In the year 110 A.D., not even fifteen years after the book of Revelation was written, while on his way to execution St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote: “Where the bishop is present, there let the congregation gather, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church”. The Church believes that when the bishops speak as teachers, Christ speaks; for he said to them: “He who hears you, hears me; and he who rejects you, rejects me” (Lk 10, 16).
You operate from a false belief that Ignatius was speaking for the entire Christian community.
I recall reading something about where two or more are gathered.....
Stop right there.
#1 I don't know that Mister Ignatius wrote that for sure and neither do you. Too much time has passed for Catholic history revisionists to put words in his/anybodys mouth. His words ain't Gospel.
#2 The odds are he said no such thing because there was no such thing called the "Catholic Church". it came later. But I know, you'll have trouble with that because of what you have been taught.
#3 Why didn't Jesus mention the Catholic Church by name if He intended it to be the One True Church of choice? The answer is obvious, because He didn't intend that. Jesus was a Jew. The disciples were Jews. The Early Churchs were Jewish.
“Where the bishop is present, there let the congregation gather, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church”.
Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
“Where the bishop is present, there let the congregation gather, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church””
Protestants believe this too - understanding catholic as universal.
Setting aside (for the sake of discussion) the fact that Ignatius was not an inspired author of Scripture, the quote does not prove that today’s much changed Catholic church is The Church.
best
In the year 110 A.D., not even fifteen years after the book of Revelation was written, while on his way to execution St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote: “Where the bishop is present, there let the congregation gather, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church”. The Church believes that when the bishops speak as teachers, Christ speaks; for he said to them: “He who hears you, hears me; and he who rejects you, rejects me” (Lk 10, 16).
Mat 7:15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.
Act_20:29 I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock.
So now what do you do? How do you test the truth if we are warned there are false prophets and leaders?
.
Ignatius of course had nothing to do with the abomination that Constantine founded. He shared none of the heresy that is the hallmark of Constantine’s cult.
This is the outrage in all of this; Constantine’s army of thugs tries to adopt real believers, long after they are dead.
.
That's one of the ways we know the forger of those writings attributed to Ignatius was lying; a fake...
The apostles never made any such ridiculous claims...