Serious question, if the catholic church can trace back to christ.?

Question

What are the implications for the protestant movement. Its pretty arrogany to proclaim that for 1600 years people were lost until the reformation.

I mean you have to be pretty hard headed to go with that.

As I said serious question it would be useful to get a learned response instead of the usual immature "christian" dribble.

Answer 1

"I mean you have to be pretty hard headed to go with that."

Ya think? LOL

I think that most Protestants are afraid to accept the Catholic truth. In the times we live in, it is neither easy nor popular to be Catholic. It's hard work. And Protestants would have to give up a lot to come back, like their acceptance of birth control for example. It's much easier to stay ignorant of the truth.

Answer 2

I think it's important to stay away from the stuff like "protestants are wrong and Catholics are right"/"Catholics are wrong and protestants are right" kind of polemic. It only causes trouble.

But your question is still a good one. I know people who will say without a bit of irony that Jesus came, proclaimed his gospel, but for 1600 yrs it was wrong until people started breaking away from the RC church.

Then on the other side you have people who actually say that Catholics have all the truth and protestants have no truth in their churches.

Both of those positions are shaky, no matter what this current pope says.

No denomination has the monopoly on God's Truth. If you believe Apostolic Succession, that the Catholic church can be traced back to St. Peter whom the Lord himself made head of the church, then the best you can say is that the Catholic Church has a "fuller" truth than other denominations.

Looking back at history, there were some very sincere people, like Martin Luther, who looked at the church, saw how corrupt it was, and wanted something purer and more Godly. The problem is that since the church is made up of fallible people like you and me, corruption and sin will always creep in. Instead of breaking off from it and "starting over," a better way might be to stay and work against the corruption within the church.

Of course we all have free will and if we decide to work out our spirituality outside "The Church", that's your option. But, since Catholics believe that the church speaks with Christ's voice, that there are (among all the corruption) some very wise and spiritual men and women in the church, it makes sense to take advantage of the guidence that the church can give you, to take advantage of the centuries of experience it has had with sin and redemption and with growth in Christ.

Answer 3

Well, there are not only Catholics and Protestants in this world. Orthodox and R.C. used to be one Church-from 33 AD all the way to the Great Schism of 1054. Yes, Orthodox and Catholics, we have apostolic succession´, meaning we can trace our root all the way back to the Apostles. The Seven Ecumenical Councils that took place long before Luther or Calvin and the rest were born (325A.D.-787A.D.), and consisted of the total of the Church(apostolic successors, representatives from all existing churches), formulated the creed of our faith by unanimity (The "filioque" part was added by the Catholics at a later date), in reply to heretic teachings. The Orthodox Church has preserved the doctrine, and has remainen unaltered since the first days of Christianity. Catholics, I am not that knowledgeable about.

Answer 4

The catholic church can only trace its roots back to AD 606 with the appointment of the the first pope, Boniface III, by Emperor Phocus.

The Church is Established In 30 A.D.). In Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost
In these "last days" (Acts 2:17)
At Jerusalem (Luke 24:47)
3000 Added to them (Acts 2:4 1)
Roman Kings in power (Dan. 2:44; Luke 2:1)
Christ Risen and Exalted (Acts 2:22-3 6)
During Lifetime of Disciples Standing in Jesus Presence (Mark 9:1)
Kingdom Came with Power (Acts 1:8; 2:1-4)

Shortly after the Church of Christ was established, divisions started to occur just as it was predicted by the scriptures.

• Acts 20:29-30 savage wolves will arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them
• 2 Thess. 2:3-13 Apostasy will come before the day of the Lord. Those who did not love the truth will be sent a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in wickedness.
• 1 Tim. 4:1-3 some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons
• 2 Tim. 3:1-13 evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived
• 2 Tim. 4:1-5 the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
• 2 Pet. 2:1-3 false teachers will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them; and many will follow their sensuality.

These divisions (denominations) started to deviate from the church and add their own ideas and concepts.

Date Practice
103 Holy Water
110 Single Bishop replacing plurality of elders
140 Lent
185 Infant Baptism
230 Doctrine of Purgatory
240 Intercession of Saints
251 Pouring for Immersion
325 Council of Nicea
394 Latin Mass
500 Confession to Priests
606 First Universal Pope (Boniface III)
667 Instrumental Music in Worship
1063 Celibacy of Priests
1248 Indulgences
1311 Sprinkling Authorized
1545 Images or Icons Venerated
1870 Pope Declared Infallible

Through all of the divisions, the Church of Christ remained constant, although due to the "ease" and "attraction" of the division, many people fell away from the true church. The church did not, however disappear, nor did it become a denomination.

As a result of the tyrannical power of the Roman Catholic Church, the Protestant Reformation was born. Many people started questioning the teachings of the catholic church, especially where the contradicted the scriptures. They wanted to restore the Biblical teachings or in some cases, change the catholic teachings to their beliefs. More denominations were born due to this movement.

It is very important to point out that the Church of Christ still survived this movement and has remained unchanged from the first century. The Church of Christ has never been a denomination and has always followed the scriptures and Bible just as the apostles and early disciples die.

