Chapter 18 of the book Talking with My Evangelical Friends by José Miguel Arráiz
Martha: Hi friends, I was thinking about our last conversation, about how we can identify the true Church.
Michael: Let’s see; tell us what you thought?
Martha: I was reviewing our method of testing step by step, beginning with the first, which is the day of the elimination historical1.
I agree with Joseph that any Church from its origin in medieval time or modern time, is not the Church that Christ instituted, for the simple reason that it didn’t exist when Christ instituted his Church.
That includes your church Michael, and church of Pauline, all which emerged in the reformation and after her, as:
- Lutherans (Founded by Martin Luther in 1521)
- Presbyterians (Founded by John Calvin in 1532)
- Anglicans (Founded by Henry VIII in 1533)
- Methodists (Founded by John Wesley in 1730)
- Disciples of Christ (Founded by Alexander Campbell in 1827)
- Mormons (Founded by Joseph Smith in 1830)
- Christian Science (Founded by Mary Baker Eddy in 1879)
And as these many more: Pentecostals, Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc.
Now, by this method of historical elimination, I have eliminated all of the churches that pretend they are the Church that Christ instituted, at least two, and these two are the Baptists and the Roman Catholics. Both are more remote in history or are nebulas during the time of obscurantism.
Joseph: Sorry to interrupt you Martha, but in our last conversation, we saw that it was very hard to accept the hypothesis that the Baptists come from apostolic time, assuming they existed as there were other groups more antique called Montanists, Donatists and other groups Gnostics and Manichaean?
Martha: I remember all that we talked about, but as I said to you: I have check that these groups really believed what you attribute to them, but for the moment I have limited to apply this method and want to share the result with them.
Joseph: Ok, continue.
Martha: We have come to the point of our dilemma. Historically we have eliminated all the churches, except two, the Catholic Church and the Baptist that pretends be the Church that Christ instituted. From these two, I keep affirming that both have a history in the time of obscurantism, therefore, how we should decide amongst these two? It´s there where the second method of testing enters.
Joseph: Continue.
Martha: The second method of testing is the process of identification. We should compare these two religious bodies, The Baptists and The Catholics, with the Church that Christ instituted. Whoever matches the Church in organization and doctrine is the Church that was founded by him, and this is the Church that has the right to administer the ordinances.
Therefore, let’s take the Church of Jerusalem, as an example of the Church that Jesus instituted. Let’s note his characteristics and compare them with the characteristics of Baptists and the Catholics.
Joseph: That seems good to me.
Footnotes