The choice of your church matters, Apostolic Fathers

Many of my peers drift from denomination to denomination, unsure of what is right for them. If you were raised in one Christian denomination but started going to a different one later on, do you know why? Or if you were Catholic but moved to a Baptist church, do you think you have a good reason? Does it matter? In this post I discuss the importance of choosing a church carefully. I also discuss fascinating readings from the very beginning of Christianity -- writings which continue the story where the Acts of the Apostles left off.

The more I study, the more obvious it is to me that a change in denomination for anyone must be a well-researched and prayerful decision. There is truth. You need to decide which religion and denomination most fully and correctly preaches that truth. If you do not know why you’re at a particular church, ask the big questions about what that denomination believes. After all, is there anything more important than the information you will be given with regard to God and to your eternal life? Think about it. This is more important than your job. It is more important than your health. If God is real, your understanding of him is the most important thing in your life on Earth.

Just because you’re entertained or your opinion agrees with a pastor, preacher, or denomination does not mean it is the truth, in the absolute sense. Have you ever honestly investigated what the Apostles themselves intended the Church to preach? How did the authors of the books of the Bible understand Scripture? Do any of today's churches teach what Christ himself taught his Apostles?

The Catholic Church IS that Church. I am more convinced now than ever before. Read the Gospels. Then read the Acts of the Apostles. Compare that to what is written in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. If you are honest, unbiased, and reasonable, I believe that should be sufficient to convince you of the apostolic succession which gives the Catholic Church the authority and validity which no other denomination has.

If that does not convince you, I suggest you look to the writings of the Apostolic Fathers. The Apostolic Fathers are those bishops, priests, and deacons that did not know Christ Himself, but they were disciples of the actual Apostles. Some of them knew the Apostles personally. These men wrote about the authority of the bishops, priests, and deacons. They wrote about the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. And their understanding of self-sacrifice is exactly what the Catholic Church teaches today. The writings of the Apostolic Fathers describe a Church which is undeniably the same Catholic Church in which I now worship.

The writings of these early Christians is surprisingly short, to the point, and accessible. I invite you to explore the texts, which can be read by clicking the titles below:

• Didache
  In the last half of the 1st century, the Didache was written by an unknown author. It is a sort of "church manual" which includes descriptions of various sacraments, including two Eucharistic Prayers. The text also includes the entire Lord's Prayer. Just think, this is describing the Church of the Apostles. It's a short, but interesting, read.

• Ignatius of Antioch
  Ignatius of Antioch was the third bishop of the Church at Antioch, meaning he lived during the first and second centuries. He was arrested and taken from Antioch to Rome, which is quite a distance. Along the way to Rome, where he was to be executed (he's the guy pictured above), he wrote letters to the various Christian (Catholic, actually) communities. (Ignatius' writing from 107 a.d. contains the first known use of the term "Catholic Church," in the letter to the Smyrneans, section 8.) Ignatius wrote of the importance of protecting the message of Christ from modification and change. He wrote of the importance of maintaining the unity of the Church, of obedience to the bishop. He even wrote of the Eucharist: "... obey your bishop and clergy with undivided minds and to share in the one common breaking of bread -- the medicine of immortality, and the sovereign remedy by which we escape death and live in Jesus Christ for evermore." (Ignatius to the Ephesians, paragraph 20). You can read Ignatius' Letter to the Ephesians, Letter to the Romans, and Letter to the Smyrneans for a good introduction to the his writings.

• Polycarp
  Another fascinating figure is Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna at the time Ignatius of Antioch passed through that location on his way to execution in Rome. Polycarp is believed to have been a direct disciple of St. John the Apostle and was a major leader of the Christians in the first century. He also wrote of the importance of unity in the Church, the avoidance of heresy, and of the importance of priests, deacons and bishops. The dramatic account of the martyrdom of Polycarp shows us the Apostolic Fathers believed in the real presence of Christ under the appearance of bread as the Eucharist. In other words, they believed the Catholic understanding of Communion. Polycarp offered his body and blood willingly in martyrdom, in an imitation of Christ's own sacrifice on the cross. In describing how Polycarp was burned at the stake, the author of the account says "The fire took on the shape of a hollow chamber ... and formed a wall round the martyr's figure; and there was he in the center of it, not like a human being in flames but like a loaf baking in the oven ..." (Martyrdom of Polycarp, section 15). Read Polycarp's Letter to the Philippians and the very dramatic Martyrdom of Polycarp.

• If you'd rather read more about this from from a book, I am thoroughly enjoying Early Christian Writings, published by Penguin Books. It's a slim volume and a very easy to read translation. Order a copy, you will enjoy it.

In Christ,
Jason