How Did Catholicism Start?

Summary

This video script delves into the origins of Catholicism, tracing its roots to early Christianity and the life of Jesus Christ. It explores the dual nature of Jesus, his teachings, and the gradual spread of Christianity beyond Jewish communities, facilitated by figures like Paul and pivotal events like the Council of Jerusalem. The script also examines the role of Emperor Constantine in legitimizing and unifying the faith, leading to the establishment of the Roman Catholic Church and its enduring doctrines and traditions.

Takeaways

• 🏰 The Catholic Church, nearly 2,000 years old, is considered one of the oldest institutions in the world, with its roots in early Christianity.
• 👑 The Church views itself as a continuation of early Christianity, though this claim is disputed by some non-Catholic theologians and historians.
• 🕊️ Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is central to Catholicism, believed to have a dual nature—both divine and human—which symbolizes the religious growth of humanity.
• 📅 Jesus Christ is thought to have been born between 6 and 4 BCE, during the reign of the first Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus.
• 🛑 Jesus' public ministry, which lasted about three years, is considered the most profound period in the history of Christianity and Catholicism.
• 📖 The Gospels, written by the Four Evangelists, aimed to persuade readers of Jesus's divine nature rather than provide a historically accurate biography.
• 🌏 Early Christianity began as a sect within Judaism, with the apostles spreading a new thought within the existing faith, not a new faith itself.
• 🕊️ The concept of resurrection was not new in Judaism, and early Christians saw Jesus's resurrection as giving new meaning to their beliefs.
• 🌟 Paul, with his Pauline epistles, played a significant role in shaping early Christianity, making it more accessible to non-Jews by removing Jewish characteristics from the faith.
• 🏛 The Council of Jerusalem in 50 CE was pivotal in addressing the issue of Gentiles in the Christian community, with Peter advocating for their inclusion.
• 🗝️ The Roman Catholic Church claims its establishment dates back to the time of Jesus Christ, but some historians argue it was founded by Constantine in the 4th century.

Q & A

What is the significance of the Catholic Church in terms of its historical age?

The Catholic Church is one of the oldest institutions in the world, with its roots dating back almost 2,000 years.

How does the Catholic tradition view its relationship to early Christianity?

The Catholic tradition sees itself as a continuation of early Christianity, rather than a branch or successor to it, although this claim is disputed by some non-Catholic theologians and historians.

What is the dual nature of Jesus Christ as described in the script?

Jesus Christ is described as having a dual nature: a divine one as the eternal Son of the Father and a human one as Jesus of Nazareth, symbolizing the religious growth of humanity.

What historical period is Jesus Christ believed to have been born in?

Jesus Christ is believed to have been born between 6 and 4 BCE in Bethlehem, Judea, during the reign of the first Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus.

How long did Jesus's public mission last, and what is its significance?

Jesus's public mission lasted for about three years, which is considered the most profound period in the history of the Christian religion and Catholicism.

What was the composition of the group Jesus chose as his apostles and disciples?

Jesus chose twelve apostles and seventy (sometimes seventy-two) disciples, who were common people such as illiterate fishermen and field workers, not scholars or leaders.

Why were the Gospels written, and what was their main goal?

The Gospels were written to persuade readers of Jesus's divine nature, rather than to provide a biographical and historically accurate account of his life.

What event marked the beginning of the Christian faith, and how did it differ from Judaism?

The act of resurrection marked the beginning of the Christian faith, which initially was a branch of Judaism but with a new meaning and clarity to their religious sentiment.

Who is considered the most important individual of the Apostolic Age, and why?

Paul is considered the most important individual of the Apostolic Age due to his significant contributions to the New Testament, including fourteen of the twenty-seven books, known as the Pauline epistles.

What was the Council of Jerusalem's main goal, and what was its outcome regarding the Gentiles?

The Council of Jerusalem aimed to resolve the issue of the Gentiles. It decided to allow them exemption from some Jewish laws but not others, reflecting a compromise between traditionalists and the new faith.

How did the Roman Empire's stance on Christianity evolve from the time of its persecution to the Edict of Milan?

Initially, the Roman Empire perceived Christianity as a threat and persecuted its followers. However, with the Edict of Milan in 313, Emperor Constantine and Licinius granted Christians complete religious tolerance and the freedom to practice their faith openly.

What was the First Council of Nicaea, and what was its significance in the history of the Catholic Church?

