Why do catholics claim to be the first church when the Bible clearly tells us the Church is at Jerusalem?

Question

The Church at Jerusalem still stands and is a Christian Church, not a Catholic Church.Yet catholics claim that all churchs branched off of it.There was also a church in Antioch,Ephesus,Smyrna,Pergamos,Thyatira,Sardis,
Philadelphia,and Laodicea.

I didn't go to any University I gathered all my information from Acts Chapters 1 & 2. That was the church that started out in Jerusalem. They were first called Christians at Antioch not Catholics, Acts 11:26. As for the other churches I spoke of I got those out of Revelations 1:11. You can go the University and learn all you want to but I chose to learn from the bible.

SO WHAT YOU SAY NOW?

Danny H. I am aware of Constantine and his teachings.He is the one who came up with the idea of kissing the popes foot.Not recommended by any of Christ Apostles.People many times tried to worship them and they quickly rebuked them for it.If you want to believe the teaching of such an Anti-Christ as Constantine go right ahead.

ROBER, I hate to burst the bubble your living in but who do you think wrote your history book?I can read another history book that the protestants wrote and get a completley different answer to history. Do you really think that Mexico has the same history book that we do when talking about the Alamo ? You need to study the Bible. There is where you can find the truth. And for the record I hate no man I do hate doctrines of devils and sudducing spirits that rob man and God. Example, try putting Levitcus 26:1 in your history book.Have a look at Martyr's Mirror and read how the Roman Catholic Church tortured and killed thousands of Christians because they had Bibles and refused to except infant baptisim,but chose rather to "Repent and be baptized"Acts2:38. Repent is something an infant can't do.Wouldn't you agree?You need to forget the history books and start reading the word of God.

Cashelma, Sorry but I'm not really into poetry.

Joseph P, Hi Brother, where have you been?

Cashelma, You ended with Mark 16:16.
Could you please tell me how an infant baby is supposed to believe?Babies are baptized in your Church.And what does it say about those who are baptized and don't believe?Looks to me like your church has errored along the way.

Cathy sorry for leaving you out,but really you didn't say anything.You went on and on and never used one scripture.Feel free to help your freinds out here on the issues at hand.They seem to be silent when talking about what the Bible says.
If you got some scripture to share on their behalf lets hear it.

Cathy I aplaud you dear.You really believe what your preaching.You said one thing that should awaken you though.It goes against catholics to use the Bible because it gets twisted and looses its meaning.David said Thy word is a lamp unto my feet.The Lord tells the church in revelations that if they don't repent He will remove the candle stick.When you remove the candle stick the light goes out.Things become confussed and twisted.I used to read the Bible a lot in another church that claimed to be the one true church.I refer to these churches as organized religion.But the truth of the matter is man cannot organize God.He is way to big to stick in a box and say here is what God is.About seven years ago I received the Holy Ghost.Now I read and understand the scriptures,because of the flesh I sometimes lack the wisdom to use that knowledge and repent more now than I ever did.But God gave us His word that we might know how to live and it should never become confussing or twisted.

Answer 1

Irregardless of a denominations antiquity, you have to ask yourself what church is the most faithful to the Holy Bible? Having been bron and raised a Catholic, I can tell you that Scripture DOES NOT support Catholic dogma.

I tried very hard to be a good, conservative Catholic. I got tired of the tug of war (you commit a mortal sin, you loose God's Grace; you go and make a sincere Confession - you are back in; and so on and so forth).

There is NOTHING we can do to earn God's favor. We are saved only by the Grace of God. Faith is a gift. Salvation is a gift. It cannot be earned.

So, regardless of whether the Catholic Church is the first church or not (by the way, it wasn't), its antiquity does not protect it from error. Study the history of the popes and you will see contradictions. Study the Bible and you will see even more contraditions.

God's blessings be with you all.

Hi Don S. I have been on a long journey my friend! Feel free to email me any time. God bless!!!

Answer 2

Look in the New Testament. Notice the books of Ephesians, Corinthians, Thessalonians, etc.? The names of those books refer to the cities or countries where those Churches were founded: Ephesus, Corinth, Thessalonia, and the rest. These were the early Christian churches, and yes, the early Catholic Churches. Where do I get this?

All you have to do is read your Christian history. During those early centuries, it was illegal to be a Christian. The Romans and Jews were trying to extinguish Christianity. It wasn't until the conversion of Constantine in the 3rd century did the persecution stop and the first appearance of the name of the Christian Church came to be. It was called the Roman Universal Church. However, the Latin version is the one we're most familiar with: The Roman Catholic Church.

