1) I had not thought to take part in this discussion but I thought ChristineES’ observation was
very clever and simply thought to offer a friendly amendment to it.
ChristineES proffered:
The earliest form of Christianity would be what the 12 Apostles had. They were Jews.
If the early literature such as Conflict of Adam and Eve is correct, and Adam, after his fall, was informed that a Savior would come to perform the redemption for men, then the original religion taught to Adam, was a form of Christianity.
Though both Jews and Christians read the same words in the Old Testament, Christianity interprets the Old Testament symbolism and teachings as a form of Christianity; and interpret the Law of Moses as a "Schoolmaster" type of law which was intended to point their minds forward to the future advent of a Saviour.
2) Also, I must agree with those who’ve observed that the Roman Church does not not represent the original Church of Jesus Christ.
For example, I do NOT believe that the Roman Churches Bishops were EVER given the Authority of Apostles from
any of the original Apostles of Jesus. I do not believe that the Roman Christian Church was more authoritative than it’s sister Christian churches in Antioch, or Jerusalem, or Constantinople, Corinth, etc. (the several versions of the spurious "Clement letters" notwithstanding)
I believe that if any of the other early Christian Churches ( Antioch; Jerusalem; Constantinople, Corinth, etc) of the post-apostolic era had "won out" in the political battle for pre-eminence over the Roman Church, the Church now called "the Catholic Church" would have been far different than the modern version of the early Roman Christian church.
Clear
ei-ne-fu