As a modern-day Catholic, I observe with a heavy heart the diverse landscape of contemporary Christianity. While the vibrant faith and dedication of many Protestant communities are commendable, there are significant deviations from the teachings and traditions that were established by Jesus Christ and His apostles. This divergence has led to fragmentation and doctrinal discrepancies that challenge the unity Christ intended for His Church.
To offer insight into these concerns, I present a letter written from the perspective of a (fictitious) Catholic Christian in the early church. This letter, drawing upon the wisdom of the early Church Fathers, highlights how the early Church perceived the unity and purity of faith, and how some practices and beliefs in today’s Protestant communities resemble the heresies that the early Christians diligently fought against. May this letter serve as a call to reflect upon and seek a deeper unity in the Body of Christ.
Greetings in Christ,
I, a humble follower of the Way in the first century, extend my heartfelt salutations to you, a shepherd of God’s flock in these latter days. As I pen these words, I am compelled by love and concern for the unity of Christ’s body to address the divergence I perceive between the faith once delivered to the saints and some practices and teachings present in your community.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of our faith, established His Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Himself as the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). In those early days, we were guided by the apostolic teachings, adhering closely to the doctrine, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayers (Acts 2:42). The unity and continuity of this sacred tradition were paramount, ensuring that we remained steadfast in the faith and unbroken in our communion with one another.
In the writings of Ignatius of Antioch, a bishop and martyr, he emphasizes the importance of unity and adherence to the bishop, whom he saw as a guarantor of the Church’s fidelity to apostolic teaching. In his letter to the Smyrnaeans, he wrote, “Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be; as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church” (Ignatius, Letter to the Smyrnaeans, 8:2). This underscores the necessity of hierarchical and sacramental unity, which seems to be lacking in many modern ecclesial communities.
Furthermore, the Didache, an early Christian treatise, provides insight into the practices and beliefs of the early Church. It speaks of the importance of the Eucharist, baptism, and maintaining the moral teachings handed down by the apostles. The Didache reminds us to “assemble on the Lord’s day, and break bread and offer the Eucharist; but first make confession of your faults, so that your sacrifice may be a pure one” (Didache 14:1).
Irenaeus of Lyons, in his work Against Heresies, firmly attested to the necessity of maintaining the apostolic tradition handed down through the bishops. He wrote, “It is within the power of all, therefore, in every Church, who may wish to see the truth, to contemplate clearly the tradition of the apostles manifested throughout the whole world; and we are in a position to reckon up those who were by the apostles instituted bishops in the Churches, and [to demonstrate] the succession of these men to our own times” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3:3:1).
Yet, it grieves my heart to witness the fragmentation and doctrinal variances that characterize much of the modern Protestant world. The early Church was marked by a profound unity in doctrine, worship, and authority, a unity that has been significantly eroded. Practices such as the ordination of women, the rejection of the sacramental nature of the Eucharist, and the dismissal of apostolic succession and the authority of bishops are far removed from the foundations laid by Christ and His apostles.
Consider the words of Clement of Rome, a disciple of the apostles, who wrote to the Corinthians urging them to maintain order and unity: “Through the ages, from generation to generation, the Church has never had a schism, for it has not accepted novelty. It is one and the same today, yesterday, and always” (Clement of Rome, First Epistle to the Corinthians, 47:7). Clement emphasized the importance of unity and warned against innovations that lead to division.
Moreover, the emphasis on individual interpretation of Scripture, apart from the guiding voice of the Church, leads to numerous interpretations and divisions, contrary to Peter’s warning that “no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20). The Church Fathers, like Augustine of Hippo, emphasized the necessity of the Church’s teaching authority in interpreting Scripture, declaring, “I would not believe in the Gospel myself if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so” (Augustine, Against the Epistle of Manichaeus Called Fundamental, chapter 5:6).
Tertullian, an early Christian apologist, also spoke against the dangers of deviating from the apostolic tradition: “From this, therefore, do we draw up our rule. Since the Lord Jesus Christ sent the apostles to preach, our rule is that which is derived from what they preached, and that alone must be regarded as truth which is in no way at variance with apostolic tradition” (Tertullian, Prescription Against Heretics, 21). His words remind us that fidelity to the apostolic teaching is crucial for maintaining the truth of the Gospel.
The early Church also held a profound reverence for the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Ignatius of Antioch wrote, “Take care, then, to use one Eucharist, so that whatever you do, you do according to God: for there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup to show forth the unity of His blood; one altar; as there is one bishop, along with the presbytery and deacons, my fellow servants” (Ignatius, Letter to the Philadelphians, 4). This highlights the Eucharist’s role in preserving the unity and integrity of the Church.
Irenaeus of Lyons also emphasized the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist: “He took from among creation that which is bread, and gave thanks, saying, ‘This is My body.’ The cup likewise, which is from among the creation to which we belong, He confessed to be His blood” (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 4:18:5). This belief in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist has been a consistent teaching of the Church from the beginning.
Consider also the words of Polycarp, a disciple of the apostle John, who urged the faithful to hold fast to the traditions they had received: “Let us therefore forsake the vanity of the crowd and their false teachings, and turn back to the word delivered to us from the beginning” (Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians, 7:1). His exhortation calls us to return to the purity and simplicity of the apostolic faith.
The heresies that plagued the early Church and were diligently combated by the Church Fathers bear a striking resemblance to some of the practices and teachings found in modern Protestant communities. For instance, the Gnostics denied the true humanity and divinity of Christ, similar to how some today deny the sacramental presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The Montanists, who claimed new revelations of the Spirit, echo the modern emphasis on personal interpretation and charismatic revelations, often at odds with the established doctrine.
The Donatists, who believed that the efficacy of the sacraments depended on the moral character of the minister, find a parallel in certain Protestant groups that reject the apostolic succession and the authority of the ordained clergy. These ancient heresies were condemned by the early Church for undermining the unity and orthodoxy of the faith. Augustine of Hippo wrote extensively against the Donatists, emphasizing that the Church is holy not because of the individual holiness of its members, but because of Christ’s sanctifying presence: “The Church is not a few good men or the best part, but it is the body of Christ, consisting of all the members, from the highest to the lowest, from the strongest to the weakest” (Augustine, On Baptism, Against the Donatists, Book 1, Chapter 17).
In the spirit of Christian love and the desire for unity that Christ prayed for in His high priestly prayer (John 17:21), I implore you to reconsider the deviations from the ancient faith. Let us strive together to restore the unity and purity of the Church, adhering to the teachings and traditions handed down by the apostles through their successors.
I challenge you, dear reader, to pick a topic—be it the Eucharist, baptism, apostolic succession, or any other fundamental aspect of the faith—and delve into the writings of the early Church Fathers. Examine how these teachings hold up against the doctrines of your community. Did they change? If so, when and why? Reflect upon these questions with an open heart and mind, seeking the truth that Christ Himself promised would set us free (John 8:32).
May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.
In Christ,
A Servant of the First Century Church
Gentlemen, it’s time to be real men of faith.
Disciples At The Ready 