[DennisR]

"The Old Testament was around for a long time, but in Acts you can read about the first Council at Trent where Peter spoke with the authority that was given to him by Jesus Christ."

This is why I say Catholicism and, for that matter, much of Protestantism, is bound by traditional--not Scriptural--teaching. I may be splitting hairs here, but in the NT there is no such thing as the council of Trent. And Peter preached the gospel with authority in Jerusalem, not Trent (wherever that was/is).

"Thus the Catholic Church has been around since that first Council. And even before that."

Again, in the NT there was no "Catholic" church. Maybe "catholic," yes, but applied only as a loosely-applied adjective. And there was no Baptist church, no Methodist church, no nondenominational church, and so forth. There was just one thing: the Church. Period. No adjectives. That is the way it should still be.

[iconoclast]

There was just one thing: the Church. Period. No adjectives. That is the way it should still be.

AMEN, BROTHER!

We've never stopped believing that for over 2000 years ... why don't you all come home. We'd love to have ya.

[Salvation]

I'm sorry, that should have been the First Council at Jerusalem. My bad.