The Early Church is the Catholic Church

[ViaCrucis]

False doctrines, let's take a look.

Heresy Date

OF ALL THE HUMAN TRADITIONS taught and practiced by the Roman Catholic Church, which are contrary to the Bible, the most ancient are the prayers for the dead and the sign of the Cross. Both began 300 years after Christ. 310
Wax Candles introduced in church 320
Veneration of angels and dead saints 375
The Mass, as a daily celebration, adopted 394
The worship of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the use of the term, "Mother of God", as applied to her, originated in the Council of Ephesus 431
Priests began to dress differently from the laity 500
Extreme Unction 526
The doctrine of Purgatory was first established by Gregory the Great 593
The Latin language, as the language of prayer and worship in churches, was also imposed by Pope Gregory I. 600 years after Christ

The Word of God forbids praying and teaching in an unknown tongue. (1st Corinthians 14:9). 600
The Bible teaches that we pray to God alone. In the primitive church never were prayers directed to Mary, or to dead saints. This practice began in the Roman Church.

(Matthew 11:28; Luke 1:46; Acts 10:25-26; 14:14-18) 600
The Papacy is of pagan origin. The title of pope or universal bishop, was first given to the bishop of Rome by the wicked emperor Phocas.

This he did to spite Bishop Ciriacus of Constantinople, who had justly excommunicated him for his having caused the assassination of his predecessor emperor Mauritius. Gregory 1, then bishop of Rome, refused the title, but his successor, Boniface III, first assumed title "pope."

Jesus did not appoint Peter to the headship of the apostles and forbade any such notion. (Luke 22:24-26; Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18; 1st Corinthians 3:11).

Note: Nor is there any mention in Scripture, nor in history, that Peter ever was in Rome, much less that he was pope there for 25 years; Clement, 3rd bishop of Rome, remarks that "there is no real 1st century evidence that Peter ever was in Rome." 610
The kissing of the Pope's feet

It had been a pagan custom to kiss the feet of emperors. The Word of God forbids such practices. (Read Acts 10:25-26; Revelation 19:10; 22:9). 709
The Temporal power of the Popes

When Pepin, the usurper of the throne of France, descended into Italy, called by Pope Stephen II, to war against the Italian Lombards, he defeated them and gave the city of Rome and surrounding territory to the pope. Jesus expressly forbade such a thing, and He himself refused worldly kingship. (Read Matthew 4:8-9; 20:25-26; John 18:38). 750
Worship of the cross, images and relics was authorized

This was by order of Dowager Empress Irene of Constantinople, who first caused to pluck the eyes of her own son, Constantine VI, and then called a church council at the request of Hadrian I, pope of Rome at that time.

Such practice is called simply IDOLATRY in the Bible, and is severely condemned. (Read Exodus 20:4; 3:17; Deuteronomy 27:15; Psalm 115). 788
Holy Water, mixed with a pinch of salt and blessed by the priest, was authorized 850
The veneration of St. Joseph began 890
The baptism of bells was instituted by Pope John XIV 965
Canonization of dead saints, first by Pope John XV

Every believer and follower of Christ is called saint in the Bible. (Read Romans 1:7; 1st Colossians 1:2). 995
Fasting on Fridays and during Lent were imposed

Imposed by popes said to be interested in the commerce of fish. (Bull, or permit to eat meat), some authorities say, began in the year 700. This is against the plain teaching of the Bible. (Read Matthew 15:10; 1st Corinthians 10:25; 1st Timothy 4:1-3). 998
The Mass was developed gradually as a sacrifice; attendance made obligatory in the 11th century.

