Anyone who has examined the Ante-Nicene Fathers can readily see a slow developmental digression from the truth of God's Word that is the logical foundation for and more readily observed in the Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers.
Roman Catholicism is a DEVELOPMENTAL denomination rather than the apostolic denomination which was fully developed in the first century.
For this cause, I regard Roman Catholic preserved history as the history of developmental apostasy predicted in the scriptures.
Furthermore, the scriptures are inspired by God and provide a prophetic guide to identifying and discerning
true apostolic Christianity between the apostolic period and the second coming of Christ.
Likewise, it provides true insight into the character and nature of prophetic apostasy between the apostolic period and the second coming of Christ.
A. For example let us look at the INSPIRED prediction of the characteristic contrasts between true and apostate religion:
1. False as well as Apostate religion will persecute, slander, and kill advocates of Apostolic Christianity:
Jn. 16:1 ¶
These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. 2
They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
3
And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.
Mt. 10:25
It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
This is not merely predictive of the Jewish religion but of the Roman Religion as both were persecutors of Christ and the apostles and their followers.
The RCC is a combination of both the Old Jewish religion and the pagan Roman religion.
2. False as well as Apostate religion that persecute, slander, and kill advocates of Apostolic Christianity will be in a SECULAR STATE UNION.
- Rev. 17-18
3. False as well as Apostate religion that persecutes, slander, and kill advocates of Apostolic Christianity will be in the vast majority of professing Christendom - Mt. 7:13-14,21-23; 13:40-44.
4. Apostate religion will be characterized by particular false doctrines - 1 Tim. 4:1-5; Gal. 1:8-9; 2 Jn. 9-11; 1 Jn. 4:1-6; ect.
5. Apostate religion will become more characterized by miracle power in like kind to apostolic miracles signs and wonders the nearer to the coming of Christ - 2 Thes. 2:9; Mt. 24:24.
6. Apostate religion will be characterized by "another gospel" and "another Christ" and "another spirit" - 2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 1:8-9.
7. Apostolic Christianity will digress and become harder to find the nearer Christ's coming - Lk. 18:8; Mt. 13:43;
that is one of my problems dialoging with RCC folks, as they assume that the RCC was full blown/up abd running with papacy and formal developed doctrines and traditions at end of the Apsotolic era!
Would you see the RCC in any of the 7 churches jesus spoke to John about in revelation?