Was the Catholic Church the first church?

Question

What is the earliest Catholic church on record. What was the date? Was it before the apostles died? If so then why do they practice things that Jesus did not teach?
Jesus didn't pray to statues or tell his disciples to, or give out rose Marys and other stuff. I'm not trying to offend anyone, I'm honestly seeking religion. But first of all, was it the first Church?

Answer 1

Before he ascended to heaven, Jesus personally founded only one church, the Church known as Catholic since about 107 AD, which he also authorized, empowered, and divinely guaranteed.

There was only one Christian Church in existence for he first 1500 years of modern world history, the Catholic Church.

Put the two above paragraphs together, and you'll see that the Catholic Church is not only the authentic and original church, but it could not teach or practice in error, any more than God could.

All the Christian denominations originated in the Catholic Church, and those who still manage to authetically worship God in some valid Christian form, remain part of the Catholic Church in some way.

The apostles established the church throughout the world, and the authentic teachings of Jesus and the apostles remain as the basis for all Catholic practices and beliefs.

The Bible was never intended to be a complete book of all Christ's teachings and practices, nor is the Bible in any way superior to the God-given authority of the Church.

Jesus commanded his apostles to teach and to baptize, yet he never told them to teach from the scriptures alone.

Jesus founded and still heads a living and holy church, which possesses awesome, virtually unlimited power, both on earth and in heaven, for the purpose of our salvation.

The fact of the matter is, the Temple of Jesus' time did have statues and graven images, and Jesus did (and does) honor his mother, Mary.

It sounds to me like you've been exposed to sources that are critical of the authentic Christian (Catholic) Church.

If you're really interested in the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, send for my free Catholic Resource CD, and prepare to have your eyes opened ... forever.

Answer 2

>>Was the Catholic Church the first church?<<

My research has led me to conclude the Catholic Church is the church established by Jesus.

>>If so then why do they practice things that Jesus did not teach? Jesus didn't pray to statues or tell his disciples to, or give out rose Marys and other stuff.<<

Catholics don’t pray to statues. I don’t know what it means to “give out rose Marys”. Furthermore, it cannot be assumed that the Catholic Church practices things that Jesus did not teach, because not everything Jesus did can be found in the Bible (John 21:25).

Answer 3

When the Anglican Church broke from Catholicism (Henry VIII) it maintain many of the ideals and rituals. The head of the Anglican Church is technically nonetheless the King or Queen of England, even though I suppose they go away it as much as the Bishops. During and in a while after the American Revolution the Episcopalian Churches broke from the Anglican Church given that the King used to be its head. They retained the identical teachings on the time, however for the reason that have grown moderately extra divergent from Anglican ideals. I am no longer definite, however I suppose they have got a Council of Bishops which serves as its head. All 3 have identical rituals and middle ideals. They vary at the subject of the Eucharist.

Answer 4

Was the Catholic Church the first church?

The answer is No. It is not correct to say that the Catholic church was the original Christian church. The apostles came to Rome rather late in the New Testament.

The "True Church of Jesus Christ" existed first and is separate and apart from Roman Catholicism.

If any church professes some other gospel (Catechism) or some other Savior (Pope = Vicar of Christ) or some other false Mediators (False Mary, Dead Saints, Priest) than it is the synagogue of Satan.

Answer 5

The East-West Schism, or Great Schism, divided Chalcedonian Christianity into Western (Latin) and Eastern (Greek) branches. Western Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.

Though normally dated to 1054, the East-West Schism was actually the result of an extended period of estrangement between Latin and Greek Christendom.

The primary causes of the Schism were disputes over papal authority—Pope Leo IX claimed he held authority over the four Eastern Greek-speaking patriarchs—and over the insertion of the filioque clause into the Nicene Creed by the Western Church. Eastern Orthodox today claim that the primacy of the Patriarch of Rome was only honorary, and that he has authority only over his own diocese and does not have the authority to change the decisions of Ecumenical Councils. There were other, less significant catalysts for the Schism, including variance over liturgical practices and conflicting claims of jurisdiction.

The Church split along doctrinal, theological, linguistic, political, and geographic lines, and the fundamental breach has never been healed. It might be alleged that the two churches actually reunited in 1274 (by the Second Council of Lyon) and in 1439 (by the Council of Basel), but in each case the councils were repudiated by the Orthodox as a whole, on the grounds that the hierarchs had overstepped their authority in consenting to reunification. Further attempts to reconcile the two bodies have failed.

The true Church of our Savior is the one where you find LOVE, where people take care of each other; those that want to help their neighbor are really Christians...may God be with you and help you be a real Christian!

Have a good day!

Answer 6

The first church didn't have a name. It was started by Paul (or peter.. I forget, honestly), directly after Jesus died. The apostles scattered, and spread the word. Whoever is known as the father of the church- he ended up in rome and founded christianity (which was seen by the romans as a strange jewish cult). Rumor has it his bones are in the catacombs under rome, but no one has found them yet.

The church does things like that because of tradition. Technically, christians don't pray to statues, that would be idolitry. They pray to what the statues represent (jesus, mary, ect.)

The church began to split off after the fall of the Holy Roman Empire (Constantine founded that, after christians took over his empire and were going to dethrone him. He was pagan until the day he died, though some say he was baptized on his death bed.) Various disagreements occured, and I believe the first split was to Roman Cathloics and Eastern Ortodox at the council of Nicea. Don't quote me on that, though. From there, more disagreements led to more branches of christianity. Very little of it has anything to do with Jesus anymore.

Answer 7

What you need to realize is that a "church" is composed of people that follow God/Jesus, and is not just a "religion" or denomination.
At it's core, a "church" can be said to be "where ever two are gathered together in my name..."!
Adam and Eve were the first two people, so I would say that THEY were the first "church"!!!
A "religion" doesn't save you only a relationship with God/Jesus can!
Of course, it's always good to fellowship with other believers!

Answer 8

God only recognizes one "church" per geographic unit, generally cities. The first church ever was the Pentecostal Church at Jerusalem.

As for Rome, what we see today as the Roman Catholic Church, did indeed spring from the first church at Rome. The first believers at Rome, however, did not have Peter for pastor or Pope; and we find they did not even stand with Paul at his hearing before Caesar.

Did it ever strike you strange that Peter, being the pastor to the Jews in Jerusalem, is claimed as a first Pope? If they were following the election of God they would have claimed Paul as the first Pope, as he was pastor to the Gentiles. This alone makes all their claims to apostolic succession sheer nonsense.

Was it the first church? No. Was it the first church at Rome? Yes. Is it the church universal? No. Be honestly seeking Christ and not religion. That is the very reason the little church at Rome went the way it did. They went seeking religion and not Christ.

The seed of what we see today, as the current giant of Rome, is found in Acts 8 in the person of Simon of Samaria. See what Simon is really interested in, then and now. And know this: God is not in His church, He is in His word.

Answer 9

The Catholic Church was the first Church
When we pray at the foot of the crucified Lord we do not worship that Christ on the Cross, but that Christ who died for us by walking through His passion, death and resurrection. The image on the wall or in the alcove helps us call to mind their holiness and our need for it.

Answer 10

The 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.