The Bible teaches that the sacrifice of Christ was offered once and for all, and is not to be repeated, but only commemorated in the Lord's Supper. (Read Hebrews 7:27; 9:26-28; 10:10-14).
The celibacy of the priesthood was decreed by Pope Hildebrand, Boniface VII

Jesus imposed no such rule, nor did any of the apostles. On the contrary, St. Peter was a married man, and St. Paul says that bishops were to have wife and children. (Read 1st Timothy 3:2,5, and 12; Matthew 8:14-15). 1079
The Rosary, or prayer beads was introduced by Peter the Hermit, in the year 1090. Copied from Hindus and Mohammedans

The counting of prayers is a pagan practice and is expressly condemned by Christ. (Matthew 6:5-13). 1090
The Inquisition of heretics was instituted by the Council of Verona in the year 1184. Jesus never taught the use of force to spread His religion 1184
The sale of Indulgences, commonly regarded as a purchase of forgiveness and a permit to indulge in sin.

Christianity, as taught in the Bible, condemns such a traffic and it was the protest against this traffic that brought on the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. 1190
The dogma of Transubstantiation was decreed by Pope Innocent III, in the year

By this doctrine the priest pretends to perform a daily miracle by changing a wafer into the body of Christ, and then he pretends to eat Him alive in the presence of his people during Mass. The Bible condemns such absurdities; for the Lord's Supper is simply a memorial of the sacrifice of Christ. The spiritual presence of Christ is implied in the Lord's Supper. (Read Luke 22:19-20; John 6:35; 1st Corinthians 11:26). 1215
Confession of sin to the priest at least once a year was instituted by Pope Innocent III., in the Lateran Council

The Bible commands us to confess our sins direct to God. (Read Psalm 51:1-10; Luke 7:48; 15:21; 1st John 1:8-9). 1215
The adoration of the wafer (Host), was decreed by Pope Honorius

So the Roman Church worships a God made by human hands. This is plain idolatry and absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Gospel. (Read John 4:24). 1220
The Bible forbidden to laymen and placed in the Index of forbidden books by the Council of Valencia

Jesus commanded that the Scriptures should be read by all. (John 5:39; 1st Timothy 3:15-17). 1229
The Scapular was invented by Simon Stock, and English monk

It is a piece of brown cloth, with the picture of the Virgin and supposed to contain supernatural virtue to protect from all dangers those who wear it on naked skin. This is fetishism. 1287
The Roman Church forbade the cup to the laity, by instituting the communion of one kind in the Council of Constance

The Bible commands us to celebrate the Lord's Supper with unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine. (Read Matthew 26:27; 1st Corinthians 11:26-29). 1414
The doctrine of Purgatory was proclaimed as a dogma of faith by Council of Florence

There is not one word in the Bible that would teach the purgatory of priests. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sins. (Read 1st John 1:7-9; 2:1-2; John 5:24; Romans 8:1). 1439
The doctrine of 7 Sacraments affirmed

The Bible says that Christ instituted only two ordinances, Baptism and the Lord's Supper. (Read Matthew 28:19-20; 26:26-28). 1439
The Ave Maria, part of the last

It was completed 50 years afterward and finally approved by Pope Sixtus V, at the end of the 16th century. 1508
The Council of Trent, held in the year 1545, declared that Tradition is of equal authority with the Bible

By tradition is meant human teachings. The Pharisees believed the same way, and Jesus bitterly condemned them, for by teaching human tradition, they nullified the commandments of God. (Read Mark 7:7-13; Colossians 2:8; Revelation 22:18). 1545
The apocryphal books were added to the Bible also by the Council of Trent

These books were not recognized as canonical by the Jewish Church. (See Revelation 22:8-9). 1546
The Creed of Pope Pius IV was imposed as the official creed 1560 years after Christ and the apostles

True Christians retain the Holy Scriptures as their creed. Hence their creed is 1500 years older than the creed of Roman Catholics. (Read Galatians 1:8). 1560
The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary was proclaimed by Pope Pius IX

The Bible states that all men, with the sole exception of Christ, are sinners. Mary herself had need of a Savior. (Read Romans 3:23; 5:12; Psalm 51:5; Luke 1:30,46,47). 1834
In the year 1870 after Christ, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of Papal Infallibility

This is a blasphemy and the sign of the apostasy and of the antichrist predicted by St. Paul. (Read 2nd Thessalonians 2:2-12; Revelation 17:1-9; 13:5-8,18).

