Catholic as a name for a Church began to be used.
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What's in a name??
First the followers of Jesus were called Jews... then by the Jews - heretics... then they were followers of "the Way" -Acts 9:2 "and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to "the Way", men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem."
This was done for 2 reasons.
One: was to distinguish the true teachings from heretical teachings that were beginning to pop up.
Two: the call from God to mankind started with the Jews and was supposed to go from them (the Jews) to all mankind. When the call went from the Jews (the "Firstborn" sons of God) to the whole world, through Jesus, it became a "universal" call - or what we know as a "catholic=universal" call.
So, my point is that "Catholic" is known as the true church not because it was called "Catholic" by Christ. He didn't give a name to His group. They are called Catholic because they teach what He taught! They are called Catholic because the Catholic Church can trace in an unbroken line from our present day Pope all the way back to St. Peter! No other church can make and back up either of these claims!
Also, a common sense argument.
There is a road in the Bronx that goes all the way up to Boston. Where I lived it was known as the "Boston Post Road". So named because Ben Franklin himself laid out the route for the "postal" riders on horseback, from NY to Boston.
As one travels from NY to Boston the name of the road changes from Boston Post Road to Post Road to Main Street and back again to Post Road, but on a map it can be seen that it is all one and the same road irregardless of what it is called locally.
The "Church" started by Jesus exists regardless of the "names" it has been called throughout the centuries.
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