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"I can't imagine what your problem is."

I don't have a problem...except the error promulgated by the Romanist organization that has enslaved many nice folks...like you.

"So what do you mean by "before there was a Roman Catholic Church"? Before Pentecost, before the Anglicans, or before --- what?"

I mean exactly what I wrote...the Roman Catholic Church shows up between 300 - 400AD. You perhaps believe their line about Peter being the first Roman pope, but this is not only absent in the Scriptures (yes, the Scriptures that were in place prior to Roman domination), but it does not comport with ordinary history records. Of course Rome has concocted several lists of "popes" along the way, some of which were in place at the same time, some of which had mistresses, etc. But, Rome's "proof" of its authority attempts to use the Scriptures (yes, 66 books/letters), but denies its story.

This is a myopic, self-proving argument that can be manufactured by anyone (read that, the Mormons use this, the Scientologists use this, even Ellen G White and the 7th Dayers use this). But, the true gathering of believers traces its beginnings not to 1st cent. Jerusalem, but to Abraham and includes all those rescued of God by grace, through faith (Heb. 11), and that not of ourselves (Eph 2)...it has always been a gift of God, not of works lest any man/woman boast. The blood of Jesus reached back to all the rescued and forward to this very day. So, I guess we predate your gang.

And, no, the Apocrypha, was not widely recognized as Scriptural (inspired like the 66).

Peter was Bishop of Rome, and every one of his successors as Bishop of Rome shared in the Petrine ministry: feeding the lambs and sheep, exercsing the power of the keys, binding and loosing, confirming the brethren.

This ministry has been exercised in different forms and ways by different men in different centuries, and perhaps that's why you don't think there was a "pope" or a "Catholic Church" before the 4th or 5th century. But in this you are wrong: because you don't see the development of a sacred institution as it responds to historical challenges and new situations.

You will not find in Peter and his immediate successors a "monarchical" papacy, but will find him to be exercising, in his circumstances, and in an early form, the same ministry.