A Question for the Christians who know everything about christianity?

Question

What were the differences between the tradition of Christianity that became the dominant form as represented by the creeds and decisions of the early councils in the 4th and 5th centuries and the many other forms of Christianity such as the Ebionites, Marcionites, Gnostics, Arianism, Manichaeism, and so forth that arose in the first few hundred years?

I still need to know this though....

Answer 1

I cannot claim myself to be one who knows everything about Christianity but I do have my own opinion on the topic: The councils you mentioned were organized by the Roman Empire in order to make Christianity an organized religion they could control from Rome (Emperor Constantine decreed the Nicene Council himself).

The other Christian traditions you cited developed earlier and more independently under no political/military organization and therefore, laid claims that they followed the teachings of Christ much more closely.

Traditions created by the councils organized by Rome that were never part of the early Christian traditions: A central church authority presided over by the pope, a professional priesthood ordained only by the church of Rome, celibacy amongst priests, the worship of Jesus' mother, Mary etc...

Answer 2

A real answer to this question is FAAAAAAARRRRR too long for this forum. It requires entire books into the theologies of the rejected teachings you have mentioned, and a comparison of them with Traditional Catholicism.

If you like, you can probably find the above heretical teachings mentioned in the New Advent Online Catholic Encyclopedia.

Answer 3

We true born again Christians don't need to know any of this. All we have to know is that we are saved and that our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ who died on the cross for us. We follow the New Testament which is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Answer 4

They all stole there knowledge from the same source. Some acknowledged it and most did not.