Many Bible students see the number of the beast (Rev. 13:18), 666 in the Roman letters of the Pope's title: "VICARIVS FILII DEI." -- V-5, I-1; C-100, I-1; V-S, I-1; L-50, I-1; I-1; D-500, I-l — Total, 666. 1870
Pope Plus X, in the year 1907, condemned together with "Modernism", all the discoveries of modern science which are not approved by the Church

Pius IX had done the same thing in the Syllabus of 1864. 1907
In the year 1930 Pius XI, condemned the Public Schools 1930
In the year 1931 the same pope Pius XI, reaffirmed the doctrine that Mary is "the Mother of God"

This doctrine was first invented by the Council of Ephesus in the year 431. This is a heresy contrary by Mary's own words. (Read Luke 1:46-49; John 2: l-5). 1931
In the year 1950 the last dogma was proclaimed by Pope Pius XII, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary 1950

So where did you copy-paste this from? jesus-is-savior.com?

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Linet Kihonge]

Is it true all the teachings accumulated today were passed down by Bishops, Popes and fathers through first century?

The answer will seem "YES" and from the look of things no SCRIPTURE still supports the prayer to the departed. If Peter is "literally" the rock, scripture literally doesn't support the practice of praying novenas, rosaries and all the ones from the little prayer books. So!

I didn't ask if we stick to the truth.

My question is, does the Church started by Jesus, the body of Christ, teach any false doctrines?

Yes, it does!!!

 

[2Timothy2:15]

So where did you copy-paste this from? jesus-is-savior.com?

-CryptoLutheran

Yes, that is where I got it, it doesn't really matter because it is true. I see you have already bitten the ecumenical apple. Forming of the one world religion right before your eyes yet you can't see.

 

[Lepanto]

Before the invention of the printing press, books were hand copied and were expensive and not affordable. Moreover, many people at that time were illiterate.

Even today in the 21st century, there are still so many adults with reading problem today in Australia, according to an Industrial Skill Councils report. Besides, there are so many old people with poor eye sights.

How was/is it possible for everybody to read and interpret the Bible himself ? No, it's not possible, that's why Our Saviour willed His flock to be educated by His Church.

 

[2Timothy2:15]

Before the invention of the printing press, books were hand copied and were expensive and not affordable. Moreover, many people at that time were illiterate.

Even today in the 21st century, there are still so many adults with reading problem today in Australia, according to an Industrial Skill Councils report. Besides, there are so many old people with poor eye sights.

How was/is it possible for everybody to read and interpret the Bible himself ? No, it's not possible, that's why Our Saviour willed His flock to be educated by His Church.

To say people were all illiterate is some what a misnomer. Also, it is much easier to control people if you have the only copies of scripture. That makes it much easier to become the "authority" of scripture. No interpretation of their own, means, the Holy Spirit not some group of men.

 

[2Timothy2:15]

So the bishop of Antioch doesn't trace his succession back to St. Peter? I imagine two thousand years of Antiochene bishops are going to be quite surprised to hear that.

-CryptoLutheran

Were you baptized in the name of Peter, or the Bishop of Antioch? I hope not. This is why the bible says do not argue about endless genealogies.....the idea of the "church" tracing all these fathers to their "history" is totally carnal and not instructed in the bible but actually we are told not to do such things. Yet this is the very foundation of the RCC, their claim to legitimacy through genealogies...


Titus 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

1 Timothy 1:4
“Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.”


1 Corinthians 1 13Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; 15Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. 16And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. 17For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

 

[mikpat]

With all these pagan practices, false beliefs, false dogmas, clerical scandals, for 2000 years, uhhhh, it's amazing that the Roman Catholic Church hasn't disappeared centuries ago. And why are all these martyrs dying for uhh false teachings and practices today, yesterday?

The gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it, (the Church). Also I think Christ stated He would be with His Church till the end of time…..

