Is the catholic church the true christian church?

Question

If not then what happened upto the 1600s. And why are there so many churches that believe different things.

Some say we agree on the essentials but then who decides whats essential or not as everyone disagrees on that point.

Answer 1

If you are a catholic then yes if you are not a cahtolic then you would say no

Answer 2

No. I will not rehash the many debates about their theology.

But the first tenant to be resolved if you wish to find an answer to this question is this, "What does one agree as the reference standard for the Christian church?" To decide any debate one must first agree on which sources are valid. In this particular case, the Roman Catholic Church suggests its tradition as upheld by it's writings. Others disagree that this is the "true" standard for the Christian church.

Nor are they the "oldest" Christian church. The eastern orthodox churches (intentionally lower case because I don't mean any specific ones but rather any in the group) have a stronger case for "older" than does the ROMAN church. Rome was not the first city to have a church nor even the first city to have a Bishop. Nor was Rome theologically significant in early leadership. So, oldest church obviously goes to Jerusalem but there has not been a church there continuously for the last 2 millennia. Oldest continuously extant church with ecclesiastical authority goes to Antioch and the Syrian church. The Roman church didn't really assume leadership until about the 3rd or 4th century. (see link below).


To answer your subquestions. It really goes back to the earlier point about standards. The simple answer to your question about why so many denominations is that people don't agree upon what the reference standard/document should be.

As to whether we agree on the essentials or not. For me, the first step would be for the Pope and all priests to admit they have NO power to forgive sin nor are they necessary intercessors between man and God.

Truth has never been up for majority nor ecclesiastical rule. If it were, the world would be flat; gravity would not exist and we would all have to have accepted Confusionism.

Answer 3

The Catholic Church is the True Church because it is the only Christian denomination that possesses the Four Marks of the True Church:

The Church Is One (Rom. 12:5, 1 Cor. 10:17, 12:13, CCC 813–822)
Jesus established only one Church, not a collection of differing churches (Lutheran, Baptist, Anglican, and so on). The Bible says the Church is the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:23–32). Jesus can have but one spouse, and his spouse is the Catholic Church.

His Church also teaches just one set of doctrines, which must be the same as those taught by the apostles (Jude 3). This is the unity of belief to which Scripture calls us (Phil. 1:27, 2:2).

Although some Catholics dissent from officially-taught doctrines, the Church’s official teachers—the pope and the bishops united with him—have never changed any doctrine. Over the centuries, as doctrines are examined more fully, the Church comes to understand them more deeply (John 16:12–13), but it never understands them to mean the opposite of what they once meant.

The Church Is Holy (Eph. 5:25–27, Rev. 19:7–8, CCC 823–829)
By his grace Jesus makes the Church holy, just as he is holy. This doesn’t mean that each member is always holy. Jesus said there would be both good and bad members in the Church (John 6:70), and not all the members would go to heaven (Matt. 7:21–23).

But the Church itself is holy because it is the source of holiness and is the guardian of the special means of grace Jesus established, the sacraments (cf. Eph. 5:26).

The Church Is Catholic (Matt. 28:19–20, Rev. 5:9–10, CCC 830–856)
Jesus’ Church is called catholic ("universal" in Greek) because it is his gift to all people. He told his apostles to go throughout the world and make disciples of "all nations" (Matt. 28:19–20).

For 2,000 years the Catholic Church has carried out this mission, preaching the good news that Christ died for all men and that he wants all of us to be members of his universal family (Gal. 3:28).

Nowadays the Catholic Church is found in every country of the world and is still sending out missionaries to "make disciples of all nations" (Matt. 28:19).

The Church Jesus established was known by its most common title, "the Catholic Church," at least as early as the year 107, when Ignatius of Antioch used that title to describe the one Church Jesus founded. The title apparently was old in Ignatius’s time, which means it probably went all the way back to the time of the apostles.

The Church Is Apostolic (Eph. 2:19–20, CCC 857–865)
The Church Jesus founded is apostolic because he appointed the apostles to be the first leaders of the Church, and their successors were to be its future leaders. The apostles were the first bishops, and, since the first century, there has been an unbroken line of Catholic bishops faithfully handing on what the apostles taught the first Christians in Scripture and oral Tradition (2 Tim. 2:2).

These beliefs include the bodily Resurrection of Jesus, the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, the sacrificial nature of the Mass, the forgiveness of sins through a priest, baptismal regeneration, the existence of purgatory, Mary’s special role, and much more —even the doctrine of apostolic succession itself.

Early Christian writings prove the first Christians were thoroughly Catholic in belief and practice and looked to the successors of the apostles as their leaders. What these first Christians believed is still believed by the Catholic Church. No other Church can make that claim.

Man’s ingenuity cannot account for this. The Church has remained one, holy, catholic, and apostolic—not through man’s effort, but because God preserves the Church he established (Matt. 16:18, 28:20).

He guided the Israelites on their escape from Egypt by giving them a pillar of fire to light their way across the dark wilderness (Exod. 13:21). Today he guides us through his Catholic Church.

The Bible, sacred Tradition, and the writings of the earliest Christians testify that the Church teaches with Jesus’ authority. In this age of countless competing religions, each clamoring for attention, one voice rises above the din: the Catholic Church, which the Bible calls "the pillar and foundation of truth" (1 Tim. 3:15).

If the Catholic Church isn't the True Church, then one of the other Christian denominations - formed at least some 1500 years after Christ's Resurrection - is the True Church. This begs the question, what is the reason behind Jesus not forming his Church until 1500 years after His earthly Ministry?

Answer 4

No the catholic church is not even christian. It is Pagan.
They pray to mary and other people.

