The word “catholic” is borrowed from Greek and means “general” or “universal.” The apostolic fathers described the church as catholic, meaning it welcomed all peoples, unlike Judaism with its one nation. Later, Rome’s religious leaders made “Catholic” their name, saying that all Christians should be subject to Rome or lose their relationship with God. Other believers disagreed, including the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church of Antioch, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Ebionites, and more. Like the Roman Catholic Church, most of these groups still claim a line of leaders going back to the apostles. Yet they disagree with each other. Each considers itself “orthodox” (true) and others “schismatic” (divisive). Of course, a line of succession—who led whom through the centuries—became more irrelevant with each leader who made changes that departed from Christ’s original teaching. The Lord defined His true followers in this way:
If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples. (John 8:31)
Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. (1 John 2:24)