Origin of the name
“Catholic
Church”
The Church has been Catholic from the 1st century. The English word Catholic is a transliteration of the Greek katholikos which is a compound word from “kata” which means according to, and “holos” which means whole. http://www.catholic.com/tracts/what-catholic-means
So one THEN can ask, where does kata holos appear in scripture and particularly kata holos ekklesia ? [We see it in the following verse.]
Acts 9:31 the church throughout all [Greek: ἐκκλησία,καθ’,ὅλης ,τῆς ] Judea and Galilee and Sama'ria..." = Kataholos Church.
ἐκκλησία = ekklésia = Church
καθ’ : kata = according to
ὅλης : holos = whole, complete
τῆς : ho, hé, to = the
Ignatius was Bishop of Antioch from ~69 a.d. to ~107 a.d. He was ordained by the apostles, and was a direct disciple of St John. It was in Antioch where the disciples were first called Christian Acts 11:26 . And Ignatius in his writings uses both "Christian" and "Catholic Church" in his writings.
Also see Irenaeus "Against Heresies" [Bk 3, Chapter 3, v 1]
Jesus started one Church. The Catholic Church. He gave all His promises to His Church. Jesus does NOT approve of division John 17:20-23 , and since the HS only teaches what comes from Jesus John 16:12-15 no one can say the HS inspired them to divide from the Catholic Church especially when considering the scandal of all the division we see today outside the Church. As you can see from the links above from Paul, which ultimately came from Jesus, division is condemned as are those who do it and remain in it. For 2000 years division from the Catholic Church has been condemned. There is no expiration date to that warning.
A very humble scholar from Catholic.com forums named steve b has provided the above information and he has allowed me to re post it above. And I thank him for that.
The Church has been Catholic from the 1st century. The English word Catholic is a transliteration of the Greek katholikos which is a compound word from “kata” which means according to, and “holos” which means whole. http://www.catholic.com/tracts/what-catholic-means
So one THEN can ask, where does kata holos appear in scripture and particularly kata holos ekklesia ? [We see it in the following verse.]
Acts 9:31 the church throughout all [Greek: ἐκκλησία,καθ’,ὅλης ,τῆς ] Judea and Galilee and Sama'ria..." = Kataholos Church.
ἐκκλησία = ekklésia = Church
καθ’ : kata = according to
ὅλης : holos = whole, complete
τῆς : ho, hé, to = the
Ignatius was Bishop of Antioch from ~69 a.d. to ~107 a.d. He was ordained by the apostles, and was a direct disciple of St John. It was in Antioch where the disciples were first called Christian Acts 11:26 . And Ignatius in his writings uses both "Christian" and "Catholic Church" in his writings.
- St Ignatius, uses Christian (ch 2) and Catholic Church (ch 8) Epistle to the Smyrnæans of which schismatics won't be going to heaven Epistle to the Philadelphians (ch 3) . As an aside, where would Ignatius learn to teach that warning and corresponding consequence for one's soul, for commiting and remaining in the sin of schism / division from the Catholic Church? Paul condemned division / dissention from the Church Romans 16:17-20 , Galatians 5:19-21 and Jesus does NOT approve of division in His Church John 17:20-23, and since the HS only teaches what comes from Jesus John 16:12-15 no one can say the HS inspired all the division we see today in Christianity. There is no expiration date to that warning and condemnation
- St Polycarp, Bp Smyrna, disciple of St John called the Church the "Catholic Church" The Martyrdom of Polycarp
- Muratorian canon http://www.earlychristianwritings.co...uratoria n.html uses authority of “Catholic Church”
- Irenaeus ~180 a.d. wrote "Against Heresies" called the Church the "Catholic Church" Adversus haereses [Bk 1 Chapter 10 v 3], and also Irenaeus who was taught by Polycarp, teaches all must agree with Rome [Bk 3, Chapter 3, v 2-3]
- Cyprian~250 a.d. calls the Church the Catholic Church Epistle 54
- The Nicene Creed, 325 a.d., it's a matter of faith to believe in the "One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church"
- Augustine ~395 There are many other things that most justly keep me in her [i.e. the Catholic Church's] bosom. . . . 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.Against the Epistle of Manichaeus Called Fundamental (ch 5 v6)
- etc
Also see Irenaeus "Against Heresies" [Bk 3, Chapter 3, v 1]
Jesus started one Church. The Catholic Church. He gave all His promises to His Church. Jesus does NOT approve of division John 17:20-23 , and since the HS only teaches what comes from Jesus John 16:12-15 no one can say the HS inspired them to divide from the Catholic Church especially when considering the scandal of all the division we see today outside the Church. As you can see from the links above from Paul, which ultimately came from Jesus, division is condemned as are those who do it and remain in it. For 2000 years division from the Catholic Church has been condemned. There is no expiration date to that warning.
A very humble scholar from Catholic.com forums named steve b has provided the above information and he has allowed me to re post it above. And I thank him for that.
