That's just ridiculous. The churches of the first century did not have multi-multi-multi billions in assets and income, a government all to itself, a church every couple of miles in most cities all over the world, and a bureaucracy that rivals the US Government. Nor is the most powerful government in the world hunting down Catholics and killing them. Nor were the Churches negotiating with Rome to be good little Churches in exchange for official recognition.
With all due respect, the Churches of the first century far more closely resembled today's house churches in China than they do the Catholic Church.
Whatever the power of the respective governments, Catholics have recently been martyred, in Iraq and Indonesia and Turkey and doubtless also in China. I am not replying in order to start an argument but rather to point out that Catholics in some parts of the world still die for their faith.
True. However they did have the essential hierarchal structure that exists to this day. Ref: the writings of St. Paul to the Church in Thessaloniki, amplified by the writings of St. Ignatius of Antioch and others from that era.
Nor is the most powerful government in the world hunting down Catholics and killing them.
Not any more...but you should read up on your British history a little bit before making that statement. Ref: St. Thomas More, Cuthbert Mayne, and others. (BTW, you do realize that it was Catholicism was essentially illegal from Elizabethan times until 1829, don't you?)
Nor were the Churches negotiating with Rome to be good little Churches in exchange for official recognition.
With the exception of heretics, such as Marcion and other Gnostics, pretty well all the bishops were in communion with Rome at that time, so the point is a non-sequitur.
With all due respect, the Churches of the first century far more closely resembled today's house churches in China than they do the Catholic Church.
One of my best friends is a Chinese priest. He came of age during the Cultural Revolution. His family had a house church. In fact, when he goes to visit his family, he says a Mass each day at that altar that was erected for their house church.
So that is a very adroit comparison. Just as the house churches were persecuted because they would not forswear their loyalty to the See of Peter, the underground Catholics in England were persecuted. And just as Pope Benedict is attempting a reconciliation with the Patriotic Association (the official "church" in China), the Vatican is attempting some variety of reconciliation with the official "church" in England. Yes, a very adroit comparison. Thanks for that observation!
You do understand that a millenium is 1,000 years or 10 centuries, don't you?
You speak truth, ModelBreaker. Pentecost killed religion--now it is simply "wherever two or more are gathered in my Name".
The churches of the first century did not have multi-multi-multi billions in assets and income, a government all to itself, a church every couple of miles in most cities all over the world, and a bureaucracy that rivals the US Government.
And you couldn't drive a car or post on the Internet 10 minutes after you were born, either. :-)
Nor is the most powerful government in the world hunting down Catholics and killing them.
Rome hunted down plenty of Catholics and killed them before AD 313. And plenty of Catholics are being killed today, in various parts of the world, for their faith. There were more martyrs (both Catholic and every other Christian persuasion) in the last century than in the 19 preceding ones.
Do you really judge the authenticity of a Christian church by its similarity to the ancient church?
That's an important question, because the ancient Church had bishops, a supreme bishop, priests, the Eucharist, Penance, etc. In fact, the teachings and rites of the ancient Christian Church are very much like Catholic teachings and rites today.
I'll grant that the Catholic Church today is much larger than it was 2000 years ago. But I don't recall Jesus forbiding the Church, "the pillar and foundation of truth," to grow.
3000 people work in the Vatican. 23000 employees work in the Pentagon alone.
It’s quite alright to dispute the Church, although I probably wouldn’t agree.
It is not alright to make up your own facts.