Are Catholics really the first Christians?

Answer 1

Back then, there were no Catholics. Or Protestants for that matter. The followers of Christ were called Christians.

The Catholic church can trace it's line all the way back to Saint Peter. Jesus himself said that Peter was the rock on which he (Jesus) would build his church.

All other branches of Christianity came from this original faith. I have a cool time-line that shows the founding dates for many of the denominations if you want to check it out.

God bless,
=)

Answer 2

My answer would be a resounding 'No!'
But I'm Eastern Orthodox.
Your question is actually a little tricky. In the Bible it says something to the effect of "it was in Antioch that they were first called 'Christians.'"
At first there were no sects. The beginning years of the Church (yes, big 'C') were tumultuous. Heresies sprung up and were squashed left and right (e.g., Jesus was just a man, not born of God and the virgin Mary). That went on for a while -- councils were called, issues discussed, some smaller sects split.
But in 1054 the big split happened. That is when the Catholic (meaning universal) and the Orthodox (meaning right belief or right worship) churches came into being.
They were one church split over serious issues, one of the biggest being the primacy of the Pope. Most of the bishops believed Christ to be the head of the Church. But Rome wanted to be in charge of earthly matters. Since then the Catholics have changed a heck of a lot -- the virgin Mary was never like Jesus Christ in that she was born of man; the pope (or bishop) was not infallible; Divine Liturgy was in the common language, not Latin (though they changed back later), etc.
Both the Orthodox and Catholic churches have apostolic succession, which means that - by the laying on of hands - first the apostles chose bishops, then those bishops chose bishops, etc.

Answer 3

The first Christians were the disciples, to be specific, the ones under Paul during and after the Life of Jesus. The earliest surviving evidence of the use of the term "Catholic Church" is a letter that Saint Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch wrote in about 107 to Christians in Smyrna.

The term "Early Jewish Christians" is often used in discussing Early Christianity. Jesus and his relatives, his Twelve Apostles, and essentially all of his early followers were Jewish or Jewish Proselytes. Hence the 3,000 converts on Pentecost described in Acts 2 were Jews and proselytes, and may have been led by desposyni, members of the family of Jesus. All known converts to Christianity were non-Gentile prior to the conversion of the Roman Centurion Cornelius claimed by Simon Peter (Kephas) in Acts 10. The major division in Christianity prior to that time was between Hellenistic and non-Hellenistic Jews, or Koine Greek (Acts 6) and Aramaic (Acts 1:19) speakers. However, the conversion of Cornelius created another group—Gentile Christians. The New Testament does not use the terms "Gentile-Christians" or "Jewish-Christians"; rather, Paul of Tarsus used the terms circumcised and uncircumcised.

Answer 4

They were some of the first but not the first,they were first called Christians at Antioch , Acts 11:26.The first church was at Jerusalem.Later as time prevailed the church at Rome gave in to Idol worship.The Romans had all political power, and the Church had almost all religious power.These two joined together just as you see it today.To get this done the Church excepted the Roman gods as saints,thus appeasing the non-believers and bringing them into the church.Today if you ask a catholic if their a christian they will tell you no their catholic , and their right.

Answer 5

I guess you would have to call the Christians of the first three centuries who adhered to the organized main body of Christians that was initiated by Paul and the apostles, the earliest Catholics. In the fourth century, the church became more structured and more distinguished as the Catholic church. It also departed a lot from the Christianity of the first three centuries, in my opinion.

Answer 6

No, the first Christians were Jews (The Disciples were all Jews. Most of the people who followed Jesus when He was alive were also Jews). Catholics boast being the first organized religion having come from Peter however, every religion in Christendom can make the same claim having also come off of Catholicism. Mind you, Peter's church was nothing like Catholicism is today.

Answer 7

Mary and Joseph believed that Jesus was the Messiah even before He was born. They were the first Christians.

According to Acts 11:26 "it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians."

The early Christian Church has referred to itself as the “Catholic Church” since at least 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 8

The first Christians were misguided Jews. Catholics are a result of the Romanization of their beliefs (as are most Christian groups today).

Answer 9

Absolutely NOT. If you compare the beliefs and practices of the first Christians -- who were JEWS -- and the later first Century gentile Christians, you'll see no similarity whatsoever. No idols in the home churches; no "pope" (Peter -- who was A MARRIED MAN, by the way) was appointed the head of the Jewish believers ONLY; the "eucharist" was a reminder of Jesus and His sacrifice ONLY (transsubstantiation and the "sacrifice of the mass" are blasphemies); I could go on and on.

Answer 10

The only true Christian that ever existed was Jesus himself, which is Original. The followers are only Conceptual.

Original (Jesus) vs. Conceptual (the Catholic Church and all other denominations, non-denominational and your basic believer)

Jesus: His religion (his teachings).........OR.........

The religion about him.( the church's teachings and
the believers concept of those teachings)

If you choose not to decide... You still have made a choice....