If we do a process of elimination and get rid of all denominations that don't go back to the time of Christ...

Question

which Church would be the only one left since Christ only founded one Church (Matt. 16: 18-19)?

Answer 1

Catholic

Answer 2

Catholics and some other churches make that claim, but they do not still exist in their original form. These churches have changed on many doctrinal issues. Some I can remember during my lifetime.

How can someone claim they are the same church that Christ built when they no longer teach the same doctrine?

To find the true church, search the scriptures to see if their doctrine is true! (Acts 17:11) If they teach what the Bible teaches, accept it! If they teach something different, reject it! (Galatians 1:6-9)

I have an old book of rules for games. If I read the rules for a game I have never heard of, and I follow those rules, then I am playing the same game that people played years ago. If I do this, I have not invented a new game. But, if I change the rules, then I am no longer playing the same game.

For example, the game of softball can be traced back to the game of baseball, but they are not the same game. They are very similar, but some rules are different.

It would be wrong to say a team that follows the rules of softball is playing the game of baseball. If you want to play baseball, you should follow the rules of baseball (and, therefore, become a baseball team) . If you change these rules, you are not playing the same game.

The Bible is the “rule book” for the church (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Those 3000 people in Acts 2:41-47 all heard the same message, they understood it the same way, they accepted it the same way, and they obeyed it the same way. When they did this, they became Christians – nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. They belonged to no denomination. In fact, they had never even heard of a denomination since none existed then.

After they became Christians, they continued together in the same doctrine. They had the type of unity that Christ prayed for in John 17:20-21 and Paul pleaded for in 1 Corinthians 1:10-13.

Today, if we read and understand what they understood, believe what they believed, and do what they did, without adding any man-made doctrine, we will become what they became – Christians, members of the original church.

That is how you should trace your church to the one Jesus built!

Answer 3

You are so soooo looking in the wrong direction and asking the wrong question. I don't mean this as an insult, please understand. But it is like lying face-down in the dirt so you can barely see anything, and then declaring that the weather sucks just 'cause you see next to nothing. Jesus did not come here, die for us, come back to life and rise to Heaven seated at the right hand of the Father just to make denominations!!! NO NO NO!!! If Jesus had his choice, it would very likely be NO denominations at all!!! This is not a club where you get cool jackets and a plastic card with your name on it. You want to be in the right denomination?? Be in the Christ denomination. Never heard of it? I know...because it is simply following the Bible, making sure you don't re-interpret, ignore, change, or hyper-focus on any one or two points of the Bible and follow the whole thing! Just about every single denomination is slightly wrong in some way and some are seriously wrong...usually without intending to!!! One tries to concentrate on just one Spiritual Gift and won't let you stay a member if you cannot do this gift. Well, it says specifically in the Bible that if you did have a church full of people with just that gift, it would be a nightmare and most if not all seekers of Christ/those wanting more info would run screaming from this church full of lunatics! Do the best you can by reading the Bible every day, ignore anyone who contradicts any part of the Bible...ANYONE, and try to find a church that happens to try to follow the Bible as closely as possible. Warning, though: you will not find a perfect one... at least not until Jesus comes back.

Answer 4

You would be left with two denominations, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, since both have the same roots. However, because there has been so much done to these denominations with regards to doctrines and dogmas since then, especially the Roman Catholic Church, you cannot get to one church just by eliminating all of Protestantism because these two denominations do not entirely agree on all theological doctrines. Jesus did only found one church, however, that church has come up with disagreements within itself because of the way that it interpretes the Scriptures, so it is almost impossible for that Church to get back to its original roots. We are just going to have to go with the current situation that we have here in the 21st Century and work from there.

Answer 5

All arguments to the contrary aside, the ONLY Christian church in existence for the first 1500 years or so of modern world history is the church that burst forth from the pierced side of Jesus, as he hung dead on the cross, the church that was officially announced by Peter to all those assembled on Pentecost, and the church known as Catholic, since about 107 AD.

And since there was only ONE Christian church in existence for all that time ... the Catholic church ... than it must (logically) be the TRUE church of Christ.

The attributes or marks of the TRUE church have always been: Unity ... because all believers are ONE in Christ; Apostolic authority and succession ... because it teaches only what was handed down to it from Jesus and the apostles, and does so under the authority granted by Christ; Holiness ... due to Christ being both the founder the guarantor, as well as the head; and Universality ... because the church was founded to provide salvation in Christ to ALL of humanity.

A few of the Christian denominations claim to have had believers around all that time, who didn't agree with what the official church was doing, but there's no evidence in scripture to prove it, and under the rules the denominations have set up, if it isn't in the Bible, than it isn't true!

History seems to have somehow failed to notice any sign of those independent little "rebel" groups, too, and even if they did exist, why weren't any of them included in the ranks of the early martyrs, and what were they doing, revolting against the church, while others were fearlessly witnessing and giving their lives, to help establish the church?

Another popular myth, and a favorite protestant false tradition, is that the Catholic church was somehow corrupted by pagan Rome, during the time of Constantine, even though the evidence is clear that the church converted both Constantine and the WORLD, and it was definitely NOT the other way around.

Of course, if the pagans did succeed in corrupting the church, that would make Jesus a powerless liar, and less than God, because the pagan Romans were minions of the devil ... the very same guys who crucified Jesus and who slaughtered the apostles and early martyrs ... and if the church was indeed overcome in this way, the gates of hell would have prevailed, and scripture would also be in error.

The bottom line, much as our protestant brethren hate to admit it, is the Catholic Church, warts and all, is without doubt, the ONLY original and true Church of God, and all the others have absolutely NO divine authority to do whatever it is they do.

The logical conclusion: If the Catholic Church somehow failed, in spite of God's divine assurances, than all that came after has failed as well, and we are all still trapped in our sins, and still enslaved to Satan, unredeemed, with eternal death and hell, as our only inheritance.

You can't have it both ways.

We can deal with the facts of the papacy another time.

Answer 6

No, tracing your church organization back through time does not prove anything; the important thing is to believe and teach exactly what the original Apostles did, and most churches today do not do that, especially the one that has been around the longest; it changed many doctrines centuries ago, and that was why the Protestant denominations were started.
Also the Roman Catholic church did not exist until after Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire, and it was actually 2 or 3 centuries afterward that they came up with the idea of a pope. This is historical fact.
Peter was never the bishop of Rome. Never.

Answer 7

The true church of Holy Ghost filled believers; as it was begun at Pentecost. where 120 souls were born into the first Christian church at Jerusalem. Since that time God has added to His church daily those who are being saved.

That church has always existed in the apostolic succession of the Holy Spirit. She lives today; the true church, unseen by man, but known and counted of God.

Strong in the power of His might, she stands baptised; in full possession of the body, blood and name of the Lord Jesus Christ. She is, even now, clothed in His robes, possessed of His mind and awaiting His call.
.

Answer 8

Well Christianity happened after the time of Christ, as did Catholicism. You would be left with Judaism and Paganism in the main.

Answer 9

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Answer 10

The Catholic Church, it has been around since 330 and can trace its roots back to the Apostles.

Answer 11

Catholic (and Orthodox and the Coptic Churches). Certainly not any Protestant Denomination or Baptists or Non-denominationals...