“When the NT was written the believers were Catholics.”
The writers of the New Testament were Jews who were living under the Law. Paul, the most prolific among them, continued the Jewish custom of returning to Jerusalem for the feasts at the Temple, which is where he was arrested for the last time.
Christ’s “catholic” church rose from the ashes of the Temple’s destruction in 70AD, when the “new heavens and new earth” were ushered in. However, by that time, the entire New Testament had been written, the last book of which was Revelation, written no later than 68AD.
Roman Catholics, calling their sect THE “Catholic Church”, mistakenly conflate the rise of their sect with the birth of the “catholic” church is undeniably and irrefutably false. One arose from the immediate end of Temple Judaism while the other appeared on the scene hundreds of years later.
“The writers of the New Testament were Jews who were living under the Law.”
Until they were not. They were Jewish in background but became Catholics in belief and practice.
“Paul, the most prolific among them, continued the Jewish custom of returning to Jerusalem for the feasts at the Temple, which is where he was arrested for the last time.”
Eventually Catholics were ousted from the Temple. And? That doesn’t stop them from being Catholics. Nor did stop them from being Jewish in background.
“Christ’s “catholic” church rose from the ashes of the Temple’s destruction in 70AD,”
No, Christ’s Catholic Church was born on the cross (portrayed in art as coming out of Christ’s side – the blood and the water representing the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist). See here: https://www.google.com/search?q=christ+giving+birth+to+the+church&espv=210&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=wDiBUpNj6e3bBe-qgbAE&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=612#es_sm=93&espv=210&q=christ+giving+birth+ecclesia&tbm=isch&facrc=_&imgrc=Yo5ZKsN8FsnvEM%3A%3BiU-iHUlDo9_AzM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F2.bp.blogspot.com%252F-JsKxmhp7VvI%252FT39Do7SDy7I%252FAAAAAAAAE6I%252FuUKZeJXxIXA%252Fs1600%252Fwound-birth.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fdeus-ex-machina-secundus.blogspot.com%252F%3B396%3B373
“ when the “new heavens and new earth” were ushered in.”
No. The new heaven and new earth are at the end of time (2 Peter 3:10) – that’s why God says they will endure forever before Him in Isaiah 66:22.
“However, by that time, the entire New Testament had been written, the last book of which was Revelation, written no later than 68AD.”
What John saw in his vision of the new heaven and new earth had not yet happened (2 Peter 3:13).
“Roman Catholics, calling their sect THE “Catholic Church”, mistakenly conflate the rise of their sect with the birth of the “catholic” church is undeniably and irrefutably false.”
No, your comment right there is false. 1) We conflate nothing. We merely see what is. 2) We are not a sect. Only Protestants have sects.
“One arose from the immediate end of Temple Judaism while the other appeared on the scene hundreds of years later.”
False. The Catholic Church was born on the cross. No Christian sect of any lasting duration began over the collapse of the Temple. The Church already existed and was revealed to the world on Pentecost.
