Can we at least clarify something here? When you, Terycarl, use the word "Catholic church" do you mean the Roman Catholic Church as it exists today?
The reason I ask, is that is the impression I am getting from your numerous posts. It appears that you believe the Roman Catholic Church is the same church as the one God began at Pentecost by the giving of the Holy Spirit to all those who received Jesus Christ and believed in and followed him. The word "catholic", however, was NOT a word used by the Apostles nor does it appear anywhere in Scripture. It really was a word that had been in use for some time by many Greek philosophers which simply meant "universal". It gradually was used to mean the universal faith of Christians who belonged to a universal church, of the Body of Christ of ALL believers.
If you want to imply that the Roman Catholic Church of today - or from the fourth century to today - is the SAME one as first began at Pentecost, then you are provably incorrect. I CAN agree, though, that the universal church of all believers in Jesus Christ, that existed at the start, and which God alone is able to separate the wheat from the chaff, can be referred to as "catholic" in its adjective form, but I do not agree that it has always been the same and only church that is called the Roman Catholic Church today. There are too many differences and too much history to pretend they are one and the same.
I suspect, however, that this is really NOT an issue of mere semantics. I know many people that strongly insist that the Roman Catholic Church IS the same church that has existed for two thousand years. Maybe you could clarify this point for me. Thank you.
yes, I mean the church as it exists today....and it the EXACT same church that Jesus founded on the Apostles...