[HarleyD]

"It has been eye opening for me to read about the early church because it breaks down so many myth's. The most obvious being this grand hierarchal authority."

For the first 300 years the early church just ran around evangelizing until so many goofy views started springing up that someone decided that perhaps it would be good to write down what Christians believe. The "grand hierarchal" that the early fathers refer to is simply because there was no other choices up until this time. Interesting, the Orthodox never recognized a Pope as the top dog.

[wmfights]

"For the first 300 years the early church just ran around evangelizing until so many goofy views started springing up that someone decided that perhaps it would be good to write down what Christians believe."

Stunning isn't that all the inspired "God Breathed" writings that comprise the New Testament were written during the Apostolic Era. This was accomplished before we had a dominant religion of the State.

It's also interesting how Christians held services. In 111AD Pliny the younger wrote Emperor Trajan, "[The accused Christians] were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food-but food of an ordinary and innocent kind."

Pliny went on to explain he found no evidence of cannibalism. IOW, the earliest Christians passed the cup because they did not believe the wine had been transformed.

[Quix]

For the first 300 years the early church just ran around evangelizing until so many goofy views started springing up that someone decided that perhaps it would be good to write down what Christians believe. The "grand hierarchal" that the early fathers refer to is simply because there was no other choices up until this time. Interesting, the Orthodox never recognized a Pope as the top dog.
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Great points, imho.