Well, if anyone really cares, or has the time between posts about how Catholics “must” base their faith on the authority of the Church on unsubstantiated claims, and/or how Catholics “must” deify/worship Mary like some goddess “because we (the super-smart Biblical scholars of FR) say they do”, maybe one can deign to answer the following question:
Did Jesus establish a visible, authoritative Church, or not?
Because that’s really the issue here, whether anyone wants to admit it or not. Whether one wishes to dance around it, denying the question to even themselves via side streets and rabbit holes like the “deification of Mary” and unsubstantiated claims of authority.
I’d really like to know if any anti-Catholic has ever seriously considered that question. And don’t “answer” by misdirection either, by bringing up the same bilge I mentioned already that has contaminated this thread.
Because guess what: that’s the exact point where the book mentioned in the OP of this thread starts. And it’s good it does start there, because ultimately, once one decides the answer to that question, pro or con, all of these side trails become meaningless.
Funny that, maybe that’s why I’ve never seen that question directly discussed. And yes I’ve read all the posts in this thread, none answer DIRECTLY (even with scripture alone if that is one’s preference) the question: Did Jesus establish a visible, authoritative Church, or not?
No.
He said He was going to BUILD his church, not set it up as an authoritative dictatorship.
Yes AND not. Jesus said He was "building His church upon the rock" - not Peter, but the rock which is Christ and faith in Him. As this body of believers grew, groups formed in various cities across the region and the Apostles and disciples evangelized and discipled others to become leaders and pastors and elders and they led others to Christ. So various cities all over the place had established LOCAL churches/assemblies and they were based upon the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ - taught to them by Christ at first and then by the Apostles and those the Apostles discipled. Not long after, these "holy men of God wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" and their God-breathed epistles were collected, copied, dispersed, read, studied and obeyed as from the Lord. What "authority" elders and other leaders within these local churches had was based upon their upholding the rule of faith that was "once delivered unto the saints". They had no intrinsic human authority, only what they preached and taught as it followed what was preached and taught to them. Apostles laid hands of ordination on those they discipled and the process carried on down. The "Apostolic Succession" was one of the message, the authority of the truth and upholding and supporting that truth, and not one of being able to anoint NEW Apostles.
Now, just because there were established and visible churches didn't mean they were ALL faithful to the truth they were given. Some went off into heresy, some dissolved when persecution or troubles scattered them from their places of worship. There were tares among the wheat and wolves would try to sneak in and scatter the flock of God. What tied together the ancient Christian faithful was their love for each other and Christ and their faith and obedience in and to Christ. Each believer was given the Holy Spirit and He led them into all truth just as He had those who first followed Jesus. There was a fellowship and community of brothers and sisters in Christ who helped each other to grow in faith and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. They helped each other financially as they could and there are STILL churches to this day that operate much the same as those in that first century.
SO, YES, Jesus established a visible and authoritative church (body of believers) and, NO, there was not one church which was given HIGHER authority over all the others. You may label this as more "misdirection", but it IS my honest answer. Some questions are loaded, like yours, and they have to first be unloaded in order to get to the heart of the question.