Where in The Bible does it say "Jesus founded the Catholic Church"?
I'm just curious because I often hear Catholics say "We belong to Jesus's church". I happen to attend a Baptist Church and believe I am just as much a child of Christ as any Catholic. I accept all Catholics as brothers in Christ (even though I disagree with much, like the kneeling before statues of Mary etc.) but it seems the feeling is not mutual with Catholics. Why?
I dont believe Jesus cares where you pray or what denomination you are in. As long as you follow The Holy Bible you are saved. I don't get this whole "Catholic Church is the REAL Church!!" stuff...I mean, please...
2008-04-23T20:24:10Z
Schmood, Martin Luthor eliminated The Apocrypha (spelling?) because it was never supposed to be in The Bible to begin with. It was never canonized nor does it relate to any passages in The Bible where as all other passages relate to each other. Yet the Catholics have kept it in "their" Bible. That's cool with me but I just don't agree with it because I think it never belonged there to begin with.
2008-04-23T20:39:10Z
Go Catholic,
When will Catholics "get it" that Jesus founded NO CHURCH. HE is the rock, not your building. Not your pope. JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF is "The Rock".
This is why I'm not Catholic. You place greater value on your Church than you do The Holy Bible. Hey look, I just founded a Church THIS SECOND! "Todd's Church". Guess what? If I follow Jesus and The Bible I am STILL saved! Imagine that!
Tim 472008-04-23T20:02:02Z
Favorite Answer
The Bible says that there is one church. Catholics think that theirs is it.
Jesus spent time appointing Apostles and a leader for the Apostles, Peter. He taught them all they would need to know to lead His people. Notice that some of his followers were only Disciples and some were apostles. In Acts you read how the hand picked leaders of the Church appointed Deacons, and Bishops are mentioned later in Acts. Paul gives some further instructions about how these various parts of the Leadership should be chosen in future.
There is the foundation of what later was called the "Christian" Church, and some time after that this church was called the Universal Church(Christian was assumed, perhaps because other groups did not use the term church). Universal means Catholic, or Catholic means Universal.
I would actually say that the Catholic and Orthodox churches together are the actual original church founded by Jesus. There was only one Church until 1054.
May I respectfully request that you find out when and where your denomination was founded and how it got started?
Just as a bonus, in answer to an early answerer here:
Where Scriptural basis for confirmation? Hebrew 6: 2
What is their Scriptural basis for infant baptism? Hebrews 6:2
What is their scriptural basis for lent? Matthew 4:2 KJV And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. Luke 4:2 KJV Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. Mark 1:13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
What is their Scriptural basis for Ash Wednesday? Psalm 103: 14
What is their Scriptural basis for the rosary? Luke Chapter 1
Where does it say-"be baptised & repent" in the Bible? Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Where is the word "pope" in the Bible? The word Pope just means Papa in Italien, The Pope is actually just the Bishop of Rome which makes him the head Bishop so to speak.
Where is the word "catholic" in the Bible? In the bible the word Catholic does not appear because it just means Universal.
Where is Peter listed as the first "bishop" of Rome in the Bible? Peter did not go to Rome until after Jesus Ascended.
You know darned well that the Bible doesn't say specifically "Jesus founded the Catholic Church." What it DOES state is how Jesus told Saint Peter that he was the rock upon which he builds his Church. That effectively made Peter the first Pope, in the unbroken line of Popes ever since.
Some people will tell you that Constantine is the founder of the Roman Catholic Church, and he did indeed have a hand in popularizing Christianity, but Saint Peter is technically the founder of the Church. All other denominations spring from the Roman Catholic Church, including your own.
There are many places in the bible that show the Catholic Church as the original Church founded by Christ. However, you also have to study Christian history. The reason is because the Church existed before the bible, not the other way around. Jesus died in 33AD, rose and went to heaven. It wasn’t until about 20 or so years later that the first few letters that would be New Testament writings came into being (Thessalonians being the first). The last books to be written didn’t find their way onto the page until nearly 100 AD. By those numbers, we didn’t have a completed New Testament until nearly 70 years after Christ’s death, and more correctly, it wasn’t until around 400AD when the bible was canonized. So then, given the history of the bible’s development, how was the faith learned, taught and passed down during those pre-bible years? Additionally, the Catholic Church was the ONLY Christian church in existence at that time, and it was Her that canonized the bible. This is historical fact.
Yes, Protestants are our brothers and sisters in Christ, cherished and loved by the Church. You are family.
Yes, prayer can be offered at anytime from anyone, regardless of denomination. Jesus loves it when we talk to Him, give Him our needs, and pray for each other. However, He also wants unity in His Church, among all Christians. We are to be one, as He and the Father are one. This means unity of belief, doctrine, and worship. It makes no sense to have different versions of Christianity, where there are thousands of different denominations that do not believe the same things, but each claims to be right.
The Apocrypha, or Deuterocanonicals, WERE canonized and have always been part of the Christian bible. The 7 disputed books (by Protestants), were part of the Septuagint - the original Jewish bible written in Greek which existed some 250 years before Christ. Jesus Himself, as well as the Apostles, learned and studied from this bible, and it became the Christian Old Testament which we still have today.
The reason Protestant bibles differ is because about 90 AD, after the fall of Jerusalem by the Romans, the Jews convened at a council in Jamnia, where they finally declared their own canon of scripture. What happened was they removed the 7 books which had been part of the Septuagint.
1500 years later, the Protestant Reformation takes place. Martin Luther (if I’m correct) simply made his own canon. He took the original Christian bible, which had been canonized by the Catholic Church around 400AD, which had the 7 books, the same ones that were part of the Septuagint which Jesus and the Apostles had, and removed the entire Old Testament. He then replaced it with the Old Testament from the Jewish council of 90AD. That is why Protestant bibles have 7 fewer books.
“When will Catholics "get it" that Jesus founded NO CHURCH.”
Again, yes, He did create His Church. Just research the early church and the development of the bible, as I stated above, and you’ll clearly see the Church existed before scriptures.
Our value, our hope, as Pope Benedict XVI so beautifully stated, is Christ. He is the salvation of the world. We love His Church because she sanctifies and teaches us, shows us Jesus and helps us to be made holy, so that one day we can receive the eternal reward as promised by our beautiful Father in heaven.
Hi Todd, Just because you've met a few mean Catholics, please don't assume we all are. I'm sorry if other Catholics have hurt you. Very few of us are like that. But I assure you, those few are an embarrassment to the bulk of us.
You don't know us. But you sure have jumped to a lot of conclusions about the church and lumped us all together.
That's really sad. Can we put that past us?
Before you judge, you might want to take a look back at history. Your comment about Martin Luther is incorrect. He edited his version of the bible to match the edits made by the Hebrews at an Anti-Christian council they called together in the year 90, in an attempt to crush the baby religion.
Please investigate the Council of Jamnia. At that council they pulled a number of scriptural scrolls they had been using for several millenia. Why? Because Jesus taught so heavily from them. Non-Catholics are still being told that Jesus didn't teach from them at all.
Take a look at the Book of Tobit. The Book of Tobit contains the OT version of Jesus's Beatitudes sermon.
As far as your statement that Jesus did not found a church, you may want to research the writings of those who learned from the apostles themselves. I'll provide a link below to a website with some good translations. The owner of the site, if I recall correctly, is not Christian. Justin the Martyr and St. Polycarp are two of the best reads.
That doesn't negate your statement that you have a right to be Baptist without Catholic condemnation. You most certainly do have such a right. It's just information to end the hostility.
Edit: I just want to comment on your rather harsh accusation that we put the church above Jesus. We most certainly do not.