Was there anyone in the bible that was Catholic?

Question

I know that Peter wasn't by reading the word of
God.

Answer 1

No, Even a cursory reading of the New Testament will reveal that the Catholic Church does not have its origin in the teachings of Jesus, or His apostles. In the New Testament, there is no mention of the papacy, worship / adoration of Mary (or the immaculate conception of Mary, the perpetual virginity of Mary, the assumption of Mary, or Mary as co-redemptrix and mediatrix), petitioning saints in Heaven for their prayers, apostolic succession, the ordinances of the church functioning as sacraments, infant baptism, confession of sin to a priest, purgatory, indulgences, or the equal authority of church tradition and Scripture.

Answer 2

The three (non-Jewish) Magi visiting the baby Jesus was one of the first signs that Christianity would reach out to the entire world, be universal or catholic.

Later Jesus treated non-Jews like Romans and Samaritans with dignity and respect. In consequence, these Romans and Samaritans became some of the first Christians.

After Jesus' Resurrection, more and more Gentiles became believers and the Apostles decided under the influence of the Holy Spirit that they did not have to convert to Judaism to become Christians.

The Church has referred to itself as the “Catholic Church” at least since 107 C.E. (about 10 years after the last book of the New Testament was written), when the Greek term "Katholikos" (meaning universal) 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

We do not know how long they had been using the term "Catholic" before it was included in this letter.

All of this was long before the Council of Nicea and the Nicene Creed from 325 C.E. which states, "We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church."

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07644a.htm

With love in Christ.

Answer 3

Pastor Billy says: yes all the first disciples of Christ.

We know this because they practised their faith as Catholics do today. The first church had a hierarchy, and apostolic succession, they practised baptismal regeneration. etc

addendum: contrary to all the comments on Peter it was Christ who instituted the Catholic Church and the Church didn't start in Rome but in Jerusalem. What is called the Roman Catholic Church today never claims it originates in Rome.

There is no apocrypha in any Catholic bible, the books referred to by another person as apocrypha are found in the same bibles used by Jesus and the apostles called the Septuagint. How do we know this? We know this because Christ and the Apostles quoted some 300-350 types in the New Testament from this Old Testament version written by the Jews. The Septuagint was a version of biblical OT text written ~250BC and used by the majority of Jews in Diaspora as well as Hellenized Palestine

Answer 4

Actually, there is a lot of leeway here. 1st, though, I have to disagree with the arrogant statement:

"St. Peter is acknoweldged by all educated people as the founder of what is now the Roman Catholic Church"

This is by no means a true statement.

It seems *very* likely that the Roman Catholic Church (RCC), among several other sects, arose from those first congregations proselytized by the early disciples of Jesus. Many choose not to believe this, but it seems *most likely* that the doctrine of apostolic succession is valid, in so far as there is a direct "descent" (through laying on of hands) from the apostles to the priests who were part of the early Roman church and, in time, the RCC.

However, there is disagreement as to what "Catholic" actually means. For example, the Eastern Orthodox churches can claim at *least* as ancient a foundation in Christianity as the RCC, and are in many instances located in those places documented as the most ancient churches. These churches (plus several others) separated from the RCC centuries later.

Therefore, *if* you define the RCC as the church which accepted the primacy of the pope and the Western nature of the trinity after the Great Schism, then clearly there was no one prior to the year 1000 (at least) who was a RC. On the other hand, if you define the RCC as those who began the teachings in churches which *evolved* into the RCC, then *all* the Christians in the bible are RC. They are also (in that case) all Greek Orthodox, Armenian Church, Coptic Church, etc. etc. etc. As it turns out, all of these early sects arising out of the original single Roman church *do* claim these biblical personages as the earliest members of their respective sects.

BTW (just wondering)...what scripture leads you to believe that Peter was not RC? I've read the NT many times, but have found no reason to believe that Peter believed in things contrary to the doctrine of the RCC.

Jim, Christian but not RC, http://www.jimpettis.com/wheel/

Answer 5

From the time of Christ, the Catholic Church existed. Peter was made the leader, the Pope, of the Church. Protestantism broke off from Catholicism. Although what I don't understand is why Protestants say Catholics aren't Christians. We were Christians before they were. We were the original Christians.

Answer 6

"I know that Peter wasn't by reading the word of God."
You know nothing - you only 'know' what your parasitic preachers have told you to think - they do all your interpreting for you.

"Was there anyone in the bible that was Catholic?"
Was there anyone in the bible that was Protestant?
Was there anyone in the bible that was Methodist?
Was there anyone in the bible that was Evangelical?
Was there anyone in the bible that was Pentecostal?
Was there anyone in the bible that was Mormon?
Was there anyone in the bible that was SDA?
Was there anyone in the bible that was JW?

No; there were none of them either.
Without Catholicism the Protest-ants would have nothing to protest against or breakaway from.
Without the Power of the Holy Roman Catholic Church to drive it xianity may have died.

Answer 7

Jesus was baptized in the Jordan river as a Catholic, Luke was Catholic, Peter was Catholic, everyone in the new testament was practically Catholic because Catholicism is the original branch of Christianity. The Protestant Reformation was the creation everyone who is not Catholic.

Answer 8

No there was no one in the Bible that was Catholic because the Catholic church did not exist during the time period written about in the Bible.

And as for Michael's statement:

"Jesus was baptized in the Jordan river as a Catholic, Luke was Catholic, Peter was Catholic, everyone in the new testament was practically Catholic."

Jesus was a Jew; He was baptized in the Jordan river as a Jew in obedience to God the Father which initiated His earthly ministry. Luke was a Gentile and Peter was a Jew and they both believed that Jesus was Messiah and confessed Him as Lord which made them...Christ-ians.

Answer 9

St. Peter is acknoweldged by all educated people as the founder of what is now the Roman Catholic Church. I think we may reasonably assume you skipped college. Anti-Catholic bigotry seems to be a serious problem with fundies. But after all it only goes on a long list of things you psuedo-christians hate with a hatred that is truly blind.

Answer 10

can you explain why Peter wasn't - what references show that?! He believed in Jesus as his Saviour - so do Catholics. historically he did go to Rome and start the Catholic church.

while that word isn't in the bible neither is methodist, rapture, computer, epsicopalian, cat, car, cockroach - but they all exist.

Answer 11

Catholic means universal. It is a term used by the
Roman, Anglican and Orthodox Church.
The early Christians were all Catholics.