The First Council of Nicaea, held in 325, was the first general ecumenical council of the Roman Empire's bishops, convened by Emperor Constantine. It aimed to address and unify Christian doctrine, marking a significant step in the formalization of the Catholic Church.

What are the three doctrines upon which the church built its structure in the 2nd century?

The church built its structure on the doctrines of the bishops (as the apostles' direct successors), the canonical Scripture, and the authoritative Creed.

Why did the Roman Church claim supremacy among other churches, and how did it gain power?

The Roman Church claimed supremacy because it was considered the seat of Saints Paul and Peter. Its power increased significantly when Christianity was adopted by the Roman emperors, especially Constantine, who used his authority to support the church.

What is the debate regarding the founding of the Catholic Church, and what are the different perspectives?

The debate on the founding of the Catholic Church centers around different perspectives: some point to the unification of the state and the church by Constantine, others draw a papal lineage from Peter and the Church fathers, and some historians suggest that the Catholic Church was founded in the 4th century, not by the apostles.

Outlines

00:00

🛐 Origins of Catholicism and Jesus Christ's Dual Nature

The video script explores the origins of Catholicism, tracing its roots back to the early Christian era and the life of Jesus Christ, who is considered the Messiah by Catholics. It delves into the belief of Jesus having both divine and human natures, symbolizing the religious growth of humanity. The script mentions the limited knowledge about Jesus's childhood and the significant role of his public mission, which lasted only three years but laid the foundation for Christian beliefs. It also highlights the importance of the Four Evangelists in recording the collective memory of the Christian communities, which later shaped the Catholic Church.

05:00

📜 The Spread of Christianity and the Council of Jerusalem

This paragraph discusses the gradual spread of Christianity, initially among Jewish communities and later to Gentiles, with a significant milestone in Antioch. It emphasizes the role of Paul in shaping the faith, removing its Jewish characteristics to make it more universal. The Council of Jerusalem in 50 CE is highlighted for its decision to exempt Gentiles from some Jewish laws, a move that was controversial among traditionalists. The paragraph also touches on the importance of Peter as the foundation of the Catholic Church and the concept of the Pope as the apostolic successor to Peter.

10:05

🏛 The Roman Empire's Influence on Christianity

The script describes the Roman Empire's pivotal role in the development of Christianity, particularly with Emperor Constantine's influence. It outlines the Edict of Milan in 313, which granted religious tolerance and allowed Christians to freely practice their faith. Constantine's own conversion to Christianity and his efforts to unify the state with the church are detailed, along with the First Council of Nicaea in 325, which aimed to resolve theological disputes. The paragraph concludes with the ongoing debate about the exact start of Catholicism, suggesting different viewpoints based on historical interpretations and the belief in the continuity of the faith from Jesus Christ.

Keywords

💡Catholic Church

The Catholic Church is one of the oldest and largest religious institutions in the world, with a history spanning almost 2,000 years. It is central to the video's theme as it discusses the origins and development of Catholicism. The script mentions the Church's claim to be a continuation of early Christianity and its perceived beginning with Jesus Christ.

💡Early Christianity

Early Christianity refers to the Christian movement during the first few centuries AD, before it became the dominant religion of the Roman Empire. It is a key concept in the video as it explores the roots of Catholicism and the claim of the Catholic tradition to be a direct continuation of this early form of the faith.

💡Messiah

In the context of the video, the Messiah refers to Jesus Christ, who is considered by Catholics to be the savior of humanity and the central figure of their faith. The term is significant as it highlights the religious significance of Jesus in the establishment of Catholicism.

💡Dual Nature

The concept of dual nature in the video refers to the belief that Jesus Christ has both a divine nature as the Son of God and a human nature as Jesus of Nazareth. This is a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith and is integral to understanding the theological basis of Catholicism.

💡Apostles

The Apostles were the twelve main disciples chosen by Jesus Christ, who played a crucial role in spreading his teachings after his death. In the video, they are depicted as common people, not scholars or leaders, emphasizing the inclusive nature of early Christian preaching.

💡Resurrection

Resurrection in the video refers to the event when Jesus Christ rose from the dead, which is a central tenet of Christian belief and a turning point in the establishment of Christianity as a distinct faith. The script mentions that this event gave new meaning to the religious sentiment of the early Christians.

💡Pauline Epistles

The Pauline Epistles are a collection of letters in the New Testament attributed to the Apostle Paul. They are significant in the video as they represent a major portion of the New Testament and were instrumental in shaping early Christian doctrine and spreading the faith among non-Jews.

