Fragmentation of Protestant churches evidence of Rome’s apostolicity?

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The Protestant churches are fragmented into tens of thousands of denominations, while the Roman Catholic Church has always formed a unity as an apostolic institution. This accusation cannot be dismissed out of hand. However, this discrepancy did not arise out of the blue and certainly not during the dumbfounded-looking and inactive Church of Rome.

Around 35,000 denominations

If there is one statement from the Roman Catholic Church that one can agree with, it is the statement that the “world of Protestantism” is divided into over 35,000 denominations. The numbers vary between 30,000 and 45,000, but this is just a variation within the amazing. The Roman Church itself stands out because it has always existed as a unit with a uniform dogma over many centuries. This is apostolic proof that the Roman Catholic Church was the community founded by Jesus Christ and that the Pope is the successor to the Apostle Paul.

But it is not absolute unity either

However, this claim that there was always a unity is not entirely correct on the part of the Roman Church. One only needs to look around in the eastern parts of Europe, in northeast Africa and in the Orient. The so-called Byzantine or Orthodox churches were not necessarily friendly towards the Roman Church over the centuries.

The dispute over various dogmas and, above all, the Bishop of Rome’s claim to power continued formally within a unified church for many years. An agreement could not be found and acceptance of the Pope in Rome as head of the church was refused in the Byzantium area. The “Oriental Schism,” also called the “Great Schism,” occurred in 1054. The church separated into the Western and Eastern Churches, or into the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

However, the Eastern Church did not remain in a unified form. There was a division into several patriarchies. This means that the Catholic Church formed by the “founding fathers” has by no means remained the unity that is propagated today.

Predominant reasons for this “unity”

The main reason why the Roman Catholic Church remained a unity and did not break up into numerous denominations may simply be that any deviation from the dogma set by Rome was branded as heresy. Such an accusation usually resulted in excommunication and, not infrequently, death at the stake.

The Church of Rome showed such ambitions to enforce its own teachings with all its might very early on. At the Council of Constantinople in 381, not only questions of faith but also powers were redefined. At this time, the Roman emperor still had the say in the area of ​​churches. But that changed suddenly when Emperor Gratian converted to Christianity.

“Pontifex Maximus” went to Bishop of Rome

In contrast to the Emperor Constantine, this can even be considered credible, because Gratian gave the title of “Pontifex Maximus” to the Bishop of Rome, Siridus. A title of the worshipful “supreme bridge builder” handed down from pagan Babylon. Gratian, now a Christian, could no longer do anything with this pagan title and thus renounced the pretense of allowing himself to be worshiped as a god. A practice that has been common since the time of Emperor Julius Caesar. After the Council of Constantinople, this title was held by the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. Only 4 years later, in 385, the first pyres burned in Trier to execute “heretics”.

Deviation declared as heresy

The elimination of those who dissented from Roman teachings were anything but frequent isolated cases. The extermination took place institutionally and was directed not only against individual delinquents, but also against entire ethnic groups. The Albigensians, Waldensians and Huguenots are the most prominent examples of military campaigns of extermination. The originals of the Gospel were still available to them. A relic that the church generally punished with death, because possession, distribution, translation, even in part, was strictly forbidden to the common people. What the priest shouted from the pulpit had to be believed.

It was only with the Reformation in 1517 that the Roman Church’s monopoly of interpretation changed. Efforts to destroy Protestantism and the associated spread of the gospel multiplied. Ignatius of Loyola in particular felt called to do this. He founded the Jesuit order in 1534 and received the “blessing” of the Pope in 1540.

True character was still shown

Such a sad climax in the eradication of believers committed to the Gospel rather than Catholic dogmas was marked on St. Bartholomew’s Eve. On the night of August 23-24, 1572, mass murder was committed against the Huguenots in Paris, France. That night around 3,000 people were slaughtered in Paris and in the following days around 10,000 people across the country fell victim to this bloodbath.

At that time, the papacy, which today was so hypocritically concerned with peace and brotherhood, still openly showed its true character. Pope Gregory The massacre needed to be acknowledged and that is why Pope Gregory commissioned the artist Giorgio Vasari to create three wall paintings in the Sala Regia. Almost a month after St. Bartholomew’s Night, the Pope organized a joint celebration on September 11, 1572 because of his joy at the murder of the Huguenot leader, Admiral Gaspard de Coligny.

