What was the real origin of the Catholic church?

Question

Did the catholic church originate in the fourth century A.D.?

Answer 1

The Catholic Church as we know it was founded in 325CE, at the First Council of Nicaea. It was the first ecumenical gathering, and basically they all decided which holy scripture to keep and which to throw away. What they kept became the New Testament. Of course, their main motivation was power over their fellow man, so gospels like the Gospel of Mary Magdalene (discovered with the Dead Sea Scrolls) were discarded as too peaceful for a state religion which would need to be able to justify war. So, basically, Catholicism was founded to wage war. Nice thought.

Answer 2

No, it originated with Jesus, and the Apostles.

This is an excerpt from a letter by Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans:

Chapter 8. Let nothing be done without the bishop.

See that you all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as you would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is [administered] either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the CATHOLIC Church. It is not lawful without the bishop either to baptize or to celebrate a love-feast; but whatsoever he shall approve of, that is also pleasing to God, so that everything that is done may be secure and valid."

This was written about 107 AD.

God bless.

Answer 3

Kait you are grossly misinformed about the Catholic Church. You have leveled charges that have been around for awhile and are believed simply because people repeat them. Try asking some informed Catholics to help yo understand the history of the Church. You may be surprised at what you find.

The Catholic Church was founded by Christ.

Answer 4

Catholic meaning what? The word Catholic means universal. Both Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism are catholic and apostolic churches. What came first was Orthodox. The Roman Catholic pope idea is from Paul. People left Orthodox and started Roman Catholicism. Orthodox is run by a council of Bishops and not a Pope.

Answer 5

It developed after the death of the Apostles during the times of the apostasy the Apostles warned about. Excuse me, but the rock is Jesus, the chief corner stone the builders rejected. Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10,11, Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20, 1 Peter 2:6-8. As you can see by the Scriptures, Jesus is the rock upon which the congregation(church) is build, not Peter.

Answer 6

No.

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 7

To Kait: Your answer is without a doubt THE most informative, insightful, and truthful answer I have thus far seen regarding the teachings of the Catholic Church. The truth doesn't get any more easier to comprehend with your answer, and I sincerely hope it will open a few eyes to facts that cannot be disputed. Thank you for your input, it was truly a relief and pleasure to read an answer that could not be said any better.

Answer 8

Yes. The information provided by Srin is correct. He neglected to mention that the Nicean Councils were summoned by Constantine, the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, and legitimize it's practice in Rome. Thus, the "Roman" Catholic Church exists to this day and it's no coincidence that the Vatican is in Rome.

Answer 9

Absolutely yes.

There are five brief facts that overwhelmingly prove that the Catholic Church, aka the Roman Catholic Church aka the Holy See, aka the Vatican is a fraud in its claims to be the first and true apostolic church of christianity.

1. Overwhelming evidence points to Simon Peter the Zealot, therefore a guerilla warrior, being one of the leaders of the siege of Jerusalem (62 CE to 70 CE), arguably the most important event in Jewish history, that is totally ignored in the Bible and not properly discussed even in Rabbinical Judaism.

See:
http://one-faith-of-god.org/new_testament/apocrypha/josephus_wars/josephus_wars_0090.htm

This can easily be explained when you consider the Vatican needed Peter to be in Rome, to claim him as the first Pope.

2. The first Bishop of Rome was Prince Linus, appointed by Paul himself around 50 to 55 CE and was the son of Queen Boudica. There is no evidence Peter ever visited Rome before being taken there for his execution.
See:
http://one-faith-of-http://one-faith-of-god.org/new_testament/apocrypha/succession/succession_0020.htm

3. Upon Linus setting fire to Rome with other christians resulting in the murder of over 250,000 innocent men, women and children- christianity became a capital crime across the Empire. No christian bishops of Rome, secretly or otherwise existed as whole troops of Roman soldiers were tasked in finding every last christian in Rome and elsewhere and ensuring none returned.

4. Valentinus, a nazarene/gnostic who followed the true teachings of Jesus and the apostles, not the gospels of Paul, became a celebrity in Rome from 150 CE discussing the peace, love and wisdom of Jesus. He attracted thousands of followers and students including the Royal family of Rome. His teachings influenced Emperors for over 50 years and ensured no christian bishop ever set foot in Rome before 200 CE+

5. The earliest christian councils from 320 CE onwards were controlled and dominated by Constantinople and the Eastern Churches. Rome did not even have a proper delegation until late in the 5th century.
See:
http://one-faith-of-god.org/new_testament/apocrypha/councils_ecumenical/councils_ecumenical_0020.htm

Answer 10

It was Pentecost. I just love it when other supposedly Christian denominations say that Jesus did not start the Catholic Church. They really need a history lesson instead of listening to the hate mongers who have poisoned their mind against the Lord's true Church.