Hi all,
First, Joy wrote, "Just my personal opinion, but I don't think that "denominations" were ever part of God's plan. Just like in the early days of The Church (that would be first Christians mentioned in the Bible), we were supposed to be One Church. There was The Church in Antioch, The Church in Corinth, etc., but they were all The Church, brothers and sisters in Christ. Denominations are not ALL bad, but they do serve to separate The Church. I'm sure Satan grins every time he thinks of it."
Then, LMM wrote, "WE ALL KNOW THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS EVIL. Just ask Mr. Bill. It does not matter that all Christian denominations are split off from the original Roman Catholic Church. Established app. 30 AD."
And, Beter responded, "The church established in A.D. 30 or thereabouts is not the Roman Catholic Church. The church of the First Century did not have a Pope, Cardinals, a priesthood system or many other elements associated with Catholicism. The church of the First Century, as described in the New Testament, can be replicated wherever and whenever men decide to use the Bible as the sole guide to faith and practice.
Take that New Testament and try to find the Catholic Church there and you will fail. You will fail to find such doctrines as the immaculate conception of Mary, her "perpetual virginity," purgatory, Lent, canonization of "saints," and a whole host of other things. When the First Century church began to apostatize, many things foreign to the scriptures were brought in and over time there developed numerous bodies adhering to strange and unscriptural notions. But the church of the New Testament is still there, between the pages of the New Testament and wherever its teaching is faithfully practiced, and it is not the Catholic Church!"
Actually, the Christian church is catholic, if you consider that the meaning of the word catholic is "universal."
That is why I always refer to the church begun in the 300 AD period as the Roman Catholic church.
And, LMM, I have never said that the Roman Catholics are bad; just that most of them are not born-again; and personally have no knowledge of eternal security -- no one knowing, not even the Pope, if he/she will spend eternity in heaven. According to John 3:3, one must be born-again to see the kingdom of God. I am sure there are a lot of born-again Roman Catholics. But, then the question becomes: How long can they continue worshiping in a church which worships and prays to Mary and their Saints?
When I asked Dr. Tony Pezzota, who has advanced degrees in Roman Catholic theology from Rome, Spain, and England -- and who was head of the Roman Catholic Seminary in Manila for ten years, how long he stayed in Catholicism after being born-again; he told me, "Three hours." Many other folks stay longer; maybe even years.
I agree with what both Beter and Joy have said -- the Christian church was that body of believers which was begun on the Day of Pentecost -- and it had no denominations. It also acknowledged only God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit -- and had no other icons or figures of worship. The church then had no liturgy or rituals; preferring only to do as we are told in Acts 2:42, "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
This church had no vestments or robes; except the street clothes everyone wore. Their sole purpose was the worship of God, the following of Jesus Christ, fellowship with other believers, and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all who would hear. We need that church today.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill