I can not take credit for arranging and explaining the exhaustive and compelling disection of the lineage of Christianity shared beow BUT I can take credit for honoring the Lords directives and sharing what I have come to know. His truth is life saving, and there is for sure someone seeking these very answers right now. There are others who thought they knew and seemed content to believe in what they were told, this should help clarify any misnomers that they have come to accept as rightful.
Always be open to the Lord's promptings. He will find a way to bring you into truth. All you need to do is be willing and obedient to His word and to seek Him with your whole heart!
Here is the excellent narrative as laid out. I like to refer to this as the true lineage of exactly what we are; we are Christ believers, obedient children of God who happen to be living in the world after His birth and death! Salvation does not come by religion, it comes by relationship! That right was forged and purchased for us through Jesus Christ!
"ask Faith" @ GodsFaithbook.com....
HERE IS THE ASK JESUS: ABOUT CATHOLICISM
FAITH, DOES THE BIBLE &/OR SECULAR HISTORY CONFIRM THAT CATHOLICS WERE THE FIRST CHRISTIAN FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST?
Let me preface my response to this question, by saying, those who have attended my Bible studies, have asked WHY I incorporate & “include” secular history, both societal/political, and religiosities of the time/region, in our studies of The Holy Bible. I do so, because it helped me to better understand WHY Almighty God, the prophets,Jesus, & his disciples SAID WHAT THEY SAID & DID WHAT THEY DID in ANY given passage of The KJV Holy Bible.
Personally, as for other ideologies, I wanted to know WHY, HOW, WHEN, & WHERE these ideologies that contrast and conflict with Jesus Christ and His Word had their origins.
In order to speak to it, I needed first to understand WHERE and HOW these ideologies came into existence.
Jesus says in John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free.”
For those who want The Old Testament scripture, Isaiah says of those ideologies/doctrines, that espouse themselves to BE the Word of Almighty God, in Isaiah 8:20, “To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”
So I began to study Roman Catholicism from its inception & through and by their own cardinals, popes do I give you THEIR OWN RECORDED histories to answer this question.
OF ALL THE HUMAN TRADITIONS taught and practiced by the Roman Catholic Church, which are contrary to the Bible, the MOST ANCIENT are the prayers for THE DEAD and THE SIGN of the Cross. Both began 300+ years AFTER Christ in 310a.d.
WAX CANDLES introduced in church in 320a.d.
VENERATION OF ANGELS & DEAD SAINTS in 375a.d.
THE MASS, as a daily celebration, adopted in 394a.d.
THE WORSHIP OF MARY, the mother of Jesus, and the use of the term, "Mother of God", as applied to her, originated in the Council of Ephesus in 431a.d.
PRIESTS began to dress differently from the laity in 500a.d.
EXTREME UNCTION began in 526a.d.
THE DOCTRINE OF PURGATORY was first established by Gregory the Great in 593a.d.
THE LATIN LANGUAGE, as the language of prayer and worship in Catholic churches, was also imposed by Pope Gregory I in 600a.d.
*The Word of God forbids praying and teaching in an unknown tongue. (1st Corinthians 14:9).
In the early church NEVER were prayers directed to Mary, or to dead saints. This practice began in the Roman Church in 600a.d.
*The Bible teaches that we pray to the TRIUNE GOD alone in
Matthew 11:28; Luke 1:46; Acts 10:25-26; 14:14-18.
THE PAPACY is of pagan origin. The TITLE OF POPE OR UNIVERSAL BISHOP, was first given to the bishop of Rome by the wicked emperor Phocas. This he did to spite Bishop Ciriacus of Constantinople, who had justly excommunicated him for his having caused the assassination of his predecessor emperor Mauritius. Gregory 1, then bishop of Rome, refused the title, but his successor, Boniface III, first assumed title "pope." In 610a.d.
*Jesus did NOT appoint Peter to the headship of the apostles and forbade any such notion. This is confirmed in Luke 22:24-26; Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18; 1st Corinthians 3:11.
** Nor is there ANY mention in Scripture, NOR in history, that Peter was in Rome, much less that he was pope there for 25 years; Clement, 3rd bishop of Rome, remarks that "there is no real 1st century evidence that Peter ever was in Rome."
