I will say this one more time. No Protestant can trace the beginning of their church before the reformation. You can do like many do on these threads and refuse to admit you’re a Protestant. You can also pretend there was an invisible church for 1500+ years. You can also claim that it doesn't matter what church you belong to or even claim you don't need to belong to any church. However, one thing you cannot do is provide any documentation to back up your claims. It's just wishful thinking on your part which makes it a fantasy.
Unless you are Catholic or Orthodox, you cannot trace your Church or its beliefs to the Church Christ established. That my friend, is a FACT.
Well, they didn't just materialize from thin air. Even a bible christian whose only contact with christianity is through the gospels (an impossible example, but to make the point...), the gospels still come from "the formation of the christian church". Despite how they may have branched off since that time, all christians ARE descended from that early church. It is tautological. If they weren't, they wouldn't be christian.
You are wrong, My Church is recorded in Acts 11:26
And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
The Holy Spirit they had, is the same one I have today.
Unless you are Catholic or Orthodox, you cannot trace your Church or its beliefs to the Church Christ established. That my friend, is a FACT.
Sorry, but your Church has a 300 year gap in it that you cannot account for with out falsified and forged doccuments, and if God had intended for you to make this connection, he would have done so with out the need to lie.
1 Corinthians 1:
[10] Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and {that} there be no divisions among you; but {that} ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. [11] For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them {which are of the house} of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. [12] Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. [13] Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? [14] I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; [15] Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. [16] And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. [17] For 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. [18] For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. [19] For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. [20] Where {is} the wise? where {is} the scribe? where {is} the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? [21] For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. [22] For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: [23] But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; [24] But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. [25] Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. [26] For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, {are called}: [27] But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; [28] And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, {yea, } and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: [29] That no flesh should glory in his presence. [30] But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: [31] That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Paul preached against this very nonsense - and you're in there. People who need a sign, speak more with wisdom of words, and seek after the wisdom of men. All rolled into one chapter.
You want to claim you can trace yourselves all the way back to Jesus. All of us who are Christians can do that - no big feat. We are all second Generation at most; because there is one person at most between us and the scripture that we believed in order to be saved. We are all fruits of the Scripture. You make claims to the carnal - as tho it mattered. Tha is to impress people with. There is no one here to impress. Which leaves the claim.
The claim being worthless is without a doubt. Your claim goes to the Papal deed, which is not proven; but a claim in itself. That's two layers of claims already and I haven't even started yet. If we are going to prove the deed, we must take the first person on the list, Peter. OOPS. Can't prove him. In fact, you can't prove, what, about 3.5 centuries (thats 350 years for those in Rio-Linda) worth of 'popes'. For 350 years you can't prove anything.
But, we're just getting started still. How many different copies of the Papal deed exist? I have 16 now, each one purporting to be authoritative. Names appear on some which aren't there on others, then majically reappear yet again. There are names on some with certain dates, then the dates change, the order.... This is an admission in itself, the RCC is clueless.
Let's recap:
* Peter went to Rome - Unproven.
* Peter was Bishop of Rome - Unproven.
* 350 years worth of bishops - Unproven.
* Papal Deed - Unproven.
And the first actual documented account of the word Catholic as a proper noun doesn't show up till some 400 plus years after the presumed death date of Paul.
Any more uproven worthless and pointless claims to make? Paul has more to say.