The Apostasy That Wasn’t

Two persons of another faith came to my door and they told me that my church, the Catholic Church, had fallen into apostasy (teaching error) after the last Apostle died and the true church had died after that.  Their claim surely was a surprise to me because I knew the truth.  I asked them how they knew that and they said it was historical.  (This sounded like fake news to me.)  I said, “Well, I have a list of 266 popes in succession in the house.  Would you like to see it?  They suddenly declined.  I continued to tell them how the Catholic Church had continued unbroken since 33 A.D. and Jesus said, “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”  Matt 16:18.  Jesus is saying the church will not fall into apostasy because it will be protected from error.  Now this poses a problem, if Jesus is telling the truth, then the Church did not fall into apostasy but if Jesus lied then it would’ve fallen into apostasy.  Are they calling Jesus a liar?

According to Matthew 18: 15-18, Jesus gave us a command stating, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you . . . If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  He wouldn’t have said this to the apostles if He wanted the Church to bind heresy on earth.

Christ was directing the faithful to obey the Church that he established and that we can be confident about doing so because the true Church to which Jesus was leading us would never steer us away from God or into error. The question is: To what Church is he referring?

Well, what if we lived in the year 1900 AD?  Which church would He be directing us to?  At that time, the United Methodist Church would not exist.  If we lived in the year 1800, the Mormon Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Salvation Army would not exist.  If we lived in the year 1600, the Baptist Church would not exist.  If we lived in the year 1400, the Lutheran Church, Anglican, Calvinist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and many other Protestant churches would not exist.  Let’s go back even further to the year 33 AD.  Which church would Jesus be directing us to?  The only church that existed for the full 2000 years of Christian history is the Catholic Church.  If Jesus directed us to a church that didn’t exist, he would have led us to error.

If the true church did not exist on this earth for 2000 years, then Jesus misguided millions into obeying churches with errors, with thousands of different interpretations of His Word, with no apostolic authority and churches that He didn’t even start.  Jesus wouldn’t have led us astray or lied to us.  He put into place the truth through the Early Church Fathers, a history of 2000 years, but most importantly, the Catholic Church WITHOUT apostasy.  This is how we know what is true because Jesus tells us and wouldn’t lead us astray and all we have to do is look at the ACTUAL history.

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Early Church Fathers

“Faith of our Fathers” is such an old song but it holds such irrefutable truth of the history of our Early Church Fathers and that they DO KNOW BEST.  They were martyred for believing, and some had gruesome deaths just because they followed what Jesus taught and the church Jesus founded.  If we go back in time and investigate the faith that the Early Church Fathers had, we would find,  that was before Martin Luther, Calvin, King George VIII and the Reformation. If we go back even further to right after Jesus Ascended into heaven, we would see that the fathers of the church were Catholic.  They believed in the Eucharist,  Confession to a priest,  and baptizing the whole family,  even the infants.

I saw a protestant church with a sign that said “Faith of Our Fathers for the last 125 years.”  Which “fathers” are they referring to?  I thought, the Catholic Church has the “Faith of Our Fathers since 33 A.D. and Jesus himself, not just for the last 125 years.  That would only bring us back to 1893!  What about the previous 1,860 years before that?  How are they connected to the Apostles then?

If you are searching  for  the  true church  of Jesus, you need  to  start  with  the  Early Church Fathers and what they believed.  This is what I did when I was searching for the truth.  Look into the history of your current  church or faith and find out when  it started  and who started  it. Find out why your church was started.  This is so important!  Was it started because someone didn’t agree with the teachings of another church?  Can you trace your church’s authority back to St. Peter and Jesus in an unbroken line through the laying on of hands? (Click here for list of popes all the way back to St. Peter.) Is your  church universal , the same in it’s doctrine and practices  no matter  where  you  go in the world?  Do the  doctrines  remain  the same  or do they change  with society pressure? Look into the history of your church’s doctrines and have they changed?  Does your  church have a tabernacle  with  the  true Jesus in the  Eucharist  in it or just a symbolic  wafer or no tabernacle at all?  Look at the authority of your church.  Where does it come from?  Jesus and the Apostles? Does it come directly from the Apostles passed down from the year 33 AD?  Look below for a quick reference as to where, when and by whom different churches were started.