Please study your Christian history more thoroughly and you'll see I'm telling you the truth.

God bless.

Answer 3

Why do Protestants claim to be the first Christians when there were no Protestants until the 16th century.

When was the belief that you could not lose your salvation first taught? - - 16th century.

When was the believe that the Bible was the only authority? 16th century.

Where did Protestants get the list of books that were to be included in the New Testament? From the Catholics.

Where did Protestants get the idea of the Trinity? Worship on Sunday? The idea that Jesus was wholly human and God at the same time? From the Catholics

Why do Protestants add "for thine is the power, and the glory, and the kingdom forever, and ever" when that's not in the Bible? Answer: It comes from the Catholic Mass.

Answer 4

Wow, it seems you, Fire and Storm King need to gain some knowledge in researching the history of the early church.

Ask yourself: why do I hate the Catholic Church? Who taught me what I think I know about the Catholic Church? Is what I was taught true? Have I looked at what the Catholic Church has to say about itself, using official resources such as the Catechism of the Catholic Church and papal encyclicals? Could my opinion of the Catholic Church possibly be based on bias, bigotry, bad history, propaganda from the secular media, or the bad priests who get publicity (i.e., the sick, and sickening, ephebophile priests or those certain heretical modernist priests the secular media love to give press to)? Is it fair to judge doctrine by such things? Is any group with human beings in it free from sin and scandal? If I am wrong about the Catholic Church, what does that mean?

Here are some common myths about the Catholic Church:

Because Catholics reject the tradition of "sola fide" ("faith alone"), they think they can work their way into Heaven and believe they are saved by works
Catholics think the pope does not sin
Catholics re-crucify Christ at their Masses (or at least think they do)
Catholics think Mary is part of the Godhead and is to be worshipped
Catholics worship statues
Catholics think they can't pray to God directly but have to go through saints
Catholics conjure the dead
Catholics believe people can be saved after they die
The Catholic Church teaches that one who isn't formally a Catholic is damned to Hell
The Crusades are an example of Catholic aggression
The Inquisition(s) killed hundreds of thousands of people and targeted Jews
Pope Pius XII was "Hitler's Pope" and didn't do a thing to help Jews during WWII
The Catholic Church wasn't around until the time of Constantine, a pagan who controlled the Church. The Catholic Church did more than baptize pagan calendar days for the good of Christ, it is pagan in its very roots.

The answer to all of these is "WRONG !".


If you believe any of the above myths, I implore you to research. For doctrinal questions, ask the Church what it teaches; it's the only fair thing to do. For historical questions, look at balanced and objective scholarly research from a variety of sources (including Catholic ones).

Answer 5

The "churches" at Antioch, Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamo, Philadelphia, Laodicea, and Jerusalem were simply local communities of the one Church that existed - the Church founded by Jesus christ for all mankind, which was calling itself "the Holy Catholic Church" by the end of the first century. We know this from writings of Ignatius, first bishop of Antioch, who was ordained by the Apostle John, and who wrote of The Holy Catholic Church in the year 107. We also know from history that no other Christian Church existed but this Holy Catholic Church for more than 1,000 years after the Apostles. And, we know from Scripture that Jesus Christ never intended any other church to be founded in His name, teaching other than what His own Church taught.
.

Answer 6

Wow. Where you learning your history. I humbly beg you if you got it at a university to go and ask for your money back.

The very first Bishop of the Catholic church in Jerusalem is widely known to be St. James, the apostle.

For some reason the Catholic church calls those in Jerusalem church "Hebrew Catholics", and there is a succession (with an interruption due to Jewish insurrection and a Roman emperor).

This is a secular account. Not one that the Catholic church made up.

So, what say you now?

Answer 7

There's only one church, the church that Jesus personally founded, authorized, empowered, and promised to bless and keep, until the end of time.

The church that was announced on Pentecost by Peter and the apostles, and was known as Cathoilic since 107 AD, is and has always been, that church.

There is no other.

Your research needs some work, as does your scripture interpretation.

Answer 8

The Church in Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, etc. and the early Catholic Church are the same.

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.

Answer 9

The Church that Jesus established is the Catholic Church , that He placed into Peter's hands

Answer 10

Actually there is no church, only congregations. Jesus pointed that out very clearly in speaking to the Samaritan woman. They (Samaritans) worshiped like the Catholics in a temple. Jesus cleared that up in that we actually worship God or we ought to all the time! Also the Catholic Church although is it very old, it was never ordained by Jesus or the Apostles in the first century to be an instrument of God. It is not till the end days that the bible mentions about a faithful and discreet slave that is in charge of Gods things on earth.