THE KISSING OF THE POPE’S FEET in 709a.d.
It had been a PAGAN custom to kiss the feet of emperors, which The Roman Catholic Pope adopted as their own in 709a.d.
*The Word of God forbids such practices in Acts 10:25-26; Revelation 19:10; 22:9.
THE TEMPORAL POWER OF THE POPES in 750a.d.
When Pepin, the usurper of the throne of France, descended into Italy, called by Pope Stephen II, to war against the Italian Lombards, he defeated them and gave the city of Rome and surrounding territory to the pope.
*Jesus expressly FORBADE such a thing, and He himself refused worldly kingship in Matthew 4:8-9; 20:25-26; John 18:38.
WORSHIP OF THE CROSS, IMAGES, AND RELICS was authorized in 788a.d.
This was by order of Dowager Empress Irene of Constantinople, who first caused to pluck the eyes of her own son, Constantine VI, and then called a church council at the request of Hadrian I, pope of Rome at that time.
* Such practice is called simply IDOLATRY in the Bible, and is severely condemned. Read Exodus 20:4; 3:17; Deuteronomy 27:15; Psalm 115.
HOLY WATER, mixed with a pinch of salt and blessed by the priest, was authorized in 850a.d.
THE VENERATION OF ST. JOSEPH began in 890a.d.
THE BAPTISM OF BELLS was instituted by Pope John XIV in 965a.d
CANONIZATION OF DEAD SAINTS, first by Pope John XV in 995a.d.
* In contrast EVERY believer and follower of Jesus Christ is called saint in the Bible. Read Romans 1:7; 1st Colossians 1:2.
FASTING ON FRIDAYS & DURING Lent were imposed in 998a.d.
Imposed by popes said to be interested in the commerce of fish.
*This is against the plain teaching of the Bible. (Read Matthew 15:10; 1st Corinthians 10:25; 1st Timothy 4:1-3).
THE MASS was developed gradually as a sacrifice; attendance made obligatory in the 11th century.
*The Bible teaches that the sacrifice of Christ was offered ONCE & FOR ALL, and is not to be repeated, but only commemorated in the Lord's Supper. (Read Hebrews 7:27; 9:26-28; 10:10-14).
THE CELIBACY OF THE PRIESTHOOD was decreed by Pope Hildebrand, Boniface VII in 1079a.d.
*Jesus imposed NO such rule, nor did any of the apostles. On the contrary, Peter was a married man, and Paul says that bishops were to have wife and children. (Read 1st Timothy 3:2,5, and 12; Matthew 8:14-15).
THE ROSARY OR PRAYER BEADS was introduced by Peter the Hermit, & copied from HINDUS & MOHAMMEDANS in 1090a.d.
THE COUNTING OF PRAYERS is a pagan practice adopted in 1090a.d.
*It is expressly condemned by Christ in Matthew 6:5-13.
THE INQUISITION OF HERETICS was instituted by the Council of Verona in the year 1184a.d.
*Jesus never taught the use of force to spread His Word
THE SALE OF INDULGENCES, commonly regarded as a purchase of forgiveness and a permit to indulge in sin created in 1190a.d.
*Christianity, as taught in the Holy Bible, condemns such a traffic and it was the protest against this traffic that brought on the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.
THE DOGMA OF TRANSUBSTANTIATION was decreed by Pope Innocent III, in 1215a.d.
By this doctrine the priest pretends to perform a daily miracle by changing a wafer into the body of Christ, and then he pretends to eat Him alive in the presence of his people during Mass.
*The Bible condemns such absurdities; for the Lord's Supper is simply a memorial of the sacrifice of Christ. The spiritual presence of Christ is implied in the Lord's Supper. (Read Luke 22:19-20; John 6:35; 1st Corinthians 11:26).
CONFESSION OF SIN TO THE PRIEST at least once a year was instituted by Pope Innocent III., in the Lateran Council in 1215a.d.
*The Bible commands us to confess our sins direct to God. (Read Psalm 51:1-10; Luke 7:48; 15:21; 1st John 1:8-9).
THE ADORATION OF THE WAFER (HOST), was decreed by Pope Honorius in 1220a.d.