💡Council of Jerusalem

The Council of Jerusalem, as discussed in the video, was an early Christian council that addressed the issue of Gentile conversion to Christianity and their adherence to Jewish law. The decision made at this council was pivotal in the development of the early Christian Church.

💡Papacy

The Papacy refers to the office and authority of the Pope, who is considered the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church and the successor of Saint Peter. The video touches on the concept of the Pope as the apostolic successor and its significance in the governance and continuity of the Catholic Church.

💡Constantine the Great

Constantine the Great was a Roman Emperor who played a significant role in the spread of Christianity by granting religious tolerance with the Edict of Milan and convening the First Council of Nicaea. The video discusses his impact on the Christian Church and the debate over whether he founded the Catholic Church.

💡First Council of Nicaea

The First Council of Nicaea was the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church, convened by Emperor Constantine. The video highlights its importance in addressing theological disputes and unifying the Christian Church, although it also mentions the ongoing disunity that persisted.

Highlights

The Catholic Church is one of the oldest institutions in the world, with a history almost 2,000 years old.

Catholicism is considered by its followers to be a continuation of early Christianity, not a branch or successor.

Non-Catholic theologians and historians dispute the Catholic Church's claim to be a direct continuation of early Christianity.

The perceived beginning of Catholicism is associated with Jesus Christ, who is considered the Messiah by his followers.

Jesus Christ is believed to have a dual nature, both divine and human, symbolizing the religious growth of humanity.

Jesus Christ's birth is estimated to have occurred between 6 and 4 BCE during the reign of Caesar Augustus.

The Gospels, written by the Four Evangelists, aimed to persuade readers of Jesus's divine nature rather than providing a historically accurate biography.

The Christian faith began with the resurrection of Jesus, which gave new meaning to the religious sentiment of early Christians.

Early Christianity was initially a sect within Judaism, with followers remaining faithful to the Temple and Judaic law.

The spread of Christianity to non-Jewish communities began in Antioch, marking a significant shift in the religion's reach.

Paul is a key figure in the Apostolic Age, authoring fourteen books in the New Testament, known as the Pauline epistles.

The Council of Jerusalem in 50 CE aimed to resolve the issue of Gentile inclusion within the Christian faith.

Peter is considered a foundational figure in Catholicism, with the Pope seen as the apostolic successor to him.

The Roman Catholic Church claims to have been established 50 days after the crucifixion, on Pentecost.

The Edict of Milan in 313 granted Christians freedom to practice their religion and retrieve their property.

The First Council of Nicaea in 325 was an ecumenical council convened by Emperor Constantine to address church unity.

The origins of Catholicism are a matter of dispute, with varying viewpoints on when and how it started.

Catholicism's history is detailed in the book 'Catholic History: A Captivating Guide to the History of the Catholic Church'.

Transcripts

The almost 2,000-year-old Catholic Church is  one of the oldest institutions in the world.

The Catholic tradition considers itself a  continuation – not a branch or successor – to  

early Christianity. Still, some non-Catholic  theologians and historians dispute this claim.  

For the sake of this video, we shall  start at the perceived beginning of  

Catholicism by its followers,  which lay with its Messiah,  

Jesus Christ. We shall also explore the  beginning of the Roman Catholic Church,  

which many non-Catholic sects of Christianity  claim to be the foundation of Catholicism. 

According to Saint John, Jesus Christ is the  eternal Son of the Father because his nature is  

divine, and his purpose is the preservation of the  world. But the Son of God also has a human nature  

in which he is simply Jesus of Nazareth.  As such, his purpose is to symbolize the  

religious growth of humanity. Thus, Jesus has  a dual nature, a divine one and a human one.  

When unified in one person, these natures create  the perfect man, the ideal of virtue and piety. 

Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem  in Judea sometime between 6 and 4  

BCE. It is widely believed that he was born  during the reign of the first Roman emperor,  

Caesar Augustus. We know little to nothing  about the childhood of Jesus Christ,  

but there are apocryphal gospels that try to fill  the void. Jesus started his public mission around  

the age of thirty and was inaugurated as the  Messiah by baptism, performed by John the Baptist.  

But his public work lasted for only about three  years. The most profound meaning of the history  

of the Christian religion – and, subsequently,  Catholicism – is condensed in these three years. 

