2007-10-20 08:34:33 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The way the Bible describes the church is with a group of elders (also called shepherds, bishops or pastors) who were overseers over each congregation. Each congregation was independent, answering to no authority under Christ. Christ is the head of the church! (Ephesians 1:22-23)
Eventually, elders from different congregations began meeting together. After a while they set up elderships that were not over just one church, but over a group of churches. These may have been originally set up with each church sending a delegate to this conference.
Such meetings grew to have more, and more power over the local congregations and the conference appointed a leader to preside over these meetings.
Soon, the local churches had to answer to this governing body and the leader of this body became the "Pope".
These changes happened gradually over a period of time, therefore it is difficult to pinpoint when this conference changed from being just a meeting where religious matters were discussed to becoming a governing organization.
In any case, such an organization that has authority over the local churches is not scriptural, not found in the scriptures! Jesus has "all authority" (Matt 28:18-20), but if any authority is given to man-made organizations, then he no longer has "all".
We need no organization between the local church and Christ! "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5)
2007-10-20 14:16:15 · answer #1 · answered by JoeBama 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Jesus personally founded the Catholic church. Of this there can be no doubt.
John, the last apostle, reportedly died around 95-99 AD, and by 107 AD we have St. Ignatius, St. John's close disciple, calling the church Catholic ... and doing it in writing.
Ignatius proclaimed this publicly and consistently, until he was martyred, shorlty afterwards.
Ignatius' disciple, St. Polycarp, carried on the Catholic Tradition after Ignatius was gone. Polycarp was also martyred ... but much later.
All of this can be proven from the facts of history ... but our protestant brethren claim to believe only what they can find in scripture ... and not history ... unless of course, that history can be used to reflect negatively on the Catholic church.
Go figure!
2007-10-20 16:09:04 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Jesus did the start by His saying : "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church." (Matt XVI,18). Then He said to Peter after His resurrection, Feed my lambs, my sheeps three times (John XXI, 15.16.17). And Peter had done His message by becoming the first Pope in 62-64 in Rome. The Holy Spirit guides the flock of Peter and his successors through ages and paths of history in Roman Catholic Church.
2007-10-20 16:07:05 · answer #3 · answered by Pak Koes 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I may be incorrect, but I do believe that during one of the early church councils, the Bishop from Rome somehow declared that he was to be leading the other Bishops, which is a contradiction of what scripture teaches concerning church leadership.( but this depends on your point of view regarding interpretation of certain verses)
In any event, others simply went along with the idea.
Catholics do believe that there has been an unbroken link of leaders all the way back to Peter, the Apostle.
In all actuality, it really does not matter...only Jesus matters, because HE is the Savior, NOT any certain denomination.
2007-10-20 15:42:24 · answer #4 · answered by Jed 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
One of the members here is wrong and full of evil thoughts about the Catholic church and he knows it, it was not started by Constantine but was founded on Peter the first Pope and the other Apostles united with him.
2007-10-20 15:42:05 · answer #5 · answered by Sentinel 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Essentially Paul did. He established the first church that worshipped Jesus as God. Coincidently he also wrote the bible and then claimed that he was just transcribing the words of God. What else could he have said? Should he have admitted he was making it all up?? If he had, there would have been no church so that would CLEARLY have been the wrong move on his part.
2007-10-20 15:44:39 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
It was the Apostle Paul ("You are the rock with I will build a church on")who started the Catholic Church. He was also the first Pope.
2007-10-20 15:40:30 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
I don't know Catholic history, but the church Jesus established didn't have a Pope or all the rites that Catholics have.
2007-10-20 15:39:55 · answer #8 · answered by ? 7 · 4⤊ 3⤋
Constantine in 300 AD
Catholics teach a false gospel of works that leads to eternal hell. In addition, catholics have so many false doctrines according to the Bible, we'd be here all day listing them.
The first Christians were all Jews and all believed the fundamentalist doctrine.
God gave us the Bible through Jews. Catholics murdered everyone found owning a Bible.
Catholics are not saved and are not Christians.
2007-10-20 15:37:26 · answer #9 · answered by Chris 4 · 3⤊ 4⤋
Jesus started the church of loveeeeeee.
LUCHA LIBREEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!
2007-10-20 15:38:42 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