*The Roman Catholic Church worships a God made by human hands. This is plain idolatry and absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Gospel. (Read John 4:24).
THE BIBLE FORBIDDEN to laymen and placed in the Index of forbidden books by the Council of Valencia in 1229a.d.
*Jesus commanded that the Scriptures should be read BY ALL. (John 5:39; 1st Timothy 3:15-17).
THE SCAPULAR was invented by Simon Stock, an English monk
The scapular is a piece of brown cloth, with the picture of the Virgin and supposed to contain supernatural virtue to protect from all dangers those who wear it on naked skin. This is fetishism was adopted in 1287a.d.
The Roman Church FORBADE THE CUP to the laity, by instituting the communion of one kind in the Council of Constance in 1414a.d.
*The Bible commands us to celebrate the Lord's Supper with unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine. (Read Matthew 26:27; 1st Corinthians 11:26-29).
THE DOCTRINE OF PURGATORY was proclaimed as a dogma of faith by Council of Florence in 1439a.d.
*There is NOT ONE WORD in the Bible that would teach the purgatory of priests. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sins. (Read 1st John 1:7-9; 2:1-2; John 5:24; Romans 8:1).
THE DOCTRINE OF THE 7 SACRAMENTS affirmed in 1439a.d.
*The Bible says that Christ instituted only TWO ORDINANCES, Baptism and the Lord's Supper. (Read Matthew 28:19-20; 26:26-28).
THE AVE MARIA, part of the last adopted/approved in 1508a.d.
It was completed 50 years afterward and finally approved by Pope Sixtus V, at the end of the 16th century.
THE COUNCIL OF TRENT, held in the year 1545a.d., declared that Roman Catholic “Tradition” is of equal authority with the Bible.
By “tradition” is meant human teachings. The Pharisees believed the same way, and Jesus bitterly condemned them, for by teaching human tradition, they nullified the commandments of God. (Read Mark 7:7-13; Colossians 2:8; Revelation 22:18).
THE APOCRYPHAL BOOKS were ADDED to the Bible also by the Council of Trent in 1546a.d.
*These books were not recognized as canonical by the Jewish Church nor by The Triune God. (See Revelation 22:8-9).
THE CREED OF POPE PIUS IV, was imposed as the official creed in 1560a.d…..1560 years AFTER Christ and the apostles.
*True Christians retain the Holy Bible Scriptures as their creed. Hence their creed is 1500 years older than the creed of Roman Catholics. (Read Galatians 1:8).
THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY was proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in 1834a.d.
*The Bible states that ALL mankind, male and female, with ONE AND ONLY EXCEPTION BEING JESUS CHRIST, are sinners. Mary herself had need of a Savior. (Read Romans 3:23; 5:12; Psalm 51:5; Luke 1:30,46,47).
THE DOGMA OF PAPAL INFALLIBILITY was proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in 1870a.d.
*This is a blasphemy and the sign of the apostasy and of the antichrist predicted by Paul. (Read 2nd Thessalonians 2:2-12; Revelation 17:1-9; 13:5-8,18).
Many Bible students see the number of the beast (Rev. 13:18), 666 in the Roman letters of the Pope's title: "VICARIVS FILII DEI." -- V-5, I-1; C-100, I-1; V-S, I-1; L-50, I-1; I-1; D-500, I-l — Total, 666.
Pope Plus X, in the year 1907, CONDEMNED together with "Modernism", all the discoveries of modern science which are not FIRST approved by the Church.
Pius IX had done the same thing in the Syllabus of 1864a.d.
In the year 1930 Pius XI, condemned the Public Schools.
In the year 1931 the same pope Pius XI, reaffirmed the Catholic doctrine that Mary is "the Mother of God".
This doctrine was first invented by the Council of Ephesus in the year 431. This is a heresy contrary by Mary's own words. (Read Luke 1:46-49; John 2: l-5).
In the year 1950 the last dogma was proclaimed by Pope Pius XII, the ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY.
What is the assumption? In the Eastern Church, the dormition ("falling asleep") of Mary began to be commemorated in the 6th century. The observance gradually spread to the West, where it became known as the feast of the Assumption. By the 13th century most Catholic theologians accepted the belief of the Assumption. However this doctrine did not become an article of faith until 1950, when Pope Pius XII declared it a dogma of the Catholic faith: “The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory” (Munificentissimus Deus, Pope Pius XII, 1950).
