Q & A of the Catholic Faith: The True Church of Christ: A Historical and Biblical Journey from the 1st Century to Today

Description:
Discover the true Church founded by Christ through Scripture, early Church Fathers, apostolic succession, and Church history. A complete apologetic response to Protestant objections.

Introduction: Why the Question of the “True Church” Matters

Jesus did not leave behind a book alone, but a Church.

“I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)

Yet today, Christianity is divided into tens of thousands of denominations, most of which appeared only after the 16th century. This raises a serious question:

Did the Church founded by Christ disappear for 1,500 years and then reappear during the Protestant Reformation?

This article examines that claim using:

Sacred Scripture
Apostolic Fathers
Early Church Fathers
Church history
Ecumenical councils
Catholic Catechism (CCC)
Standard historians and biblical scholars

I. The Church Founded by Christ (1st Century)

A. Christ Founded a Visible, Organized Church

Jesus did not establish an invisible, unstructured group of believers.

Biblical Evidence:

Matthew 16:18–19 – Authority given to Peter
Matthew 18:17 – Church has authority to judge
John 21:15–17 – Peter shepherds the flock
Acts 1:20–26 – Apostolic succession
1 Timothy 3:15 – “The Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth”

📌 Key Point:
Truth is guarded by the Church, not Scripture alone.

B. Apostolic Structure in the New Testament

Office	Biblical Evidence
Bishop (Episkopos)	Titus 1:7
Presbyters (Priests)	Acts 14:23
Deacons	Acts 6:1–6

This threefold structure is still preserved in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches today.

II. The Early Church Was Catholic (2nd Century)

A. The Term “Catholic Church” Appears Early

St. Ignatius of Antioch (c. A.D. 107):

“Wherever the bishop appears, there let the multitude be; just as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.”
(Letter to the Smyrnaeans 8)

📌 This is decades after the Apostles, not medieval invention.

B. Early Christian Beliefs That Protestants Often Reject Today

Doctrine	Early Christian Evidence
Real Presence in Eucharist	Ignatius, Justin Martyr
Apostolic succession	Irenaeus
Authority of bishops	Clement of Rome
Unity under Rome	Irenaeus

III. Apostolic Succession: The Unbroken Chain

A. Biblical Foundation

Acts 1:20 – Judas’ office is replaced
2 Timothy 2:2 – Authority passed on
Titus 1:5 – Paul appoints leaders

B. Early Church Testimony

St. Irenaeus (c. A.D. 180):

“It is possible for everyone… to trace the succession of bishops from the Apostles… especially the Church at Rome.”
(Against Heresies 3.3.1)

📌 This directly refutes the Protestant idea that authority disappeared after the Apostles.

IV. The Canon of the Bible: The Church Came First

Timeline Snapshot

Event	Date
Church founded	A.D. 33
New Testament writings	A.D. 50–100
Canon formally recognized	A.D. 382 (Rome), 393 (Hippo), 397 (Carthage)

📌 The Church identified the Bible — the Bible did not create the Church.

CCC 120:

“It was by the apostolic Tradition that the Church discerned which writings are to be included in the list of the sacred books.”

V. The Ecumenical Councils (4th–8th Century)

The Seven Ecumenical Councils (Accepted by Catholics & Orthodox)

Council	Year	Defined Doctrine
Nicaea I	325	Divinity of Christ
Constantinople I	381	Holy Spirit
Ephesus	431	Mary as Theotokos
Chalcedon	451	Two natures of Christ
Nicaea II	787	Use of icons

📌 Without the Catholic Church, Protestant doctrines about Christ collapse, since these councils defined Trinitarian belief.

VI. Protestant Objection #1: “The True Church Became Corrupt”

Historical Problem with This Claim

Christ promised the Church would never fail (Matthew 16:18)
Paul calls the Church the pillar of truth (1 Tim 3:15)
No historical record of a total apostasy
No identifiable “pure remnant church” before the 1500s

📌 If the Church fell for 1,500 years, Christ failed His promise.

VII. The Great Schism (A.D. 1054)

The first major rupture occurred between:

Roman Catholic Church (West)
Eastern Orthodox Church (East)

Both retained:

Apostolic succession
Sacraments
Ancient liturgy
Early doctrines

📌 Protestantism did not exist yet.

VIII. The Protestant Reformation (16th Century)

New Principles Introduced

Doctrine	First Appears
Sola Scriptura	16th century
Faith alone	16th century
Invisible Church	16th century

📌 None of these are taught by the early Church Fathers.

IX. Development of Doctrine (Not Corruption)

St. Vincent of Lérins (5th century):

“Development is legitimate when it preserves the same doctrine, the same meaning, and the same judgment.”

CCC 94:

“Growth in understanding… happens through contemplation, study, and preaching.”

📌 Development ≠ invention

X. Comparison Table: Early Church vs Protestantism

Feature	Early Church	Catholic Church	Protestantism
Apostolic succession	✔	✔	✘
Eucharist as sacrifice	✔	✔	✘
Authority of bishops	✔	✔	✘
Canon fixed by Church	✔	✔	✘
Unity of doctrine	✔	✔	✘

XI. Final Conclusion: Where Is the Church Christ Founded?

The Church that:

Can trace its bishops to the Apostles
Preserved the sacraments
Defined the Bible
Survived persecution and heresy
Existed before Protestantism

👉 Is the Catholic Church (with the Orthodox sharing much of that apostolic heritage).

“To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant.”
— John Henry Newman

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Friday, January 23, 2026

The True Church of Christ: A Historical and Biblical Journey from the 1st Century to Today