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The
Protestant Reformation
"For
the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following
their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will
stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths."
2 Timothy 4:3-4
In the 16th century, there was a great
upheaval in the Church. This period of time in Church history is known as the
Reformation. There were many factors, some valid and some invalid, that led to
fragmentation. Although some factors were valid concerns, the fragmentation was
an extreme course of action started by some with selfish motives, some with
questionable mental stability, and some who were just misguided. Today there are
about 33,830 denominations within Christianity. The largest denomination is
Catholic. The second largest is non-practicing Catholics.
To understand
the impact of the Reformation period we should first understand how the Church
was established by Christ.
Matthew 16 provides a thorough explanation of this event.
When entering the region of Caesarea
Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples "Who do people say
that the Son of Man is?" The disciples then offered various answers - "Some
say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the
prophets." But the question that Jesus then asked was crucial: "But
who do you say that I am?"
The answer provided by Simon Peter set
in motion the formation of the Catholic Church by Jesus. "You
are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."
With this answer, Jesus established
the Catholic Church with Simon Peter designated the first Pope.
"Blessed are
you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but
my heavenly Father. 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. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed
in heaven."
There have always been rivalries in
the Church. Divide and conquer. Divide and conquer. Divide and conquer. Evil knows that division is the path to conquering. Although Jesus
ensures that the netherworld will never prevail against the Church he created, I
often pray for those misled by some people, and for those unaware of the
Catholic Church in relation to Christ. Paul (Saul) had a pretty good point in
1 Cor:10
"I urge you,
brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what
you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the
same mind and in the same purpose."
When we think about the Church and
what Christ asked of us, we should look at the prayer by Jesus in
John
17
Beginning Verse 11
"And now I will
no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.
Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be
one just as we are."
Beginning Verse 20
"I pray not only
for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that
they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may
be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the
glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in
me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that
you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me."
Many profess "The Bible, The Whole
Bible, and Nothing But The Bible". If it were that simple, how can you explain
the over 33,000 Christian denominations. The truth of the matter is that each has
their interpretation of what "The Bible, The Whole Bible, and Nothing But The
Bible" really is. We have many thousands of different interpretations.
I know in my heart that the "Living
God" demands a "Living Church". If the law and word of God began and
ended with Jesus and the Bible, why would Jesus appoint a successor with the
authority to mediate between man and heaven. We must understand that Jesus knew
that faith was a living, breathing and delicate gift. He knew that new
challenges brought forth in an evolving world would require someone to
determine the moral path. Jesus created a single Church and gave it the
apostolic charter to spread the word and "bind" and "loosen" strings of the
relationship between man and heaven.
After much prayer, I know by the grace of God that I could
not find salvation outside the Mother Church. At some point in the maturation
process we should realize that we can't continue to create new "churches" just
because we don't agree with the teachings of THE CHURCH. Simply moving to
another "church" doesn't alter the universal (Catholic) realities of right and
wrong.
Jesus established a single Catholic
Church with a single leader to ensure a single message would lead every single person on a
single path through the single narrow door to salvation. Its that simple........
If you are not accepting the sacraments of the Church and
living by its teachings, it is time that you spend a considerable amount of time
in prayer and answer as to WHY you are not. What ever the conclusion of your
prayer may be, be aware that you are still bound by the teachings of the Roman
Catholic Church regardless of any other affiliation you claim. Walking away from
the Church and ignoring its teachings does not render you guiltless. It is the
teachings of the Church that are "bound" in heaven and earth...........
Why are you proclaiming the name of Jesus and yet refuse
the message from his Church? The Church to which gave the keys to the kingdom.
Wouldn't you
like to experience the
complete Christian Faith as created by Jesus? To better understand the heritage and
faith given to the world by Christ, I invite you to contact a Catholic friend or
the local Catholic Church and inquire about RCIA sessions. They are free,
painless, and there is no obligation.
There is nothing to fear and you have
everything to gain. I pray that your heart will be opened, that your fear will
vanish, and that you will come to experience the joy of Jesus Christ, as
manifested in HIS Church.
How
Did Your Church Begin?