The catholic church got to it's position by utterly murdering and destroying all other christians that did to agree to its practices.

There are so many churches today because during and after the 1600s the advent of the printing press and translation of scripture from latin to english and other languages caused the common man to see the catholic church for what it really is. There are so many of them because some of them misinterpret the scripture.

Nobody decides on what the essentials are !
Just pick up the scripture, read it for yourself and follow what it says.
Nothing more nothing less.

Answer 5

You probanly didn't know this, but during the time of the Holy Roman Empire The time when the Catholic Church Started, there were other church movements, one was the Celtic Church Movement. The Catholic Movement soon took over.

But I don't think the Catholic Church is the true church but part of the true church. The Church is the People, or the Christians. The Catholics are only one of many movments that is part of the Great Christian Church. AKA the Body of Christ.

Answer 6

The catholic church was not the first Christian Church. Christianity existed a couple of hundred years before catholicism formed. Guess what folks, Jesus isnt catholic, hes a Jew. before Emperor constantine decided that becoming a Christian would increase his power, their were lots of people who followed Jesus and were identified simply as Christians. The Romans created the catholic church when they got tired of murdering Christians. So, to those of you who do believe that catholicism is Christs true Church, what do you say to us Protestants? I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, born of a virgin, died on the cross as payment for my sins, rose from the dead, accended into heaven and will return on day to judge the dead and the living. I belive the Jesus is my mediator between God and man so that I can have a personal relationship with God. Believing this, will I still go to hell because I dont give my money to the pope?

Answer 7

Yes, the Catholic Church is the true church; apostolic from Jesus.

What happened in the 1600's? Well, the pope's were biffing it and the priest were biffing it because the pope's were lost. ML (Marting Luther) was a Catholic Priest who spoke up against the condition of the church. He and many others called for "Referandems" & a call for more unity. See, there wasn't telephones, computers, and ways to align Church teachings. This resulted in ppl making up religion, and this de-centralized the Catholic Church. ML was against mass said in Latin ... and he was against individual priest choosing the bible gosspels that should be read. Okay ... ML decided that he could lead ppl to the unification .. .and his efforts were good ... exept they were selfish, and left his other brothers & sisters behind. The ironic part is with over 2000 Christain demonination fracturing from ML's hot-headed attempt to "Will" his ways ... well, some how the remaining Catholics heard his unification cry's ... stuck with the RC Church, and got the unification. So, Catholics now all read from the same Bible Scriptures & Gosspels while other Christain denominations keep fracturing, and choosing their own. So, the Catholic Church looks like what ML set out to creat while the Christain demonimations looks like the RC Church in the 1600's.

Answer 8

The Bible says that the true Christian church is called "the body of Christ" which means all Christians in the world.

The question would more rightly be worded Is the Catholic church the only Christian church in the world because they teach things that are in direct contradiction to Protestant churches.

The obvious answer is only obvious to those who will take time to do an honest study of the Bible concerning all the cardinal doctrines of both churches and how they stack up to the Bible itself. People who are led by their leaders and will not study the Bible for themselves are open to deception and can be easily led astray by non-Christians and cults.

Baby baptism - as taught in Catholicism doesn't line up with scripture.
Transubstantiation - as taught in Catholicism doesn't line up with scripture.
Infallibility of the Pope - doesn't line up with scripture.
Genuflecting - doesn't line up with scripture
Praying to Mary and the Disciples doesn't line up with scripture.
Purgatory - is not mentioned in scripture.
The Priesthood and confession to preists - as taught in the Catholic church doesn't line up with scripture.

Salvation comes through the blood of Christ and nothing else.

Answer 9

The true Christian church is the people who are believers in Jesus Christ. Do you really think God cares that much what group we are in. We are all sinners, but God wants us to believe in His good news; His Son. For us to think we must be in the very best group is ridiculous; every group could be picked to pieces, including the Catholic denomination.

Answer 10

If you believe in the bible you have to believe in the Pope and the Catholic Church including tradition .Tradition was used to canonize the Bible by the Catholic Church .Christ gave authority to the Catholic Church under the Holy Spirit to canonized the Bible. What criteria was used, tradition oral teaching passed on and the Catholic Churches beliefs, under the guidance of the Holy spirit. The Catholic Church canonized the bible under Christ’s authority. So how can any books be put into the bible that go against Catholic beliefs and teachings (or removed) . So then if you believe the Catholic Church is false and not Christian, that its doctrine is false, then bible has no meaning and the Catholic Church had no authority to put the bible together in the first place. You would then have to throw out your bible. The Catholic Church teaches the same now as it did then nothing new has been added if so tell me but you cant because you know nothing of Church history or the history of your Protestant faith. The early Church Father’s all celebrated the Eucharist and the sacraments and all believed it to be the Body Blood Soul And Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, as the Catholic Church does today. So who Gave the Authority to a , mentally unbalanced, diseased character Martin Luther hero of the Reformation. His intemperance, his persecution mania, his varying moods, were the origin of his permanent contradictions. Who gave him authority to add words to the Bible and remove 7 books and believe in his doctrine of Sola Scriptura which is found no place in the Bible. And all the made up doctrine that followed made up by men. Your either a Christian and believe the teachings of the Catholic Church or you are a hypocrite and heretic certainly not a Christian you see the word Christian was coined by a Catholic Bishop ordained By Peter himself and is a Catholic word.

Answer 11

Eh, they are certainly the oldest. But there were christian sects that predate catholicism, then catholics stomped them out as heretics. I'd say taht each and every church is the "true" church, at least for the definition of "true" that they use.

Basically, define your terms better and we can get a better answer.