R/C Roman Catholic believers like to "hang their hat on being the "first Christians."?

Question

Any church historians want to take this on?

Answer 1

John Henry Newman's quote is simply not true.The early Christians would be rolling in their graves if they could see what the RCC has become,with all of the unscriptural beliefs and practices.
Anabaptists were never part of the RCC to begin with,and the RCC didnt start adding things like prayer to Mary and the saints etc until centuries after Jesus.
The RCC we know today is simply not the same church of the apostles,and the RCC went off the mark a long,long,time ago.

Answer 2

I will, Roman Catholics would definitely not recognize the first Christians as Catholic. They definely did not have the many beliefs that the RC Church has today. And that is a long list I might add. I'am certain the Peter would never call himself a Pope. An avid study of Christian History by many would shock their core beleifs. So before someone mouths "we were the first Christians" Please do an avid search on how the first Christians were actually like. One big hint is this how many of you have seen politicians use religion for their own political purposes. If it has happened once you can be sure it has happened before, and likewise the questionable sincerity.

Answer 3

They were the first to apostatize truth.That is, the catholic church grew out of several false teachings which arose during the first three centuries of Christianity. The "orthodox" churches formed early, at least in part as a reaction to the Roman church and those that agreed with it twisting scripture to suit themselves.

Though many of the early Christians were Jewish, it is a misinterpretation of history to assume that the church was a "sect of Judaism." Clearly, in light of the activities of Saul before his conversion, the church was NOT seen as a part of Judaism by those that KNEW anything about it. The Roman historians and officials may have considered it such, simply because so many of the members had been Jewish, but it clearly was not the case if you asked either Christians or Jews.

This concept goes along well with understanding that, during his physical life, Jesus was A JEWISH TEACHER OR RABBI. There were no "Christians" until after the new covenant was established with Jesus' death and resurrection. His teaching was directed to Jews living under the law. Yes, Jesus taught that the PURPOSE of his coming was not to do away with the law. His teaching ALSO LOOKED FORWARD to a time when it would no longer be in effect.

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think I have come to get rid of what is written in the Law or in the Prophets. I have not come to do that. Instead, I have come to give full meaning to what is written. 18 What I’m about to tell you is true. Heaven and earth will disappear before the smallest letter disappears from the Law. Not even the smallest stroke of a pen will disappear from the Law UNTIL EVERYTHING IS COMPLETED."

Notice that last clause in the quote, "UNTIL EVERYTHING IS COMPLETED." This is meaningless unless we understand that the result of Jesus' life would be the law itself disappearing.

Answer 4

I am not a historian and I don't really know which Christian Church came first.

But history records that the early Christian 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 5

The coptic church was the first established, then the Greek Orthadox, Nestorian, Asyrian Coptic ans Armenian Coptic, followed by the Catholics and the Thomas Sect.

Christianity was outlawed for the first three centuries after Christ. The earliest churches in the Holy Land are all believed to date from after 300AD. There is one from around 200ad, uncovered by Palestinian prisoners taking part in an archaeological dig inside one of Israel's top security jails.

A large and superbly preserved mosaic with a Greek inscription referring to the "Lord Jesus Christ" and featuring two images of a fish - an early Christian symbol - was discovered during renovation work inside the prison at Megiddo, thought to be the modern name for the biblical site of Armageddon.

before the First Council of Nicaea in 325, Early Christianity began as a Jewish sect of the followers of Jesus during the late Second Temple period of the 1st century. Other Jewish sects of that time were the Sadducees, the Essenes and the Pharisees, and a group recognised as Zealots. Christians' distinguishing mark from these other groups was their belief that Jesus was the "Christ" and "Messiah" - It was this belief that later led to them being called "Christians," a distinguishing name first given to them as early as the early 40AD.

Large-scale persecutions followed at the hands of the authorities of the Roman Empire, beginning with the year 64, when, as reported by the Roman historian Tacitus, the Emperor Nero blamed them for that year's great Fire of Rome. In spite of these at-times intense persecutions, the Christian religion continued its spread throughout the Roma empire. But it flourished at the extreme boarders.

Early churches were either Orthadox or Heritical, and when Rome finaly converted to Christinaity, and developed it into a religious roman empire, it became known as the mainstream or catholic church.

Answer 6

That is their claim and I have no problem with them believing that. However, the Roman Catholic church wasn't created during Christ's day, but by Constantine and the Nicean Creed in the 400's ish (could be 300's) AD. Catholic means "universal," and it came because Constantine gathered the many different beliefs together and created the Nicean creed, which is basically where their belief of the trinity and other such things comes from.

Answer 7

Not an historian myself- but I think they like to "hang their hats" on and for a lot of things. Things they shouldn't and have no business hanging anything on. Christian's were the 1st Christians - Cartholicism is religious pomp, superstitious, overbearing & dominant. Acts states Christianity started 1st. Man made the Catholic faith - at least they have the right God.

Answer 8

The first Christians were the immediate followers of Jesus Christ. After Constantine recognised Christianity, the Catholic Church was installed...and for good or for worst, they were the bearers of Christianity.

Answer 9

Virtually every Christian denomination says "We are the one true church which was founded by Jesus. The others split from us."

Catholics make this claim by saying that Jesus made Peter the first Pope when he founded his church on the rock which is Peter.

Not everyone sees it this way of course.

Answer 10

We catholics are the first christians. All the other religions started (christian ones anyways) started because a king in england wanted to get a divorce. Since catholics do not beilieve in divorce he seperated from the church and started his on sin based religion.