 

[mikpat]

I think Bryan Malroney has copied all the historical problems, heresies of the Antioch Church and projected their schisms onto the Roman Catholic Church.
The Synods of Antioch (260s AD) many approved erroneous doctrines on the nature of Christ, with Arian heresy being a main source for a medley of beliefs, booting out Bishops for political reasons. ex. the Arian bishop, Stephen of Antioch and much, much more……

 

[ViaCrucis]

Yes, that is where I got it, it doesn't really matter because it is true.

It matters because jesus-is-savior.com is a hate site that promulgates ignorance and misinformation.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[prodromos]

I think Bryan Malroney has copied all the historical problems, heresies of the Antioch Church and projected their schisms onto the Roman Catholic Church.

Why do you think that?

The Synods of Antioch (260s AD) many approved erroneous doctrines on the nature of Christ, with Arian heresy being a main source for a medley of beliefs, booting out Bishops for political reasons. ex. the Arian bishop, Stephen of Antioch and much, much more……

What are your sources for the above?

 

[StanJ]

The RCC has been making this claim for centuries now if not millennia, but as the organization itself really didn't start until sometime after Constantine made Christianity the state religion, how is it possible? Proper perspective and understanding of scripture has always been the key to understanding our church history.

http://www.bible.ca/cath-peter=pope.htm

 

[ViaCrucis]

Seems like it would have been preferable to have had this discussion in Traditional Theology so as to avoid all the posts promoting Hislopian blatherskite.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Tigger45]

Seems like it would have been preferable to have had this discussion in Traditional Theology so as to avoid all the posts promoting Hislopian blatherskite.

-CryptoLutheran

"Those who cannot remember (or study history) are condemned to repeat it."
George Santayana

Ecclesiastes 1:9
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.

 

[rakovsky]

No other Church can legitimately make this claim.

These early writings confirm the truth that Jesus started one Church and it was the Catholic Church.

First up, this is taken from the letter of Pope Clement, the fourth pope, written to the Corinthians in about 90 AD. I've highlighted some key quotes that demonstrate the authority of the Church and the pope.

First Epistle to the Church at Corinth,
by His Holiness Pope St. Clement I


Chapter 40

These things therefore being manifest to us, and since we look into the depths of the divine knowledge, it behoves us to do all things in their proper order, which the Lord has commanded us to perform at stated times. He has enjoined offerings to be presented and service to be performed to Him, and that not thoughtlessly or irregularly, but at the appointed times and hours. Where and by whom He desires these things to be done, He Himself has fixed by His own supreme will, in order that all things being piously done according to His good pleasure, may be acceptable to Him. Those, therefore, who present their offerings at the appointed times, are accepted and blessed; for inasmuch as they follow the laws of the Lord, they sin not. For his own peculiar services are assigned to the high priest, and their own proper place is prescribed to the priests, and their own special ministrations devolve on the Levites. The layman is bound by the laws that pertain to laymen.

Chapter 41

Let every one of you, brethren, give thanks to God in his own order, living in all good conscience, with becoming gravity, and not going beyond the rule of the ministry prescribed to him. Not in every place, brethren, are the daily sacrifices offered, or the peace-offerings, or the sin-offerings and the trespass-offerings, but in Jerusalem only. And even there they are not offered in any place, but only at the altar before the temple, that which is offered being first carefully examined by the high priest and the ministers already mentioned. Those, therefore, who do anything beyond that which is agreeable to His will, are punished with death. You see, brethren, that the greater the knowledge that has been vouchsafed to us, the greater also is the danger to which we are exposed.

Chapter 42

The apostles have preached the Gospel to us from the Lord Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ has done so from God. Christ therefore was sent forth by God, and the apostles by Christ. Both these appointments, then, were made in an orderly way, according to the will of God. Having therefore received their orders, and being fully assured by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and established in the word of God, with full assurance of the Holy Ghost, they went forth proclaiming that the kingdom of God was at hand. And thus preaching through countries and cities, they appointed the first-fruits of their labours, having first proved them by the Spirit, to be bishops and deacons of those who should afterwards believe. Nor was this any new thing, since indeed many ages before it was written concerning bishops and deacons. For thus says the Scripture a certain place, "I will appoint their bishops in righteousness, and their deacons in faith."