As men came to America, seeking religious freedom, they began to want something other than the denominational and sectarian faiths they found. They wanted two things: (a) to go back to the Bible alone; and (b) unity among Christians. This time period is know as the Restoration of the New Testament Church

Men began to say: "Let us cast aside all denominational names, creeds, doctrines and practices which divide the Christian world and just wear the name 'Christian' and be only members of the New Testament church." Their plea: "Where the Scriptures speak we speak; and where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent." They sought to go back to the New Testament and practice only those things taught there. They believed the Bible was the seed of the Kingdom (Luke 8:11), which would produce only Christians, members of the Lord's church, as it had done in the first century. We are born again by the incorruptible seed of the Word (1 Peter 1:23-25). What the seed produced in the first century, it would produce "in like kind" in any century.

This restoration movement did not establish a new church but instead further strengthened the Church of Christ and restored many people back to the church and teachings of the Bible.

Answer 5

There is no accounting for the Pride. Protestants will absolutely not say they are wrong unless Jesus draws them. That is the key--nobody comes to him unless he is drawn. Protestants are flocking to the Catholic Church though right and left because the other churches are condoning women priests and Bishops and gay marriages and all of a sudden they are seeing the truth of the Church and especially when they see the work of the Holy Spirit cleansing the Church. It will be slimmer, more refined and oh so much more glorious. The re-institution of the Latin Mass is drawing the Orthodox back too. It is going to be grand again

Answer 6

"The catholic church can trace back to Christ?" A universal church was ordered by the king some 300 years after Christ. The authority given to the Apostles was given to the churches they established all over the known world this authority is not a priesthood but a Father child relationship. Being His child we are heirs of His kingdom. There is no more authority than to be the son or daughter of the Master of the house. We become His children by our faith in God to keep his promises like the one in John 1:12.. Jim

Answer 7

But while Peter was central in the early spread of the gospel (part of the meaning behind Matthew 16:18-19), the teaching of Scripture, taken in context, nowhere declares that he was in authority over the other apostles, or over the Church (having primacy). See Acts 15:1-23; Galatians 2:1-14; and 1 Peter 5:1-5. Nor is it ever taught in Scripture that the bishop of Rome, or any other bishop, was to have primacy over the Church. Scripture does not even explicitly record Peter even being in Rome. Rather there is only one reference in Scripture of Peter writing from “Babylon,” a name sometimes applied to Rome (1 Peter 5:13). Primarily upon this, and the historical rise of the influence of the Bishop of Rome, comes the Roman Catholic Church teaching of the primacy of the Bishop of Rome. However, Scripture shows that Peter’s authority was shared by the other apostles (Ephesians 2:19-20), and the “loosing and binding” authority attributed to him was likewise shared by the local churches, not just their church leaders (see Matthew 18:15-19; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 2 Corinthians 13:10; Titus 2:15; 3:10-11).

Was Peter the first pope? The answer, according to Scripture, is a clear and emphatic no. Peter nowhere claims supremacy over the other apostles. Nowhere is his writings (1 and 2 Peter) did the Apostle Peter claim any special role, authority, or power over the church. Nowhere in Scripture does Peter, or any other apostle, state that their apostolic authority would be passed on to successors. Yes, the Apostle Peter had a leadership role among the disciples. Yes, Peter played a crucial role in the early spread of the Gospel (Acts chapters 1-10). Yes, Peter was the “rock” that Christ predicted he would be (Matthew 16:18). However, these truths about Peter in no way give support to the concept that Peter was the first pope, or that he was the “supreme leader” over the apostles, or that his authority would be passed on to the bishops of Rome. Peter himself points us all to the true Shepherd and Overseer of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:25).

Answer 8

astounding answer Fr. Joseph . What did Martin Luther, the Protestant Reformer, state appropriate to the Bible? In his "assertion On St. John," he reported right here: "we are compelled to envisage to the Papists that they have the information of God, that we've gained It from them, and that without them we would desire to constantly have not any know-how of It in any respect." inspite of what non-Catholic Christians would think of or say, in accordance to secular, objective historians, the Catholic Church on my own preserved Sacred Scripture for the duration of the persecution of the Roman Empire and by using the darkish a protracted time. All non-Catholic Christian denominations owe the existence of the Bible to the Catholic Church on my own. Why did God decide for the Catholic Church to maintain Scripture in spite of if it is not His Church? The Catholic Church became the 1st Christian denomination to cost a mass printing of the Bible with the help of asking Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, to take action in 1447. Non-Catholic Christians would accuse the Catholic Church of not allowing the prevalent human beings to study the Bible before the Reformation, yet what stable would it have finished for the Catholic Church to severely distribute the Bible to the hundreds while over ninety% of the prevalent human beings have been illiterate and could not study besides? The Catholic Mass has constantly secure Scriptural readings from the two the old and New Testaments and Catholic clergymen have constantly "preached" the information of God to the prevalent human beings for the duration of historic previous. Love your enemies

Answer 9

I don't think any serious Protestant would claim that today. Indeed, if Protestants were to apply their theology to Catholics - they'd find that all the issues they have with Catholic theology are null and void because of the power of the grace of God. What I think would be more useful is for Protestants to promote dialog with Catholics and try better to understand the beliefs and rituals - and not judge the Catholic faith by the misdeeds of some of it's followers. We are all sinful and carry dogma that can be in contrast to the Word of God. Arrogance has no place in religious discussion.

Answer 10

I am Catholic....

The Protestants were Catholics...the Protestants were simply making a statement that somewhere along the line the papacy was more concerned about papal power than following in the footsteps of Christ.

The Reformation was necessary, and actually helped to transform the Church back to its Christian roots.

It is arrogant to think that you cannot learn from others.