Churches Here, Churches There, Churches Churches Everywhere!

The denial of the One True Church:
"John to the seven Churches that are in Asia..."
Rev 1:4

"Anyone can see from the very beginning of Christianity that there were many denominations, for the Bible is 'very clear' to show us this in that verse, and in many others!"
This is what I have been told by those who refuse to believe that the Catholic Church is the one true Church which Jesus Christ founded. It is too bad that non-Catholics cannot understand the fact that all of those Churches were founded by the Apostles who were all infused with the same Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Therefore they all taught the same truth of Jesus Christ. There are no two Protestant churches which teach the same thing. If they all taught the same one truth, then isn't it obvious that instead of the tens of thousands of sects, there would be only one?

Well, let us see what the story of the Bible really says...
"You are Peter and upon this rock I will build My Church."
Matt 16:18

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations...."
Matt 28:20

It was prophesied by Caiphas, the high priest, that Jesus would gather all of His Children into ONE:
"This, however, he said not of himself; but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was to die for the nation; and not only for the nation, but that He might gather into ONE the Children of GOD who were scattered abroad."
John 11:51-52
The beginning of the fulfillment of this prophecy is in the book of Acts.

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church, and delivered Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, cleansing her in the bath of water by means of The Word; in order that He might present Himself the Church in all her glory, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she might be holy and without blemish."
Eph 5:25-27
Note in these verses that St. Paul referenced "the Church" twice and in the singular. He spoke of one Church only.

"But, you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses for Me in Jerusalem (local) and in all Judea and Samaria (spreading out) and even to the very ends of the earth (world-wide, Universal, Catholic)."
Acts 1:8

"And there appeared to them parted tongues as of fire, which settled upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign tongues, even as the Holy Spirit prompted them to speak."
Acts 2:3-4

Elucidation:
*Jesus Christ commissioned His Apostles to go into the whole world and preach the Gospel.
*The Holy Spirit infused each and all of the Apostles with the same One Truth of the Word.
*Jesus Christ spoke of One Church only and not of seven as in Rev 1:4.
The Catholic Church, the only Church which Jesus Christ founded, was persecuted by both the Jews and the Romans from the very beginning. The Jews wanted to stamp out this new Christianity because Christ called Himself GOD. The Romans wanted to destroy this new Christianity because Christ called Himself a King. The infant Church had to practice in hiding or fade into oblivion. But fade it would not because its founder was GOD Himself who promised the Gates of Hell would not prevail against His Church. Matt 16:18
The very first Church gatherings were not in churches (buildings) at all but in the homes of loyal Christians. These gatherings were done in great secrecy in order to avoid persecution. Any physical church building would have been immediately destroyed by the Jews or the Romans. The faithful had to use code words to communicate, such as Babylon for Rome, and the fish symbol. The word 'fish' is Icthus in Greek, the dominant language of the time. Icthus is the first letters of 'Jesus Christ Son of GOD Savior'. Fish are used as a symbol of the faithful, referring to the miraculous catch (Luke 5:1-7), and that some of the Apostles were fishermen.
"And continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread in their houses..."
Acts 2:46

"Greet Prisca and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus, who for my life have risked their own necks. To them not only I give thanks but also the Churches of the Gentiles. Greet also the Church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Ephaenetus, who is the first fruits of Asia to Christ."
Romans 16:3-5.

"The Churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla with the Church at their house (Corinth) greet you heartily in the Lord."
1Cor 16:19

"Greetings to the brethren who are at Laodicea and to Nymphas and the Church that is in his house."
Col 4:15-16

"And to Appia, the sister, and to Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the Church that is in thy house:"
Philemon 1:2

Notice in Romans and Corinthians above, that the Church had already spread to Asia.

The new Church expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion was due in part to the fact that the Romans had built excellent roads connecting the various cities. The Apostles used these roads to advantage.

"Now they who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls." Acts 2:41

"And the multitude of men and women who believed in the Lord increased still more..."
Acts 5:14

"Now in those days, as the number of the disciples was increasing..."
Acts 6:1

"So the Churches grew stronger and stronger in the faith and increased in numbers daily."
Acts 16:5

"And the Word of the Lord continued to spread, and the number of the disciples increased rapidly in Jerusalem; a large number also of the priests accepted the faith."
Acts 6:7

"Now throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria the Church was in peace and was being built up, walking in fear of the Lord, and it was filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit."
Acts 9:31

"And news concerning them came to the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas as far as Antioch.
Acts 11:22

"But the Word of the Lord continued to grow and spread."
Acts 12:24

Starting in Acts 13:1, the worldwide, universal, Catholic Church began to expand to eventually include all of humanity...

"Now in the Church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers, among whom were Barnabas and Simon, called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manahen the fostering brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul."
Acts 13:1

"On arriving at Jerusalem they were welcomed by the Church and the Apostles and Presbyters (priests), and they proclaimed all that GOD had done with them."
Acts 15:4

"Then the Apostles and the Presbyters (priests) with the whole Church decided to select representatives and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
Acts 15:22

"But I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is in the ministry of the Church at Cenchrea..." Rom 16:1

"..to the Church of GOD at Corinth."
1Cor 1:2, 2Cor 1:1

"Paul and Sylvanus and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians."
1Thess 1:1, 2Thess 1:1

"The Church which is at Babylon (Rome), chosen together with you, greets you, and so does my son Mark."
1Pet 5:13

"To the angel (Bishop) of the Church at Ephesus write..."
Rev 2:1

"And to the angel of the Church at Smyrna write..."
Rev 2:8

"And to the angel of the Church at Pergamum write..."
Rev 2:12

"And to the angel of the Church at Thyratira write..."
Rev 2:18

"And to the angel of the Church at Sardis write..."
Rev 3:1

"And to the angel of the Church at Philadelphia write..."
Rev 3:7

"And to the angel of the Church at Laodicea write..."
Rev 3:14

Cyprus, Acts 13:4
Iconium, Acts 14:1
Lystra, Acts 14:7
Derbe, Acts 14:19-20
Philippi, Acts 16:12
Thessalonica, Acts 17:1-2
Berea, Acts 17:10
Athens, Acts 17:16
Corinth, Acts 18:1-2
Ephesus, Acts 18:19
Tyre, Acts 21:3-6
Malta, Acts 28:1-10
Rome, Acts 28:16-30

Implied...
Pamphylia, Acts 14:23
Perge, Acts 14:24
Attalia, Acts 14:24
Phoenicia, Acts 15:3
Caesarea, Acts 18:22

"For from you the Word of the Lord has been spread Abroad, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in Every Place Your Faith In GOD Has Gone Forth, so that we need say nothing further." 1Thess 1:8

"Amen I say to you, wherever in the Whole World this Gospel is preached, this also that she has done shall be told in memory of her."
Matt 26:13

"But I say; Have they not heard? Yes, indeed, Their voice has gone forth into All the Earth, and their words Unto the ends of the World."
Rom 10:18

"And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the Whole World, for a witness to All Nations; and then will come the end."
Matt 24:14

"Go, therefore and make disciples of All Nations..."
Matt 28:19

And He said to them, "Go into the Whole World and preach the Gospel to every creature."
Mark 16:15

"But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the preaching by the signs that followed."
Mark 16:20

All Apostles, all having the same One Truth of the Holy Spirit, with all going out into the whole world to convert Jew and Gentile alike into One Church.


Written by Bob Stanley, September 5, 2000

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