Chapter 43

And what wonder is it if those in Christ who were entrusted with such a duty by God, appointed those ministers before mentioned, when the blessed Moses also, "a faithful servant in all his house," noted down in the sacred books all the injunctions which were given him, and when the other prophets also followed him, bearing witness with one consent to the ordinances which he had appointed? For, when rivalry arose concerning the priesthood, and the tribes were contending among themselves as to which of them should be adorned with that glorious title, he commanded the twelve princes of the tribes to bring him their rods, each one being inscribed with the name of the tribe. And he took them and bound them together, and sealed them with the rings of the princes of the tribes, and laid them up in the tabernacle of witness on the table of God. And having shut the doors of the tabernacle, he sealed the keys, as he had done the rods, and said to them, Men and brethren, the tribe whose rod shall blossom has God chosen to fulfil the office of the priesthood, and to minister to Him. And when the morning was come, he assembled all Israel, six hundred thousand men, and showed the seals to the princes of the tribes, and opened the tabernacle of witness, and brought forth the rods. And the rod of Aaron was found not only to have blossomed, but to bear fruit upon it. What think you, beloved? Did not Moses know beforehand that this would happen? Undoubtedly he knew; but he acted thus, that there might be no sedition in Israel, and that the name of the true and only God might be glorified; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Chapter 44

Our apostles also knew, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and there would be strife on account of the office of the episcopate. For this reason, therefore, inasmuch as they had obtained a perfect fore-knowledge of this, they appointed those presbyters already mentioned, and afterwards gave instructions, that when these should fall asleep, other approved men should succeed them in their ministry. We are of opinion, therefore, that those appointed by them, or afterwards by other eminent men, with the consent of the whole Church, and who have blame-lessly served the flock of Christ in a humble, peaceable, and disinterested spirit, and have for a long time possessed the good opinion of all, cannot be justly dismissed from the ministry. For our sin will not be small, if we eject from the episcopate those who have blamelessly and holily fulfilled its duties. Blessed are those presbyters who, having finished their course before now, have obtained a fruitful and perfect departure [from this world]; for they have no fear lest any one deprive them of the place now appointed them. But we see that you have removed some men of excellent behaviour from the ministry, which they fulfilled blamelessly and with honour.

This and dozens of other early Church writings can be found here:

http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/

Orthodox church of Jerusalem has an apostolic line and it was founded before the church in Rome was.

 

[pat34lee]

So where did you copy-paste this from? jesus-is-savior.com?

-CryptoLutheran

It doesn't matter if it were from "TOYS R US" if
what he posted is true.

Poisoning the well is a common tactic when you
cannot debate the facts.

 

[prodromos]

Poisoning the well is a common tactic when you cannot debate the facts.

That particular well was poison from the start, and it would be nice to see some actual facts presented rather than anti-Catholic propaganda.

 

[ViaCrucis]

It doesn't matter if it were from "TOYS R US" if
what he posted is true.

Poisoning the well is a common tactic when you
cannot debate the facts.

It's not poisoning the well when websites such as it are well known for propagating falsehoods--and that's the point, what is being promoted are falsehoods.

The idea that Tammuz was the child of Nimrod and Semiramis was invented, out of whole cloth, by Alexander Hislop. He made it up.

In the actual mythology of Tammuz, Tammuz was a god of fertility and husbandry who was the divine offspring of Ea, the earth goddess. Tammuz was known as a shepherd--because that was his actual occupation. He was also considered the lover of the fertility goddess Inanna (sometimes identified with Astarte/Ishtar). As the story goes Innana sought to claim the throne of the underworld from her sister, when she did so the powers of the underworld rejected her and killed her. She was reanimated and sought to return to her earthly throne, but Tammuz had taken it in her absence, and so she killed him. But in doing so harmed vegetative regrowth, and so she set it so that Tammuz would be restored to life once a year for a period of a couple months--the myth sought to explain the reason why crops grow and die regularly every year. That's the story of Tammuz. Why did women mourn for Tammuz? They mourned Tammuz' yearly death as part of the sacred fertility rites associated with his cult of worship.

