Have any of you folks considered these facts(not opinions): The “church” established by Jesus, is spiritual in nature, not some massive, man-made business/political organization. The apostles spread the Gospel and established “churches” which were nothing more than gatherings of believers, usually in their homes. No building funds, no “leaders” dressed up in fancy, gold-embroidered robes, no grand, elaborate ceremonies, not a hint of what corrupt men would create a couple of centuries later. When Muslims decry the horrible slaughter of the “Christian” Crusaders, they are really speaking about Roman Catholic Crusaders, acting for the “Pope”(a completely unknown and unauthorized person/official in the first century). A redeemed believer would not participate in the ruthless murder of the “crusades”. History does not tell us much about the humans who became redeemed followers of Jesus and their descendants, and all those original “churches”, but I believe they continued on(Church of the East, as identified in the Peshitta) and never were a part of the Roman Church, which didn’t really exist as the theopolitical entity known today as the Roman Catholic Church until sometime after the third century. This is merely one of the many man-made organizations Jesus predicted would come in his name.
Have any of you folks considered these facts(not opinions): The “church” established by Jesus, is spiritual in nature, not some massive, man-made business/political organization. The apostles spread the Gospel and established “churches” which were nothing more than gatherings of believers, usually in their homes. No building funds, no “leaders” dressed up in fancy, gold-embroidered robes, no grand, elaborate ceremonies, not a hint of what corrupt men would create a couple of centuries later. When Muslims decry the horrible slaughter of the “Christian” Crusaders, they are really speaking about Roman Catholic Crusaders, acting for the “Pope”(a completely unknown and unauthorized person/official in the first century). A redeemed believer would not participate in the ruthless murder of the “crusades”. History does not tell us much about the humans who became redeemed followers of Jesus and their descendants, and all those original “churches”, but I believe they continued on(Church of the East, as identified in the Peshitta) and never were a part of the Roman Church, which didn’t really exist as the theopolitical entity known today as the Roman Catholic Church until sometime after the third century. This is merely one of the many man-made organizations Jesus predicted would come in his name.