What is the origin of the Catholic Church?

Answer: The Roman Catholic Church claims that arose at the time of the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ about 30 years. The Catholic Church calls itself the Church which Jesus Christ died, the Church established by the Apostles and built. Is that the true origin of the Catholic Church? On the contrary, even a cursory reading of the New Testament will reveal that the Catholic Church does not have its origin in Jesus' teaching, or learning of his apostles. In the New Testament, no mention of the papacy, worship / adoration of Mary (or the immaculate conception of Mary, the perpetual virginity of Mary's Assumption or Mary as co-redemptrix and mediatrix), petitioning saints in heaven to pray for us, apostolic succession, the ordinances of the church functioning as sacraments, infant baptism, confession of sin to a priest, purgatory, indulgences / indulgences, or the equal authority of church tradition and Scripture. Therefore, if the Catholic Church does not come from the teachings of Jesus and his disciples, as we read in the New Testament, which is the true origin of the Catholic Church?



For the first 280 years of Christian history, Christianity was banned by the Roman empire, and Christians were terribly persecuted. This changed after the "conversion" of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Constantine "legalized" Christianity Edict of Milan of 313 years. In AD 325, Constantine convened the Council of Nicea, in an attempt to unify Christianity. Constantine envisioned Christianity as a religion that could unite the Roman Empire, which at that time was beginning to share. While this may have seemed a positive development for the Christian church, the results were anything but positive. Just as Constantine refused to fully embrace the Christian faith, but continued with their pagan beliefs and practices, so the Christian church that Constantine promoted was a mixture of true Christianity and Roman paganism.

Constantine found that with the Roman Empire being so vast, expansive, and diverse - not everyone would agree to forsake their religious beliefs and instead embrace Christianity. Therefore, it is allowed, and even promoted, the "Christianization" of pagan beliefs. Completely pagan and utterly unbiblical beliefs were given new "Christian" identity.

Here are some clear examples of this: (1) The Cult of Isis, the Egyptian religion is the mother-goddess, was introduced into Christianity by replacing Isis with Mary. Many of the titles that were used for Isis, such as "Queen of Heaven," "Mother of God" and "theotokos" (God) were attached to Mary. Mary was given an exalted role in the Christian faith, far greater than that which gives her the Bible. All this served to attract Isis worshipers to a faith they would not otherwise embrace. In fact, many temples to Isis were converted into temples dedicated to Mary. The first clear hints of Catholic Mariology occur in the writings of Origen, who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, which happened to be the focal point of Isis worship.

(2) Mithraism was a religion of the Roman Empire from the first to the fifth century AD. She was very popular among the Romans, especially among Roman soldiers, and was possibly the religion of several Roman emperors. While Mithraism was never given "official" status in the Roman Empire, de facto, was the official religion until Constantine and succeeding Roman emperors replaced by Christianity. One of the key features of Mithraism was a sacrificial meal, which involved eating the flesh and drinking the blood of a bull. Mithras, the god of Mithraism, was "present" in the flesh and blood of a bull, and to those who ate the sacrificial meal granted salvation (theophagy, eating god). Mithraism also had seven "sacraments," making the similarities between Mithraism and Roman Catholicism too many to ignore. Constantine and his successors found an easy substitute for the sacrificial meal of Mithraism in concept of the Lord's Supper. Unfortunately, some early Christians the Lord's Supper have already begun to attach mysticism, rejecting the Biblical concept of a simple remembrance of Christ's death and shed blood. The Romanization of the Lord's Supper made the transition to a sacrificial consumption of Jesus Christ, which is now known as the Catholic Mass / Eucharist.

(3) Most Roman emperors (and citizens) were henotheists. Henotheist is one who believes in the existence of many gods, but focuses primary on one particular god, or considers one particular god supreme over the other gods. For example, the Roman god Jupiter was supreme over the Roman pantheon of gods. Roman sailors were often worshipers of Neptune, god of the oceans. When the Catholic Church absorbed Roman paganism, it simply replaced the pantheon of gods with the saints. Just as the Roman pantheon of gods had a god of love, the god of peace, the war god, a god of strength, god of wisdom,., So the Catholic Church has a saint who is "in charge" for all these and many other categories. Just as many Roman cities had a god specific to the city, so the Catholic Church provided "patron saints" for the cities.

(4) The supremacy of the Roman bishop (the papacy) was created with the support of the Roman emperors. Since Rome was the center of government for the Roman empire, and with the Roman emperors living, the city of Rome rose to prominence in all aspects of life. Constantine and his successors supported the Bishop of Rome as the supreme ruler of the church. Of course it is for the unity of the Roman empire that the government and state religion be centered in the same place. While most other bishops (and Christians) resisted the idea of the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome, the Roman bishop eventually rose to supremacy, due to the power and influence of the Roman emperors. When the Roman empire collapsed, the popes took on the title that had previously belonged to the Roman emperors - Pontificus Maximus.

We could bring many other examples. These four should suffice in demonstrating the true origin of the Catholic Church. Of course, the Roman Catholic Church denies the pagan origin of its beliefs and practices. The Catholic Church disguises its pagan beliefs under layers of complicated theology. She excuses and denies its pagan origin beneath the mask of "church tradition." Recognizing that many of its beliefs and practices are utterly foreign to Scripture, is forced to deny the authority and sufficiency of Scripture.

The origin of the Catholic Church is the tragic compromise of Christianity with pagan religions that surrounded it. Instead of proclaiming the Gospel and converting the pagans, the Catholic Church "Christianized" the pagan religions, and "paganized" Christianity. Sweeping differences and features that the Catholic Church has become attractive to the people of the Roman Empire. One consequence of this is that the Catholic Church becoming the supreme religion in the "Roman world". However, another result was the most dominant form of Christianity has fallen away from the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and the true proclamation of God's word.

2 Timothy 4,3-4 says: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires pile teachers, having itching ears, and will turn away their ears from the truth and turn aside to myths."