Church	Year	Founder	Location
Lutheran	1517	Martin Luther	Germany
Anglican	1534	King Henry VIII	England
Presbyterian	1560	John Knox	Scotland
Episcopalians	1789	Samuel Seabury	American Colonies
Baptist	1609	John Smyth	Amsterdam
Methodist Episcopal	1739	John & Charles Wesley	England
Mormons	1830	Joseph Smith	New York
Jehovah Witness	1874	Charles Taze Russell	Pennsylvania
Seventh-day Adventist	1863	William Miller	Battle Creek, MI
Lakewood Church (Baptist)	1959	John Osteen (Joel’s father)	Houston, TX
Catholic Church	33 AD	Jesus Christ	Jerusalem

Check out these Early Church Fathers and see what they said.

Regarding Apostolic Tradition: 

Origen of Alexandria

“There are many who think they hold the opinions of Christ, and yet some of these think differently from their predecessors, yet, as the teaching of the Church, transmitted in orderly succession from the apostles, and remaining in the churches to the present day, is still preserved, that alone is to be accepted as truth that differs in no respect from ecclesiastical and apostolic Tradition.” [Fundamental Doctrines Preface 2 (c. A.D. 225)]  (Remember, there are no denominational churches at this time because it is before the Reformation, so “churches” refers to the Catholic Church.)

St. Epiphanius of Salamis

“It is needful also to make use of Tradition, for not everything can be gotten from sacred Scripture.  The holy apostles handed down some things in the Scriptures, other things in Tradition.” [Panacea Against All Heresies 61:6(c. A.D. 375)]  (So following Sola Scriptura [Bible Alone] doesn’t give us everything the Apostles handed down.)

Regarding the Catholic Church:

St. Augustine of Hippo

For in the Catholic Church, not so speak of the purest wisdom, the knowledge of which a few spiritual men attain in the is life, so as to know it, in the scantiest measure, indeed, because they are but men, still without any uncertainty (since the rest of the multitude derive their entire security not from acuteness of intellect, but from simplicity of faith)–not to speak of this wisdom, which you do not believe to be in the Catholic Church, there are many other things that most justly keep me in her bosom.  The consent of peoples and nations keeps me in the Church; so does her authority, inaugurated by miracles, nourished by hope, enlarged by love, established by age.  The succession of priests keeps me, beginning from the very seat of the apostle Peter, to whom the Lord, after his Resurrection, gave it in charge to feed his sheep, down to the present episcopate.  And so, lastly, does the name itself of Catholic, which, not without reason, amid so many heresies, the Church has thus retained; so that, though all heretics wish to be called Catholics, yet when a stranger asks where the Catholic Church meets, no heretic will venture to point to his own chapel or house.  Such then in number and importance are the precious ties belonging to the Christian name that keep a believer in the Catholic Church, as it is right they should, though from the slowness of our understanding, or the small attainment of our life, the truth may not yet fully disclose itself.  But with you, where there are none of these things to a attract or keep me, the promise of truth is the only thing that comes into play.  Now if the truth is so clearly proved as to leave no possibility of doubt, it must be set before all the things that keep me in the Catholic Church; but if there is only a promise without any fulfillment, no one shall move me from the faith that binds my mind with ties so many and so strong to the Christian religion.”  [Against the letter of Mani called “The Foundation” 4:5 (A.D. 398)]

St. Augustine of Hippo

“If you should find someone who does not yet believe in the gospel, what would you [Mani] answer him when he says, “I do not believe”?  Indeed, I would not believe in the gospel myself if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so.” [Against the letter of Mani called “The Foundation” 5:6 (A.D. 398)]

These are only a sample of the Early Church Fathers.  They tell it like it is and are very truthful because they witnessed it themselves.

The true church that Jesus started is one, holy, catholic and apostolic.  It has to be all of them not just one.  If your church is not all of them, you need to begin your search for Jesus’ one and only church that is still on earth today.  I beg of you to dig deeper  into  the history  of  your  church and the history of the Catholic Church and answer these  questions  for  yourself .  Follow the Early Church Fathers and they will lead you home.

