D
D46
Guest
It is regretable that many Catholics have been told that the Christian Church started with the Roman Catholic Church. The fact is that the Roman Catholic Church was not founded until AFTER the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D.
The position of the Bishop of Rome did exist a bit before the Council of Nicea. But it was a very different position, before Constantine and after Constantine.
It is routinely stated that Constantine was supposedly a convert to Christianity. But the facts do not support this - at least not until he was at death's door. According to what Eusebius, (the bishop of Constantine) he wrote that Constantine WANTED to become a Christian but Eusebius talked him out of it, suggesting that he delay until he was on his deathbed.
This is exactly what happened. For all of his life, Constantine was a worshipper of the Sun God Sol Invictus (better known as Mithras/Mitra). Catholics are often told that Constantine was converted by his vision of a cross. But a vision does not save anyone. Charles manson had visions, did that save him ?
The record of what Constantine saw when he supposedly saw his cross, was not a cross in anycase: The records very precisely describe what today is known as an "Egyptian Ankh", an egyptian symbol of paganism. At best, Constantine was a very confused person.
The position of the Bishop of Rome was a voluntary and honorary position. It carried no force of law, and there was no ecclesiastical law. It would take the backing of the Roman Emperor to turn the position of the Bishop of Rome into the Roman Catholic Papacy.
With the backing of the Roman Emperors, the newly politicized Pope began to claim sole authority for himself. The records of history are clear that over and over, he was repeatedly rebuked for his claims. Were the other Christians around him suddenly acting in a rebelious manner ?
Not at all. Even in the 300s, those early Christians were telling the Pope that a Christian's allegiance is to Jesus Christ, not to a political institutions like the Roman Catholic Hierarchy. This brings us to the question:
If the Catholic Church did not exist until after it was set up by Constantine AFTER the Council of Nicea, then how did the world hear about Christianity BEFORE the creation of the Roman Catholic Church ?
The answer is by the Disciples and Apostles that Jesus had originally sent out. It was not 12 Desciples "under Peter". It was the desciples and apostles, that worked together, and all of them were submissive to each other in accordance with Biblical principles.
Those Desciples, like Paul, went all over the Roman Empire, preaching the gospel. The Roman Empire responded by persecuting them. The Christian Church was mostly an underground church for the fist 3 centuries. Where was the Pope at that point ?
To be a leader of the Catholic Church was a position of wealth and prestige. But for the first 3 centuries, there was NO Pope. There was however, a pagan equivalent to Pope in the paganized world of the Roman Emperor. This man was known as the Pontifex Maximus. This title was later taken by the Roman Catholic Popes.
Is there any evidence that Peter was ever Pope ? not the slightest. Is there any evidence that any of the desciples of Jesus ever recognized Peter as being the first Pope ? Not in the least.
If the Apostles and Desciples of Jesus would have wanted to, they could have set themselves up as Kings and Popes. Instead they concentrated on the teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Bible.
One of the better indications of the Lack of Pope & Catholic Church is the record left to us by Polycarp, who was descipled by John. It is interesting that Polycarp is one of the few known desciples of those original disciples of Jesus. Polycarp could have made the case, either that Peter was the first Pope, or that He - Polycarp - should have been included in the line of succession.
But that is not what happened. Polycarp omitted any mention of a Pope. The position had not even been invented. The only Church at the outset which existed was the true church of the true Christians.
It predates the Roman Catholic Church by 300 years. The lines of succession of the Pope and the Papacy for the first 325 Years of the Roman Catholic Church are entirely ficticious and entirely made up.
They are non-existent persons of non-history. As with the forged "Donation of Constantine", the Catholic Church HIerarchy is well known for simply inventing history when it is convenient to suit themselves.
In addition, the lines of succession from Peter to Constantine have been replaced. At one time, certain people succeeded each other as "Pope". But in other Catholic Documents, the line of succession for the first 300 years is entirely different. Much of this is referenced in the book, "Vicars of Christ" in Peter de LaRosa's book.
Roman Catholics laymen are well meaning and well intentioned. Yet many of them do not know that the rituals practiced by their church were never there originally. Those rituals are merely later additions, brought in to the Roman Catholic Church to detract from the simple message of Jesus Christ, and corrupt Catholicism into a system of salvation by works. Peter was not the first Pope, and the Roman Catholic Church was never the "Church" that the disciples and apostles wrote about in the Bible.
The True Church of Jesus Christ is only in the hearts of men. It is called the fellowship of believers. A person becomes a member of the true Church - based solely on their own individual relationship with Jesus Christ, in whom a person either places their faith in - or does not.
No human priest has ever forgiven the sins of anyone. The sins of all Catholics - after they have gone to each and every confessional - remain with them - Just as much as the moment they ever walked into the confessional.
The Bible says that only Jesus Christ can forgive us of our sins. Placing our faith in a priest to do this only means that those who do this have misplaced Faith. At that point, their faith is in the priest and in the Catholic Church. But the Catholic Church cannot save anyone. Those who have died in the Catholic Church receiving the blessings of the priest, but deciding to reject the exclusive claims of Christ to save a person through faith in Him alone, have died unreconciled to God.
There is NO purgatory. It is either hit or miss... there is no in-between. There is no second chance. Faith in the Roman Catholic Church Hierarchy and their teachings never produced one catholic going to heaven, unless it is that Catholic picking up the Bible and reading what Jesus Says and believing this instead of the rituals of the Roman Catholic Church.
When people believe that Jesus Christ died for their sins and rose again, and when they place their faith in His Sacrifice alone, without any additions such as mass, rosary, confessional, scapulary, indulgences or any other man-made devices, only then can that person be saved and have eternal life.
