We know that it was in the second century that the word "catholic" first came to be used to mean the universal Christian faith. It consisted of ALL believers and followers of Jesus Christ, not only those who resided in Rome. Roman Catholics today like to boast "they" were the TRUE church Jesus set up, but they are mistaken. The heritage of the faith I hold to goes back to the start every bit as much as Roman Catholics assert they do and I KNOW that because it is what the Bible says.
Without the Catholic Church there would be no Bible. It’s a Catholic document. The church compiled it and determined what was the “inspired” word of God. Why that is so hard for some protestants to admit I will never know. Protestants didn’t have one thing to do with first preserving the Word of God, then compiling the Word of God.
You can continue to assert that all you want but it has been repeatedly disproved. What bills itself as the "Catholic Church" today cannot trace many of its doctrines back to the first century. We know that there ARE many doctrines that ALL Christians have in common - the essentials - and they have NEVER changed nor did they have to be "developed". The writings handed down by the Apostles were copied and delivered to the local assemblies and the truths they conveyed were received and obeyed. Paul said, "for I have not shrunk from announcing to you all the counsel of God." (Acts 20:27). What he wrote was acknowledged by Peter as Scripture and what Peter wrote as well as James, John, Matthew, Mark and Luke, was received and believed as from the Holy Spirit. Why is that so hard for some Catholics to admit?
The Reformation confirmed the faith that had always, everywhere and by all believed. God always reserves a remnant to hold forth the truths He has revealed to all those who diligently seek to know it.
“The heritage of the faith I hold to goes back to the start every bit as much as Roman Catholics assert they do and I KNOW that because it is what the Bible says”.
If you are a protestant your “faith heritage” with Catholicism ended when the heretic Martin Luther broke away from the Catholic Church. For those that didn’t follow the heretic, drunkard German monk, they remain in the unbroken line of apostolic seccession and can trace their “faith heritage” to the early disciples.
Protestants trace their faith to the Reformation and the break away from God’s Pilgrim Church on Earth.
That some protestants close their eyes to historical fact about the history of Christianity is sad. It’s there for all to read. All the Church fathers were Catholic, their teachings on the Eucharist and the other sacraments have been followed by the Catholic Church for thousands of years. Protestants pick and choose what they want to believe. There is no authority. It’s every man for himself.
“Christ ‘established here on earth’ only one Church,” the document said. The other communities “cannot be called ‘churches’ in the proper sense” because they do not have apostolic succession — the ability to trace their bishops back to Christ’s original apostles”.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pope-only-one-true-church/