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Source: The Fathers Know Best by Jimmy Akin

Please check out these other books:

Faith Of Our Fathers: Why the Early Christians Still Matter and Always Will by Mike Aquilina

Faith of the Early Fathers, Volumes 1,2 and 3 by William A. Jurgens

The Shocking Truth About the Pope and the Church Fathers by Tim Staples

Apostolic Fathers: Handing On The Faith by Steve Ray

I’ll Give You One Good Reason

I’ve been asked, “Why are you Catholic?” but then they think they know the answer by saying, “Oh, you’re Catholic because you were born into it.”  Well, the answer is yes and no.  Yes, I was lucky enough to be born into it but that’s not the reason I’m Catholic.

I’m Catholic because it’s true!  If you are looking for the truth in faith, this is it!  Why?

• Because Jesus founded only the Catholic Church, not all the other denominations.
• Because the Catholic Church is 2000 years old.
• Because it’s the only place I can find the true Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
• Because it’s the Church that gave the world the Bible.
• Because it has all the Sacraments instituted by Christ.
• Because it’s the only leadership that can trace it’s authority to Christ and the Apostles.
• Because it’s the only true “universal” Church on earth with a solid, unified doctrine and teaching.
• Teachings on abortion, euthanasia, contraception, marriage and homosexuality are based on natural law.

No other church on earth can claim these truths.

“But it doesn’t matter what church you belong to, right?  Aren’t they all the same?”  No, they aren’t.  Did Jesus start an invisible church?  The authority is only for the apostles and their successors.  There is one, holy, Catholic (universal) and apostolic church.  Jesus started a visible church that is found all over the world.  We are all called to be in agreement in our faith.  This does not give authority for anyone else to start their own church or interpret scripture.    See Eph. 4:3-6

Where in the Bible does it say that we can have personal interpretation of scripture?  It doesn’t.  Jesus gave the Catholic Church teaching authority on faith and morality and to interpret scripture, therefore we have an obligation to follow church teaching.

Think of it this way, how do you interpret these six words?  “I never said you stole money?”  Depending on which word you put the accent on, it takes on different meaning.

• I never said you stole money–Someone else said it.
• I never said you stole money–I don’t appreciate the accusation.
• I never said you stole money–I thought it but didn’t say it.
• I never said you stole money–I said someone else did.
• I never said you stole money–I said you borrowed it.
• I never said you stole money–I said you stole my car.

If these six little words can be interpreted into six different meanings, then think of all the words in the Bible that can take on different meanings.  We need the authority of the Catholic Church to help us to interpret the Bible correctly.  Even pastors outside of the Catholic Church can only give their fallible opinion of the meaning of scripture.

It all boils down to this, the Catholic Church and all of her teachings are the truth.  You might say, “But truth is subjective, you have your truth and I have mine.”

No.  Truth is fact, truth is truth and truth never changes.  It’s not your truth or my truth.  It’s Jesus’ truth!  It’s historical.  It’s documented very well.  It’s witnessed by hundreds and thousands.  People who crucified Jesus saw him alive in the flesh after His resurrection.  I’m sure that had to be shocking!  To see someone you killed walking around for 40 days with the nail marks and lance hole in His side.  And if you say, He never was dead.  Then think of this, the executioners were crucified themselves if they let even one person live.  They had to be sure every one of them was very, very, dead so you didn’t become one of them.  That’s why the soldier thrust the lance into Jesus’ side.  To be sure He was dead.  Jesus would not have survived the torture and crucifixion he was subjected to anyway.  He likely died from traumatic and hypovolemic shock and suffered horrible pain from the torture being centered on His cranial nerves, wrist nerves, leg nerves and deep wounds all over His body from the scourging and crown of thorns (this was a cap, not a wreath).  Who could have survived this? Check this webpage out for more information on the medical evaluation of Jesus’ crucifixion and torture.  Please read the Conclusion, it’s so important.

After you read this article, it’s hard not to see just how much Jesus endured because He loves us.  He loves each one of us.  He saw each of us at the foot of the cross and loved us that much that He would rather bear that suffering pain than lose even one of us to sin.  No one else loves us that much!

