If you look at the timeline map of Christianity today, you'll see in order of appearance
- Several particular Churches in communion with the Pope, starting of course with the largest Latin Church;
- Several pre-Chalcedon Churches such as the Arminian Church;
- Several Orthodox Churches that share with us the fundamentals of the faith and agree on primacy (not inallibility) of the Pope;
These are the three branches that were there from the beginning, formed the scripture and heard the apostles.
- The Protestant communities of faith that departed from the Latin rite of the Catholic Church , and continue fracturing themselves. Whatever their accomplishments are, their existence is wholly secondary to the Latin Church of Rome, of whom they received everything they continue to keep.
This is all I meant: that genetically the Protestant communities are children of Rome.
In #123 it should be Armenian Church, one in the country of Armenia, which has nothing to do with a protestant theologian Arminius. Armenia together with Ethiopia hold the distinction of being first countries where Christianity became a state religion, by the way. Rome was third.
Among pre-chalcedon Churches are Coptic, Syrian and Armenian Apostolic (Catholicosate of Cilicia) Churches.
Sorry.
- The Protestant communities of faith that departed from the Latin rite of the Catholic Church , and continue fracturing themselves. Whatever their accomplishments are, their existence is wholly secondary to the Latin Church of Rome, of whom they received everything they continue to keep.
This is all I meant: that genetically the Protestant communities are children of Rome.
= = = =
I still read and construe history differently.
1. Believers did not receive from organizations and certainly not from human focused; human established; human structured organizations of any kiind or origin--and especially not RELIGIOUS organizations given to lording it over one another.
2. Believers received directly from CHRIST--KING OF KINGS; LORD OF LORDS; RULER OF ALL THAT IS.
3. Further, Christ left His Spirit to carry on a continual daily refilling of each believer; moment guidance of each believers; moment by moment praying always of each believer . . .
4. If anything, a much greater case than being a blessing can be made that particularly the Roman hierarchy and organizational edifice from approximately 200 whatever it really became established has been brutal to believers FAR MORE than it has been supportive and encouraging of them having a DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
instead of a parasitic relationship with the organization and the hierarchy.
5. Believers everywhere have no SECONDARY EXISTENCE to one another nor to any human organization nor to any congregation.
6. BEFORE THE CROSS IS THE UTMOST OF LEVEL PLAYING FIELDS. Those not willing to be equal before The Cross shall be in danger of losing the benefits of The Cross or at least suffering serioius discip;ines.
7. As best as I can recall, EVERY effort in The Gospels to out rank another even disciple or believer WAS SLAPPED DOWN FIERCELY by Jesus The Christ.
8. There is no genetic delivery of Biblical truth from the Romanist tradition, imho. Whatever good may have filtered to other Christian groups from the Romanist traditions had already been wholesale delivered by Christ and His Spirit directly in a myriad of ways through a myriad of channels throughout the centuries including before the Romanist traditions began in 200 whatever AD.
9. God doesn't have grandchildren. He only has Children.
10. The Romanist tradition and all other human constructions and organizations will be tested and judged on what they did each and collectively with what God gave them. How well did they match up as being conformed to the image of Christ? No appeals to so called spiritual genetic ancestors will avail a gnat's fart's worth of benefit.