A. It comes from the
Greek word Katholikos, which was later Latinized into Catholicus.
Q. What is the meaning of the word?
A. It means 'Universal', which in
itself means, 'of or relating to, or affecting the entire world and all
peoples therein'. It means, all encompassing, comprehensibly broad, general,
and containing all that is necessary. In summation, it means all people in all places,
having all that is
necessary, and for all time.
Q. But is it Biblical?
A. Yes it is. It is in Matthew 28:19-20, "Go,
therefore and make disciples of all nations...teaching them to observe all
that I have commanded you; And behold, I am with
you all days, even unto
the consummation of the world." That is a statement of Universality,
Katholicos, Catholicus, Catholic.
Q. I have heard that the word 'Catholic' did not come into use for
hundreds of years after Jesus Christ founded His Church.
A. Not true.
The first recorded use of the word that I could find, is in St. Ignatius of
Antioch's letter to the Smyrneans, paragraph 8, of
107 A.D., "Where the Bishop appears, there let the people be, just as where
Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic
Church." Undoubtedly the word was in use before
the time of this writing.
Q. Some say the Catholic Church ended with Constantine (285-337),
with the "Edict of Milan"
which he issued in 313, which allowed the Church to practice openly. Others
say that is when the Church began. Who is right?
A. Neither is right. The
Catholic Church is the true Church founded by Jesus Christ and He guaranteed
its perpetuality, Matthew 28:20, and its unfaltering truth, 1Timothy 3:15.
Now if either of the arguments in the question were true, than don't you
think the Church Fathers would have mentioned it somewhere? Instead, the
Church Fathers mention the Catholic Church by Name in hundreds of their writings and spanning many
centuries. Ask the ones who say these things to show you documented
proof. Here is what Church Fathers had to say. In every case the word
"Catholic" is used. Notice the dates, as they span over a century before and
after Constantine. The JXXXX refers to the paragraph numbers in "The
Faith of the Early Fathers", by William A. Jurgens. Catholic Church...
Ignatius, Letter to the Smyrneans 8:1-2. J65. 106AD
Martyrdom of St. Polycarp 16:2. J77,79,80a,81a, 155AD Clement of
Alexandria, Stromateis 7:17:107:3. J435, 202AD Cyprian, Unity of the
Catholic Church 4-6. J555-557, 251AD Cyprian, Letter to Florentius 66:69:8.
J587, 254AD Lactantius,Divine Institutions 4:30:1. *J637, 304AD
Alexander of Alexandria, Letters 12. J680, 324AD Athanasius, Letter on Council of Nicea 27. J757,
350AD Athanasius, Letter to Serapion 1:28. J782, 359AD Athanasius,
Letter to Council of Rimini 5. J785, 361AD Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical
Lectures 18:1. J836-*839, 350AD Damasus, Decree of Damasus 3. J910u, 382AD
Serapion, The Sacramentary 13:1. J1239a, 350AD Pacian of Barcelona,
Letter to Sympronian 1:4 J1243, 375AD Jerome, Against the Pelagians book 1-2 417
A.D. Augustine, Letter to
Vincent the Rogatist 93:7:23. J1422, 408AD Augustine, Letter to Vitalis
217:5:16. J1456, 427AD Augustine, Psalms 88:2:14, 90:2:1. J1478-1479, 418AD
Augustine, Sermons 2, 267:4. *J1492, *J1523, 430AD Augustine, Sermon to
Catechumens on the Creed 6:14. J1535, 395AD Augustine, The True Religion
7:12+. *J1548, *J1562, J1564, 390AD Augustine, Against the Letter of Mani
4:5. *J1580-1581, 397AD Augustine, Christian Instruction 2:8:12+. *J1584,
J1617, 400AD Augustine, Baptism 4:21:28+. J1629, J1714, J1860a, J1882,
411AD Augustine, Against the Pelagians 2:3:5+. *J1892, *J1898,
421AD Innocent I, Letter to Probus 36. J2017, 417AD Fulgence of Ruspe,
Forgiveness of Sins 1:19:2, J2251-2252, 517AD
The following writings attest to the antiquity of the Catholic Church.
Church Antiquity...
Hermas, The Shepherd Vis 2:4:1. J82 Anonymous 2nd
Letter of Clement to Corinthians 14:2. J105 Clement of Alexandria,
Stromateis 7:17:107:3. J435 Augustine, Letter to Deogratias 102:15. J1428
Augustine, Psalms 90:2:1. J1479 Augustine, Predestination of Saints
9:18. J1985 Gregory I, Letter to John 5:44:18. J2295 595AD
The following writings support the perpetuality of the Catholic Church.
Church Forever...
Clement, Letter to Corinthians 42:1,64. J20,29a 80AD
Anonymous, 2nd letter of Clement to Rome 14:2. J105 Cyprian, Unity of
the Catholic Church 4. J555-556 Cyprian, Letter to the Lapsed 33:27:1. J571
Hilary, The Trinity 7:4. J865 Augustine, Psalms 90:2:1. J1479 Augustine,
Sermon to Catechumens 6:14. J1535
The following writings tell of the founding of the Catholic Church.
Church Founded...
Clement, Letter to Corinthians 42:1. J20 Hermas,
The Shepherd Vis 2:4:1-3:5:1. J82-84 140AD Anonymous, Letter of Clement
14:2. J105 Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3:16:6. J217a Tertullian, Demurrer
Against Heretics 9:3. J289 Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis 7:17:107:3.
J435 202AD Cyprian, Unity of the Catholic Church 4. J555-556 Cyprian,
Letter to the Lapsed 33:27:1. J571 Hilary of Poitiers, The Trinity 7:4. J865
Augustine, Homilies on John 9:10. J1814
The following writings attest to the fact that the Catholic Church was
seated in Rome.
Church Seated in Rome...
Clement, Letter to the Corinthians, Address.
J10a 80AD Ignatius, Letter to the Romans, J52 Irenaeus, Against Heresies
3:3:3. J210-211 Cyprian, Letter to Cornelius 59:55:14. J580 Council of
Constantinople, Canon3. J910d Damasus, Decree of Damasus 3. J910u
Optatus of Melvis, Schism of Donatists 2:2. J1242
The following writings tell of the unity of the Catholic Church.
Church Unity...
Didache 4:3. J1b Ignatius, Letter to the Philadelphians
3:2. J56 Tertullian, Demurrer Against Heretics 20:4. J292 Cyprian, Unity
of the Catholic Church 4. J555-556
The following writings attest to the 'Universality' of the Catholic
Church. The Catholic Church is
truly 'Universal' as its name implies.
Church Universal...
Didache, 9:1,10:1. J6,7 Clement, Letter to
Corinthians 5:1. J11 Ignatius, Letter to the Ephesians 3:2. J38
Martyrdom of St. Polycarp, Address. J77,79,81a Hermas, The Shepherd Par
9:17:4. J93 Anonymous, Letter to Diogenetus 6:1. J97a Aristides of
Athens, Apology 15. J112 Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 110. J144
Irenaeus, Against Heresies 1:10:1. J191,192,215,257 The Muratorian
Fragment. J268 Tertullian, Against the Jews 7:4. J320a Clement of
Alexandria, Exhortation Greeks 10:110:1. J405 Cyril of Jerusalem,
Catechetical Lectures 18:23. J838 Damasus, Decree of Damasus 3. J910u
Written by Bob Stanley, October 9, 1998 Updated December
3, 2003
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