“Charity” exemplified today

At this point one could accuse the Roman Church of a lack of Christian charity. But this would be pointless, because the Roman Catholic Church only has a superficial connection with Christianity (v constitutional – priesthood).

Today the papacy practices exemplifying and exemplifying morality in the obligation of human dignity. With a sweetly crooning tone, the pontiff tells us something about the brotherhood we live with one another to “preserve creation.” Murder and manslaughter just didn’t work anymore. Now the strategy of “tender seduction” counts. The main thing is that people get as far away from the gospel as possible (Info).

Changing thinking

If you cut down everything that doesn’t fit into the self-defined corridor, it’s no wonder that the number of “Catholic denominations” has remained extremely small. However, it remains astonishing that tens of thousands of different faiths could arise with one gospel as a basis. The Church of Rome cannot wash its hands of this development either.

The motto: “If the Bible can no longer be suppressed, then people’s thinking must be changed.” The Jesuit order plays an extremely important role here. Their thought patterns and view of the real world spread to all levels of school education. Even in the later Middle Ages, the elite schools were mostly in the hands of the Loyola Brotherhood. In the 18th century the “great poets, thinkers and enlighteners” sprouted like mushrooms. Human reason in the light of humanism should replace the gospel.

The French Revolution, another such unspeakable bloodbath, was a cornerstone of history. The Bible describes this event in Revelation chapter 11. A type that will repeat itself on a global scale as an anti-type. Already clearly visible today. After the (temporary) victory of reason, Protestantism began its steep decline.

Beginning of the fall of Protestantism

One of the victims of Jesuit education according to relativism and scholasticism was the German theologian Johann Salomo Semler. The quasi figurehead of scientific biblical criticism. The basis for the interpretation of the Bible that has been maintained to this day, as it comes to mind. “Enlightened rational theology” a la Nathan Söderblom (Info). At that time the foundation stone was laid for the formation of many “new” Protestant churches, the so-called New Protestantism.

Admixtures of Jesuit fantasies

These numerous interpretations of the Gospel are also mixed with the inspiration of Jesuit ideas. This applies in particular to the strange but widespread theses about a pre-rapture of the Christian community before the 7-year period of tribulation begins with the appearance of the “Antichrist”, and then Jesus Christ will come to establish his 1000-year kingdom of peace on earth build. Sorry, but that’s nonsense.

The inspiration for these “Alice in Wonderland” stories was once again provided by Jesuits. These include Francis Ribera, Robert Bellarmine and Manuel Lacunza. They are the architects of these alleged events in the (near) future. These Jesuit fairy tales were integrated into Protestantism by the Presbyterian Edward Irving and widely spread by the founder of the Brethren movement, John Nelson Darby (details – here).

In order to keep people really engaged in their dispute according to Hegelian dialectics, another priest, Luis del Alcázar, sat down and invented preterism. He claimed that the Antichrist had already come and was personified by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. By the way, Alcázar was a Jesuit.

Test everything, keep the good

These stories can only hold up as long as there is no critical look at the gospel. It is precisely into this pronounced weakness of people, lemming-like naivety, disinterest in the truth, distraction and complacency, as well as the erroneous equation of majority opinion and truth, that the Jesuit scholastics stumbled upon with their adventurous apocalyptic novels. The very claim that Jesus will establish a kingdom on earth after his coming can easily be refuted based on the Bible (Info).

The renewed use of violence by the Roman Catholic Church to keep people from the truth of the Gospel no longer appears necessary. Things are “running like clockwork” and the dynamic of misleading information is gaining momentum. The new religion has already been defined and describes the “salvation of the screaming earth” and its unhinged climate. For this to happen, the human family must be united (Info).

Individual people are responsible for themselves

Every person is responsible for themselves. Everyone decides completely individually which dogmas they want to follow and whether they personally check the truth of a teaching based on the Bible. The work of the Holy Spirit (Info), the uncovering of sins and the awakening of the conscience, cannot be ignored and fended off as often as desired. At some point the doors are closed and then there is no way left open.

Bible verses from King James Version