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33 A.D. |
Roman Catholic Church (moved to Rome by Peter after he fled Jerusalem) was founded by God-made-man, Jesus Christ. He said: "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church, and
the gates of hell shall not prevail against it... Feed my lambs; feed My sheep"
(Matt. 16:18,19;
John 21:15,17). He also said: "He who is not with Me is against
Me, and he who gathers not with me scatters" (Matt.12:30).
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9th Century Marked The
First Official Schisms Within The
Church
827:
Eastern Schism began
by Photius of Constantinople. The primary difference in Faith at the heart
of the schism was the argument over the addition of the filioque statement
(Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, not just the Father) to
the creed. This schism eventually healed. |
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900 |
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1000 |
1053:
Eastern Schism began
by Michael Caerularius of Constantinople. The primary argument was the Latin
practice of fasting on Saturday and the use of unleavened bread for the Holy
Eucharist. Theses two points were more for challenging the authority of the
Roman Pontif. This schism eventually healed. |
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1100 |
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1200 |
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1300 |
1378: Death of Pope Gregory XI on 27
March, 1378 began the Western Schism. The schism came to an end in 1417. |
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1400 |
1472: Present Schism of the
Eastern Church
begins with the repudiation of the
Council of Florence. |
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1500 |
1517:
Lutheran Church was founded by Martin Luther, a former
priest of the Roman Catholic Church. This marked the beginning of the
Protestant Reformation
1521: Anabaptist first
appeared in Zwickau, in the present kingdom of Saxony. Initially, they were
primarily against infant baptism.
1525:
Schwenkfeldians were founded by
Kaspar of Schwenkfeld, aulic councillor of Duke Frederick of Liegnitz and canon.
At first he associated himself with Luther, but later opposed the latter in his
Christology, as well as in his conception of the Eucharist, and his doctrine of
justification.
1531:
The Socinians and other
Anti-Trinitarians attacked the fundamental doctrine of the Blessed Trinity.
Chief founder of Anti-Trinitarians was Laelius Socinus, teacher of
jurisprudence at Siena, and his nephew, Faustus Socinus.
1536: Mennonites founded by
Menno Simons,
a former Catholic priest and later an Anabaptist elder. They deny infant baptism
and the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
1534: Church of England (Anglicanism) was founded by King Henry VIII
when he threw off the authority of the Pope and proclaimed himself the
head of the Church in England, because the Pope refused to declare invalid his
marriage with Queen Catherine.
1560:
The Presbyterian denomination was begun by John Knox who was
dissatisfied with Anglicanism.
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1600 |
1608:
The Baptist church was launched by John Smyth in Amsterdam, Holland.
1620: The Swiss Mennonites split into
Amish or Upland Mennonites and Lowland Mennonites.
1671:
Quakers were founded by John George Fox of Drayton in Leicestershire.
He favored a visionary spiritualism, and found in the soul of each man a
portion of the Divine intelligence. All are allowed to preach, according as
the spirit incites them.
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1700 |
1744:
The Methodist church was launched by John and Charles Wesley in England.
1774:
The Unitarians were founded by Theophilus Lindley in London.
1784: Episcopalian denomination was begun by Samuel Seabury who was
dissatisfied with Presbyterianism.
1787:
The founder of The Salvation Army is William Booth, who quit the
Anglicans, and then the Methodists, and set up his own version of Christianity.
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1800 |
1822:
Mormons founded by Joseph Smith,
who made his appearance with supposed revelations in 1822.
1872: The Jehovah's Witness Church was developed by Charles Russell.
1879:
Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy began the Christian Scientist religion
basing it upon an outright denial of Original Sin and its effects.
1896: Ballinger Booth, the son of
William Booth, quit The Salvation Army and started his own church.
The Seventh-Day Adventists, the Church of
Christ, The Church of the Nazarene, or any of the various
Pentecostal Churches, etc. are also among the hundreds of new churches
founded by men within the past 150 years or so.
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1900 |
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2000 |
Over 33,000 Sects "Scattered" Outside The One Church Founded By
Christ |
There Was Only
ONE Church Founded By Christ
AND HIS CHURCH
STILL LIVES TODAY
Learn About
Heresy That Divides The Church
Founded By Christ
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