Jesus was a Jew, and he was introduced to Jewish  teachings. His teachings never left the sphere of  

Jewish beliefs, but he expanded on them and gave  them a new meaning. He chose twelve apostles,  

also Jews, and seventy (sometimes seventy-two)  Gentile disciples – Gentiles do not practice  

the Jewish faith. They were all common people,  illiterate fishermen, and field workers. He did  

not choose scholars and leaders, nor did he preach  to mainly wealthy and powerful individuals. His  

world revolved around the low-born – of sinners,  thieves, and betrayers. He traveled through  

Palestine and the towns and villages north of the  Sea of Galilee, teaching with power and authority  

that gave him the people’s unconditional obedience  and love. He had no previous training on how to  

teach, and he had to rely on his intuition and  experience to shape the minds of his disciples.  

The culmination of Christ’s mission came  with his entrance into the city of Jerusalem.  

By this time, he already had a reputation  of being a political and religious agitator,  

especially among the Romans. Much of what we know about  

Jesus and his life comes from the Gospels  written by the Four Evangelists – Mark,  

Mathew, Luke, and John. The main goal of the  Gospels was not to record a biographical and  

historically accurate account of Jesus’s life  but to persuade readers of his divine nature.  

The Gospels were written some forty years  – some even say seventy years – after the  

death of Jesus Christ. Their authors never  claimed to know the life of their Messiah.  

They simply wrote down what remained in the  collective memory of the Christian communities. 

It is this collective memory that lived on to  form the Catholic Church. The Christian faith  

began with the act of resurrection. Before that,  Jesus was regarded as the Messiah of an already  

existing faith, Judaism. But early Christianity  wasn’t anything like we know it in the modern-day.  

It was still just a branch of Judaism, and its  followers were members of an apocalyptic messianic  

Jewish sect. Resurrection was not a new concept  in Judaism, so early Christians did not see  

themselves as followers of a different faith. They  only thought that Jesus’s resurrection gave a new  

meaning and clarity to their religious sentiment.  It is essential to understand that at this point,  

Christianity was still not a religion on its  own; it was a sect within Judaism. Therefore,  

the apostles didn’t spread a new faith but rather  a new thought within the already existing one.  

The apostles and their followers remained  faithful to the Temple and Judaic law. But  

not all Jewish leaders welcomed this new sect and  the belief that Jesus was the promised Messiah. 

The spread of Christianity was not an explosive  event. Instead, it occurred gradually. At first,  

it came to the Jewish communities around  the Mediterranean Sea. As they began fearing  

persecution in Jerusalem, the apostles  spread their faith in other countries.  

When the first Christians reached Antioch,  an ancient Greek city in modern-day Turkey,  

the spread of the church exploded and changed the  history of the world. This was one of the first  

places where the Gentiles were baptized, and the  faith spread out of the closed Jewish communities. 

Paul is regarded as the most important individual  of the Apostolic Age. The New Testament has  

twenty-seven books, of which Paul authored  fourteen. These are known as the Pauline epistles.  

Some of these were most likely written by his  students in his name, but at least seven of them  

have been authenticated as being Paul’s work. To appeal to the non-Jews, Paul stripped the  

Gospels of all Jewish characteristics and  made them more attractive to everyone. Paul  

saw Christianity as a liberation from  the strict laws of the Jewish faith,  

and he believed that it was enough to  have faith in Jesus to receive salvation. 

Around 50 CE, the Council of Jerusalem was  summoned. The main goal was to resolve the issue  

of the Gentiles once and for all. Surprisingly,  Peter spoke positively about the Gentiles,  

expressing his belief that both Jews and non-Jews  were granted “salvation” through the grace  

of Jesus. Peter is an important figure in the  Christian faith; Jesus granted him preeminence,  

so he is seen as the bedrock of the Catholic  institution. In fact, the bishop of Rome – also  

known as the Pope – is considered the apostolic  successor to Peter. The Council of Jerusalem  

decided to allow the Gentiles exemption from some  Jewish laws but not others. Many traditionalists  

were content, but some refuted the decision. The Roman Tribune arrested Paul, thus saving  

his life from conservative Jews. Saint Paul  appealed to Emperor Nero to transfer him to Rome.  

Pagan Rome could not allow the spread  of a new, uniform version of Judaism.  

They perceived it as a threat not only to their  religious values but to the status-quo as well.  

Paul was eventually sentenced to death  in Rome and was beheaded. However,  

Christianity had continued to spread, and by the  end of the 1st century, it was a well-established  

faith. As for the exact date of the Catholic  faith, that remains a matter of some dispute. 