However Alexander Hislop, and a host of people on the internet who are perfectly content in repeating nonsense as though it were fact without any kind of substantiation would argue that:

- Tammuz was the child of Nimrod and Semiramis -- when in the Tammuz myth he wasn't the son of Semiramis, but the son of Ea, and further Semiramis wasn't the wife of Nimrod, but the wife of King Ninus.

- Tammuz was born on December 25th -- difficult considering that Sumeria, Akkadia, and other Mesopotamian cultures didn't use the Roman calendar.

- Tammuz was born of a virgin -- except, as noted, Tammuz was born from the earth goddess Ea.

- Tammuz was crucified on a cross -- this claim is based solely upon the fact that, in Greek, Tammuz's name is spelled with the Greek Tau ("T")

- Tammuz was the "Son of God" -- also false, Tammuz was a divine being born to the goddess Ea

- Tammuz was called the "Good Shepherd" -- not really, he was called a shepherd because that's literally what his occupation was, he tended to sheep, and produced milk, curds, butter, etc.

- Tammuz died as a sacrifice for the sins of the world and later raised from the dead-- also false, Tammuz was slain by Inanna out of vengence, his yearly death and rebirth corresponded with the growth of vegetation and crops in the spring and their harvest in autumn.

Another aspect of Tammuz' mythology is that, in Syria, the worship of Tammuz was conflated with the cult of Adonis, and so Tammuz-Adonis was a popular cult in the ancient Greco-Roman world.

You don't have to take my word on these things, feel free to look it up for yourself.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ViaCrucis]

That particular well was poison from the start, and it would be nice to see some actual facts presented rather than anti-Catholic propaganda.

I somehow doubt that's going to happen.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[keltoi]

In the beginning, there was just one Church. We can determine which Church it is today by following the successors of the apostles.

Do you think a Church without the successor of Peter could be the Church Jesus started?


Also, I don't think that the pope exercising his authority over other Churches, as Pope Clement did, can be used by any Church other than the Catholic Church as evidence of their status as the first Church.

How is the pope the successor of Peter? what is so special about Peter? why do Roman Catholics keep going on about them being the only true church when Christ said "when 2 or more are gathered I am with them". There was no such thing as Roman Catholicism in the apostolic age.

 

[keltoi]

Good post.

Also, bear in mind that Jesus spoke Aramaic.

He would have said something like, you are cephas and on this Cephas I will build my Church.

The latin/greek arguments aren't really relevant to what Jesus said.

Bear in mind that Jesus would have spoken Hebrew and Greek as well.
The NT comes to us in Greek and suggesting the Greek argument isn;t relevant to what Jesus said suggests the BIble you use is not the Word of God and is not inspired by the Spirit.

If you read Matthew 16:13-20 you will actually see Christ is talking about himself. He asks the disciples who do people say I am? who do you (the disciples) say I am? so the conversation is about Christ. Peter answers you are the Christ, the son of the living God, Christ says and you are Peter and have come to this knowledge through my Father in Heaven. He goes further and says upon this rock I will build my church. Now how the Roman Catholic church gets that Peter is numero uno in the disciples group and becomes numero uno of the apostles is beyond me.

Do you remember the section of scripture where Christ was in the temple? Read John 2: 13-22 and see that he is the temple. Christ often spoke in ways that people misunderstood. God, and therefore Christ, are often described as the Rock throughout the Bible so people who know the Bible know that Christ wasn't talking about Peter but rather about himself.

It seems to me that you started this thread in an attempt to promote the supremacy of the Roman Catholic church. All you have done is show that you blindly believe what the Roman Catholic church teaches regardless of whether it is correct or not.