catholic church distorted the word of God. They made graven images and had their followers bow down to statues of Mary and their own self-appointed saints. They sold "charms" to protect people, and basically it because nothing more than power over the people and a huge money-making organization. They refused to release copies of bibles, because they didn't want the "people" to read what it really said.

The protestant church refused to use false idols, and provided copies of bibles so we could actually read it for ourselves. So basically, the protestant church was not the original, nor was the catholic church, the original was called "the way", and it predated the catholic.

Answer 8

The catholic church has changed many things over the centuries:
celibacy, papal infallibility, limbo, purgatory, contraception, evolution, heliocentrism, etc...

So the protestants said "we're done with that, we're going back to a more direct reading of the bible". So I would say the odds are that they are actually closer to what the bible wants than the catholic church.

Answer 9

"Protestant" is a nasty, hateful word that you seem to use to claim superiority over other people. Even in the earliest form, the gatherings devoted to the teachings of Christ have been local gatherings. There are still local gatherings. Sincere followers of Christ gather at local places of worship.
Every person I've ever met was and is an individual. Many people want to tell me something about themselves by naming memeberships and whatever, but that isn't anywhere near as important as who the person is as an individual.
Please do not make the dirty words more important than the humans. And try not to judge people based solely on the dirty names you can call them.
peace.

Answer 10

I think any denomination that believes in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, believes that Jesus is Christ, died for our sins and will come again is of God's Church. It's a belief, not a building or a name.