According to the Catholic tradition, the Catholic  Church was established exactly 50 days after the  

crucifixion – on Pentecost. For the first 60 or so  years, it was referred to as the Way, but by the  

beginning of the 2nd century, the word Catholic  started finding its way into the zeitgeist.  

One of the earliest usages of the word come  from a letter written by Saint Ignatius in 108.  

So, they consider the Apostolic Age  a purview of the Catholic Church. 

Some historians suggest otherwise, claiming  that Constantine founded the Catholic Church.  

This school of thought believes that there is  no clear lineage from the apostles to the Pope  

and that the problem of the “Great Apostasy,”  which was emphasized in the Lutheran Reformation,  

was present even during the first  and second centuries. Furthermore,  

the first official Catholic Church was the Roman  Catholic Church, founded in the 4th century. 

The spread of Christianity among pagans -  though it was persecuted during the previous  

three centuries - was quite the phenomenon. There  are different theories as to what contributed to  

this spread. A popular claim is that its disregard  for the status quo made it famous. In other words,  

Christianity owes its success to the love it  preached. The Christians devoted themselves not  

only to the rich but also to the workers, slaves,  sinners, prisoners, soldiers, travelers, orphans,  

widows, and anyone in peril and need. Christianity  had a morally higher ground, but it did not boast  

about it. It was a religion of peace and love.  Many converted pagans, among them philosophers  

Tatian and Justin, admitted that they were  attracted to Christianity because of its morals. 

While there was a hierarchy for the missionaries,  apostles, and other officials of the Christian  

Church, it had become a well-defined system by  the 2nd century with authorities such as bishops,  

priests, and deacons. This organization came  in the form of the monarchical episcopate,  

shortly after the First Epistle of Clement. The  church built its structure on three doctrines:  

the bishops (who were the apostles’  direct successors), the canonical  

Scripture, and the authoritative Creed. Over the years, the Church of Rome had raised  

itself above the other churches because it claimed  to be the seat of Saints Paul and Peter. It became  

even more powerful when Christianity was adopted  by the Roman emperors, especially Constantine.  

In 313, he met with Licinius, who ruled part  of the empire, and pressured him into agreeing  

on complete religious tolerance. The Edict of  Milan, which allowed Christians to be free and  

retrieve all of their property and preach their  religion as they saw fit, was a major milestone. 

Gradually, Constantine started suppressing  paganism. In his early days, he still acted  

as the supreme pontiff of the pagan religion,  and he paid homage to the sun god. But later,  

he started publicly displaying Christian  symbols and imposing various restrictions  

on pagan ceremonies and rituals. According to  tradition, he converted to Christianity in 312.  

Constantine’s genuine acceptance of Christians  would only come once he began identifying the  

state’s interests as being the same as the  church’s interests. He hoped to achieve the unity  

of the state and the church, and he would use his  imperial power to meddle in religious affairs. 

In 324, Constantine became the  sole ruler of the entire empire.  

In 325, the emperor gathered more than two hundred  of the empire’s bishops in the first general  

ecumenical council known as the First Council of  Nicaea. He took a personal interest in the debate  

and even joined the council on a few occasions.  But it seemed that the matter wouldn’t be easily  

settled, and it continued to bring disunity in  the church until the death of Constantine in 337. 

The answer to “when did Catholicism start”  will be different depending on who you ask.  

Some will point to Constantine’s  unification of the state and the church,  

while others draw a papal lineage from Peter and  the Church fathers. There is no simple answer,  

and it is a multifaceted question that  people have argued about for centuries.  

Just like any other religion, there is no absolute  common ground. The Catholics believe their church  

was founded by none other than Jesus Christ, and  they draw their spirit from the ancient period  

and the tradition of the early centuries. The  popes felt it was their duty to preserve the  

purity of the faith. The only way they knew how  to do that was by preserving the old doctrines,  

dogmas, and traditions. Others claim that  Catholicism as a branch may have emerged anywhere  

between the first and fourth centuries but that  it did not derive from the Messiah himself. 

To learn more about how Catholicism  started, check out our book:  

Catholic History: A Captivating Guide  to the History of the Catholic Church,  

Starting with the Teachings of Jesus  Christ Through the Roman Empire and  

Middle Ages to the Present. It’s available  as an e-book, paperback, and audiobook. Also,  

grab your free mythology bundle e-book while it’s  still available. All links are in the description.  

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