I’ll give you many reasons why I’m Catholic.  It’s the truth and the only Church Jesus founded but the most important reason I’m Catholic is because Jesus suffered so much just so that I would not be lost to sin.  He did that just for you too.  He would have done all of that for only one of us.  He values each of us that much!  He did it for His Church, the Catholic Church, so that we would have the source of salvation and we could be with Him in Heaven.  But we have to choose Him and follow His Church.

There is nothing on earth like the Catholic Church and it’s a miracle in itself, in Him, with Him, and through Him.  That’s why I’m Catholic!

The Apostle’s Creed Points the Way

The Apostle’s Creed’s history comes from the Apostles 2000 years ago.  These were some of our Early Church Fathers giving us a road map to help us find the way to what Jesus taught us.  It’s a faithful summary of the Apostle’s faith.

It starts out with the words, “I believe…”.  This is a profession of faith.  We profess our belief in God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Forgiveness of Sins, the Resurrection of the Body and Life Everlasting.

• I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth;
  • (God is one, loving, living, merciful, gracious, truth, love, the first person of the Trinity, Almighty, and created everything for His glory and it is ordered and ruled by His laws.)
  • (The Trinity is one God but three separate persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The Trinity is NOT three Gods.)
• and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
  • (Jesus is the second person of the Trinity.  Jesus, in Hebrew, means “God saves”.  The word “Christ” comes from the Hebrew “Messiah” which means “anointed”.  “He descended into Hell” means that Jesus descended “into the depths of death so that the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those that who hear will live”.  Remember that Heaven was not open at this time and Satan had the power over death and evil.  All those who had died were waiting for the Messiah to open Heaven because of the Fall of man.  The Hell we think of where Satan is, is not the same place Jesus went.  Jesus ascended into Heaven 40 days later after His Resurrection.)
• I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
  • (The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, is a who and not a what, is symbolized by water, anointing, fire, dove, cloud and light, the seal, and the finger of God.)
  • (The Holy Catholic Church is the church that Jesus founded through the apostles 2000 years ago.  It is a visible church.  It possesses the four marks of the true church: one, holy, catholic (universal) and apostolic.  No other church on earth possesses all of these four marks.)
  • (Communion of Saints, means a communion of faith, sacraments, charisms, charity in the faithful to form one body with Christ as the Head of the Church.)
  • (Forgiveness of Sins, means the power given by Jesus in John 20:22-23 for the Apostles to forgive or retain sins.  This power is only for the apostles and their successors.  This is the Sacrament of Confession)
  • (In 1 Cor 15:12-14 it states that “…if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain…But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”  Those alive in Christ will raise again body and soul and have life everlasting in Christ.)
  • Amen means “I believe”.
  • Many non-Catholic churches say the Apostle’s Creed but might hold a different meaning than what the apostles or Jesus meant.  Do your research and find out if your church truly believes what the apostles believed in the Early Church.

The Four Marks of the True Church are as follows (CCC 866-870):

1. The Church is one: acknowledges one Lord, confesses one faith, is born of one Baptism, forms only one Body, is given life by the one Spirit, for the sake of one hope (Eph 4:3-5) at whose fulfillment all divisions will be overcome.
2. The Church is holy: the Most Holy God is her author; Christ her bridegroom, gave himself up to make her holy; the Spirit of holiness gives her life.  Since she still includes sinners, she is “the sinless one made up of sinners”.  Her holiness shines in the saints; in Mary she is already all-holy.
3. The Church is catholic: she proclaims the fullness of the faith.  She bears in herself and administers the totality of the means of salvation.  She is sent out to all peoples.  She speaks to all men.  She encompasses all times.  She is “missionary of her very nature.”
4. The Church is apostolic.  She is built on a lasting foundation: “the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Rev 21:14).  She is indestructible (Mt 16:18).  She is upheld infallibly in the truth: Christ governs her through Peter and the other apostles, who are present in their successors, the Pope and the college of bishops.
5. The sole Church of Christ which in the Creed we profess to be one, holy, catholic and apostolic,…subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him.  Nevertheless, many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside its visible confines.  (This means that many, not all, elements of truth are found outside of the Catholic Church but the fullness of faith is found within the Catholic Church.)

CCC stands for Catechism of the Catholic Church.  Please see the Catechism paragraph numbers 194-1065 for reference.

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