The History of The Church

When people talk about early church history, there is often an unspoken assumption that the church in the Book of Acts simply evolved into what we now call the Roman Catholic Church. The storyline is often told as if it were seamless: the apostles led the early church, Rome became influential, and eventually the Catholic system emerged as the natural continuation.

But history is not that simple.

The church that Jesus established in the Book of Acts was a spiritual body, not a state institution. It was born at Pentecost, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and organized around local assemblies of baptized believers. These early churches were marked by:
There was no centralized bishop ruling over all churches. There was no political sponsorship. There was no union between church and state. The early believers were known as “Followers of the Way,” and they operated as distinct communities under the lordship of Christ.

As Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, churches were planted in major cities, including Rome. The church in Rome was significant, but it was one congregation among many. Its early influence came largely from its location in the capital of the empire, not from any clearly established biblical supremacy.

Over time, however, structural changes began to develop. In several regions, one bishop began to emerge as the primary leader over other elders. Organization slowly shifted from local plurality to a more hierarchical pattern. Rome, because of its political prominence, naturally became a center of influence. But influence gradually turned into claims of authority.

The major turning point came in the fourth century. In A.D. 313, Constantine legalized Christianity. What had once been a persecuted minority suddenly gained imperial favor. Within decades, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. This shift cannot be overstated. The church moved from being separate from political power to being intertwined with it.

Instead of a persecuted body distinct from the world, the church increasingly became part of the empire’s structure. With this union came significant changes:
As the Western Roman Empire eventually declined, the bishop of Rome grew even stronger. Claims developed that Peter held supreme authority among the apostles and that the bishop of Rome was Peter’s successor, inheriting universal jurisdiction. Over centuries, doctrines formalized within this growing system, including:
These developments were not present in the simple structure of the New Testament church. They arose within a church increasingly connected to state power and institutional authority.

The question then becomes: Did the true church disappear into this system?

History suggests otherwise.

Across the centuries, there were believers who resisted the growing institutionalization of Christianity. While not identical in every doctrine, various groups emphasized principles that reflected earlier apostolic patterns. They stressed:
Groups such as the Novatians, Donatists, Paulicians, and later the Waldensians stood apart from the dominant Roman structure in various ways. Many were persecuted. Many were labeled heretics. Yet they maintained convictions about the nature of the church that differed significantly from the centralized state church model.

The pattern continued into the Reformation era. While the Protestant Reformers corrected many doctrinal errors, most retained a state church framework and continued infant baptism. The Anabaptists went further. They insisted that the church must consist of believers who personally confessed faith in Christ and that baptism was an act of obedience following conversion.

The Anabaptists emphasized:
For these convictions, they suffered persecution from both Catholic and Protestant authorities. Many were imprisoned, drowned, or executed. Yet they believed they were returning to the simplicity and purity of the New Testament church.

This is the thread that runs through history. While Rome developed into a powerful institution claiming universal authority, there were always believers seeking to follow Christ according to Scripture rather than political structure. The church Jesus promised to build was never dependent on imperial favor. It did not require governmental enforcement to survive. It endured through faithfulness, often under persecution rather than protection.

Understanding early church history is not about denying Rome’s existence or influence. It is about recognizing that the union of church and state marked a significant shift from what we see in the Book of Acts. The structure, authority claims, and doctrinal developments that emerged over centuries were not identical to the simple, Spirit-led assemblies of the apostolic era.

Empires rose and fell. Institutions consolidated and expanded. But the body of believers who sought to follow Christ according to Scripture continued across generations.

The church is not preserved by government.
It is not sustained by hierarchy.
It is not defined by political power.

It is preserved by Christ Himself.

And that promise has never failed.