SALVATION & JUSTIFICATION…Ludwig Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma (Rockford: Tan, 1974), pp. 185, 190) & Robert Sungenis, Not By Faith Alone (Santa Barbara: Queenship, 1997), pp. 107-108.
?“According to the Church of Rome, Christ did not accomplish a full, finished and completed salvation in his work of atonement. His death on the cross did not deal with the full penalty of man's sin. It merited grace for man which is then channeled to the individual through the Roman Catholic Church and its sacraments. This grace then enables man to do works of righteousness in order to merit justification and eternal life. In Roman Catholic teaching there is no salvation apart from participation in the sacraments mediated through its priesthood. The Roman Church teaches that she is the mediator between Christ and the individual. Saving grace is mediated through these sacraments.”
??“The Catholic Church is the universal sacrament of salvation as the divinely instituted means of conferring grace on all the members of the human family.”
??“The Catholic Church believes she is God’s will that no one is forgiven except through the merits of Jesus Christ and that these merits are uniquely channeled through the Church He founded. Consequently, even as the Church is the universal sacrament of salvation, she is also the universal sacrament of reconciliation.”
??“The Church communicates the merits of Christ’s mercy to sinners through the Mass and the sacraments and all the prayers and good works of the faithful.”
??“According to the way God has willed that we be saved the sacraments are necessary for salvation.”
??John Hardon, author of The Question and Answer Catholic Catechism (Garden City: Image, 1981), Questions # 401, 402, 461, 462, 1119)…(which carries the official authorization of the Vatican).
The Catholic Church has a history of INVENTING/REINVENTING/ADOPTING new doctrines which are contrary to the Bible, and has practiced rites and ceremonies taken bodily from paganism since its inception. Some secular scholars haves found that 75% of the rites and ceremonies of the Roman Church are of pagan origin.
Cardinal Newman, on page 359, in his book…“The Development of the Christian Religion,” admits that ... “Temples, incense, oil lamps, votive offerings, holy water, holidays and season of devotions, processions, blessing of fields, sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure (of priests and monks and nuns), images ... are all of pagan origin...”
HERESIES are those doctrines and practices which are CONTRARY to the Bible. They are also called "human traditions" or "doctrines of men". Both Peter and Paul predicted and warned that in the later times "false teachers" would rise within the Church and bring in "damnable heresies" and "doctrines of devils". (Read 2nd Peter 2:1-3, and 1st Timothy 3:2-5). Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, for they transgressed the commandments of God by keeping their traditions. “in vain,” He said, "they worship me by keeping for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:3,9).
The Word of God commands THOSE WHO KNOW AND LOVE JESUS CHRIST, to get out of Babylon, saying: "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." (Revelation 18:4).
The Word of God commands All true Christians to remain faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ as taught in the Holy Bible, and heed the warning of the Apostle Paul, who said: "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:8).
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH DOCUMENTATION/HISTORIES & SECULAR HISTORY down through time, categorically DISPROVES their own TRADITIONAL teaching, that they were the FIRST Christians, that they were the FIRST true faith, and that they were the FIRST true church.
You will notice, NOT ONE of these contain my personal opinions/perceptions…everything is presented/quoted directly from The KJV Holy Bible, secular history, & Roman Catholic documentation/dogma from The Vatican.
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(¸.•´ (¸.•` ¤ Susan SMZ3D ت smz ™ © ®
“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” ~ Matt 22:37-40
“For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.” ~ Rom 13:9-10
“Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam“. So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” ~ John 9:6-7, 13-14, 16
“Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.” ~ 1 Pet 3:18“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” ~ John 1:12“Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.” ~ Rom 3:19-25
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” ~ Eph 2:8-9
“If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.” ~1 John 1:8-10
“In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, you must not covet.” ~ Rom 7:7
“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.” ~ Matt 5:17-18
“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful natureto his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” ~ Gal 5:16-18, 22-25
“The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.” ~ 1 Corr 1:18
“But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” ~ 1 John 2:5-6
“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” ~ Matt 7:13-14
