maryofoxford
Regular Member
I told my sister that if, after my research, I found that anything the Catholic faith truly believed went against the Bible, that I would leave also.
It just so happens that while searching for these answers I started wondering if anyone, other than the apostles, that lived at the same time as Christ, knew how to write and actually wrote down things about Jesus and the apostles and the earliest church? As I figured it: If those writings were still available, it would be the perfect way to see what the first Christians believed and practiced. I mean the chances are FAR greater that those Christians believed and worshiped as Christ taught us to worship, then people living 2,000 years later, right?
Also, any disputes about what the gospels or the letters of the New Testament meant, should be cleared up by reading letters about what the first Christians believed they meant. They would have been taught, either by Jesus himself, or by the apostles directly! I'd heard many people say that we should get back to living and worshiping as the early church did. Letters like this would tell us that info.
Well, lo and behold, I found out that there did exist writings like this. I was recommended to read a 3 vol. set, edited by Jurgens, called The Faith of the Early Fathers. Wow! It blew my mind! These were letters written from aprox. ad 80 to ad 350. Long before Protestantism ever started. Even long before the Eastern Orthodox Catholics split from the Catholic Church.
When I read what the instructions were for the first Christians, given to them by the first apostles and disciples of the Lord, and while the apostle John was still living (and would certainly have called it heresy, if he felt it was, since there was never any lack of heretics being condemned any other time.) I was amazed! Here, in black and white, were letters speaking of Bishops, hierarchy in the church, even clarifying the belief regarding the Lord's supper/communion; I could only conclude that it certainly agreed with what the Catholic Church taught as their doctrine.
I also attended a Catholic Seminary in order to get a 2yr degree in Ministry. I took many many classes on the Catholic Faith, the Jewish faith, and the Sacred Scriptures. This is where I received the bulk of my knowledge on what the Catholic Church believes as doctrine, vs. what they follow as church discipline (totally different in many ways!). These are the two big areas that cause about 1/2 of the confusions that take place.
I've continued my studies on the early church and now own a collection of 24 vols. of writings by the first Christians (none later than the later 300's). I also have read about 20 different books explaining what we believe and regarding the lives of saints, etc.
I have absolutely NO problem defending the Catholic faith as the ONE faith established by Jesus Christ. The faith that he promised to send His Holy Spirit to lead into all truth, and the faith that Jesus Christ himself said, that "The gates of Hell shall not prevail against." Christ is God. God cannot lie. There was only ONE church that He left on this earth, and that church MUST still be existing, unchanged from the very beginning. Only ONE church meets all of the promises that Christ proclaimed in order to identify the true church, and my friends that IS the Catholic Church.
If you disagree, than I believe that would make Jesus Christ a liar. If you believe that the Catholic Church's doctrines are contrary to Sacred Scripture, than I ask you to PLEASE tell me where (just one place at a time) and I will show you otherwise. Just give me a chance to show you using the Bible itself. I know from experience that I'll be shown a slew of places; but I also know that I can show you a slew of places in the Bible that will contradict anything you show me.
Thanks so much for your patience in reading this.
It just so happens that while searching for these answers I started wondering if anyone, other than the apostles, that lived at the same time as Christ, knew how to write and actually wrote down things about Jesus and the apostles and the earliest church? As I figured it: If those writings were still available, it would be the perfect way to see what the first Christians believed and practiced. I mean the chances are FAR greater that those Christians believed and worshiped as Christ taught us to worship, then people living 2,000 years later, right?
Also, any disputes about what the gospels or the letters of the New Testament meant, should be cleared up by reading letters about what the first Christians believed they meant. They would have been taught, either by Jesus himself, or by the apostles directly! I'd heard many people say that we should get back to living and worshiping as the early church did. Letters like this would tell us that info.
Well, lo and behold, I found out that there did exist writings like this. I was recommended to read a 3 vol. set, edited by Jurgens, called The Faith of the Early Fathers. Wow! It blew my mind! These were letters written from aprox. ad 80 to ad 350. Long before Protestantism ever started. Even long before the Eastern Orthodox Catholics split from the Catholic Church.
When I read what the instructions were for the first Christians, given to them by the first apostles and disciples of the Lord, and while the apostle John was still living (and would certainly have called it heresy, if he felt it was, since there was never any lack of heretics being condemned any other time.) I was amazed! Here, in black and white, were letters speaking of Bishops, hierarchy in the church, even clarifying the belief regarding the Lord's supper/communion; I could only conclude that it certainly agreed with what the Catholic Church taught as their doctrine.
I also attended a Catholic Seminary in order to get a 2yr degree in Ministry. I took many many classes on the Catholic Faith, the Jewish faith, and the Sacred Scriptures. This is where I received the bulk of my knowledge on what the Catholic Church believes as doctrine, vs. what they follow as church discipline (totally different in many ways!). These are the two big areas that cause about 1/2 of the confusions that take place.
I've continued my studies on the early church and now own a collection of 24 vols. of writings by the first Christians (none later than the later 300's). I also have read about 20 different books explaining what we believe and regarding the lives of saints, etc.
I have absolutely NO problem defending the Catholic faith as the ONE faith established by Jesus Christ. The faith that he promised to send His Holy Spirit to lead into all truth, and the faith that Jesus Christ himself said, that "The gates of Hell shall not prevail against." Christ is God. God cannot lie. There was only ONE church that He left on this earth, and that church MUST still be existing, unchanged from the very beginning. Only ONE church meets all of the promises that Christ proclaimed in order to identify the true church, and my friends that IS the Catholic Church.
If you disagree, than I believe that would make Jesus Christ a liar. If you believe that the Catholic Church's doctrines are contrary to Sacred Scripture, than I ask you to PLEASE tell me where (just one place at a time) and I will show you otherwise. Just give me a chance to show you using the Bible itself. I know from experience that I'll be shown a slew of places; but I also know that I can show you a slew of places in the Bible that will contradict anything you show me.
Thanks so much for your patience in reading this.
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