.
The position of the Bishop of Rome did exist a bit before the Council of Nicea. But it was a very different position, before Constantine and after Constantine.
It is routinely stated that Constantine was supposedly a convert to Christianity. But the facts do not support this - at least not until he was at death's door. According to what Eusebius, (the bishop of Constantine) he wrote that Constantine WANTED to become a Christian but Eusebius talked him out of it, suggesting that he delay until he was on his deathbed.
This is exactly what happened. For all of his life, Constantine was a worshipper of the Sun God Sol Invictus (better known as Mithras/Mitra). Catholics are often told that Constantine was converted by his vision of a cross. But a vision does not save anyone. Charles manson had visions, did that save him ?
The record of what Constantine saw when he supposedly saw his cross, was not a cross in anycase: The records very precisely describe what today is known as an "Egyptian Ankh", an egyptian symbol of paganism. At best, Constantine was a very confused person.
The position of the Bishop of Rome was a voluntary and honorary position. It carried no force of law, and there was no ecclesiastical law. It would take the backing of the Roman Emperor to turn the position of the Bishop of Rome into the Roman Catholic Papacy.
With the backing of the Roman Emperors, the newly politicized Pope began to claim sole authority for himself. The records of history are clear that over and over, he was repeatedly rebuked for his claims. Were the other Christians around him suddenly acting in a rebelious manner ?
Not at all. Even in the 300s, those early Christians were telling the Pope that a Christian's allegiance is to Jesus Christ, not to a political institutions like the Roman Catholic Hierarchy. This brings us to the question:
If the Catholic Church did not exist until after it was set up by Constantine AFTER the Council of Nicea, then how did the world hear about Christianity BEFORE the creation of the Roman Catholic Church ?
The answer is by the Disciples and Apostles that Jesus had originally sent out. It was not 12 Desciples "under Peter". It was the desciples and apostles, that worked together, and all of them were submissive to each other in accordance with Biblical principles.
Those Desciples, like Paul, went all over the Roman Empire, preaching the gospel. The Roman Empire responded by persecuting them. The Christian Church was mostly an underground church for the fist 3 centuries. Where was the Pope at that point ?
To be a leader of the Catholic Church was a position of wealth and prestige. But for the first 3 centuries, there was NO Pope. There was however, a pagan equivalent to Pope in the paganized world of the Roman Emperor. This man was known as the Pontifex Maximus. This title was later taken by the Roman Catholic Popes.
Is there any evidence that Peter was ever Pope ? not the slightest. Is there any evidence that any of the desciples of Jesus ever recognized Peter as being the first Pope ? Not in the least.
If the Apostles and Desciples of Jesus would have wanted to, they could have set themselves up as Kings and Popes. Instead they concentrated on the teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Bible.
One of the better indications of the Lack of Pope & Catholic Church is the record left to us by Polycarp, who was descipled by John. It is interesting that Polycarp is one of the few known desciples of those original disciples of Jesus. Polycarp could have made the case, either that Peter was the first Pope, or that He - Polycarp - should have been included in the line of succession.
But that is not what happened. Polycarp omitted any mention of a Pope. The position had not even been invented. The only Church at the outset which existed was the true church of the true Christians.
It predates the Roman Catholic Church by 300 years. The lines of succession of the Pope and the Papacy for the first 325 Years of the Roman Catholic Church are entirely ficticious and entirely made up.
They are non-existent persons of non-history. As with the forged "Donation of Constantine", the Catholic Church HIerarchy is well known for simply inventing history when it is convenient to suit themselves.
In addition, the lines of succession from Peter to Constantine have been replaced. At one time, certain people succeeded each other as "Pope". But in other Catholic Documents, the line of succession for the first 300 years is entirely different. Much of this is referenced in the book, "Vicars of Christ" in Peter de LaRosa's book.
Roman Catholics laymen are well meaning and well intentioned. Yet many of them do not know that the rituals practiced by their church were never there originally. Those rituals are merely later additions, brought in to the Roman Catholic Church to detract from the simple message of Jesus Christ, and corrupt Catholicism into a system of salvation by works. Peter was not the first Pope, and the Roman Catholic Church was never the "Church" that the disciples and apostles wrote about in the Bible.
The True Church of Jesus Christ is only in the hearts of men. It is called the fellowship of believers. A person becomes a member of the true Church - based solely on their own individual relationship with Jesus Christ, in whom a person either places their faith in - or does not.
No human priest has ever forgiven the sins of anyone. The sins of all Catholics - after they have gone to each and every confessional - remain with them - Just as much as the moment they ever walked into the confessional.
The Bible says that only Jesus Christ can forgive us of our sins. Placing our faith in a priest to do this only means that those who do this have misplaced Faith. At that point, their faith is in the priest and in the Catholic Church. But the Catholic Church cannot save anyone. Those who have died in the Catholic Church receiving the blessings of the priest, but deciding to reject the exclusive claims of Christ to save a person through faith in Him alone, have died unreconciled to God.
There is NO purgatory. It is either hit or miss... there is no in-between. There is no second chance. Faith in the Roman Catholic Church Hierarchy and their teachings never produced one catholic going to heaven, unless it is that Catholic picking up the Bible and reading what Jesus Says and believing this instead of the rituals of the Roman Catholic Church.
When people believe that Jesus Christ died for their sins and rose again, and when they place their faith in His Sacrifice alone, without any additions such as mass, rosary, confessional, scapulary, indulgences or any other man-made devices, only then can that person be saved and have eternal life.
.
