Which Church is the “Right” Church?
Let’s be real: this is not a hard question. People act like it’s some kind of theological Sudoku puzzle. “Which church is the true one?” As if Christ left us scratching our heads, wandering the Christian buffet line trying to choose between Baptists, Methodists, Anglicans, Pentecostals, or Pastor Chad’s “Relevant™” non-denominational fun-time feel good church with a gift shop and better sound systems than most concert venues.
But here’s the problem: once you buy into Sola Scriptura — the fairy tale that everyone gets to interpret the Bible however they feel led — you unleash chaos. One guy decides baptism is optional. Another insists you have to dunk, not sprinkle. Another says communion is Jesus Himself. Another says it’s just a snack. Another says it doesn’t matter at all. Congratulations: you’ve now got tens of thousands of denominations, all waving the same Bible, all contradicting each other, and all insisting they’re the “true” church.
the Buffet Line of “Denominations”
Baptists: “We’ve got the truth, just read the Bible!” Unless, of course, you wander across town to the other Baptist church, which reads the same Bible and comes to the exact opposite conclusion.
Lutherans: “We’re the church of the Reformation!” Yeah, founded in 1517 by a Catholic priest who couldn’t handle his vows.
Anglicans: “We’re Catholic, but with less Rome!” Translation: a king wanted a divorce, so he invented a state church, ignored Christ and placed himself at the head of it. Very biblical.
Pentecostals: “We’ve rediscovered the Spirit!” Translation: we discovered how to confuse emotional hype with the Third Person of the Trinity.
Non-denominationals: “We’re not a denomination!” Sure, and McDonald’s isn’t a restaurant — it’s just “food fellowship.”
I’m always perplexed by those who will insist the “Bible alone” gives them everything they need when that very same Bible specifically states that the Church—not the book—is the pillar and foundation of Truth. Moreover, most of the New Testament are Apostles writing to already existing Churches... This isn’t a Chicken and Egg problem. It’s a rebellion against Truth problem. This is why there are no “Protestants.” There are rebels who didn’t want to listen to the Truth. Protestants, by and large, are the denominational equivalent of teenagers refusing to listen to their parents. And, like how failing to honor your parents results in broken families, failing to honor Christ’s Church because you think you know better is equally narcissistic and creates problems.
History Doesn’t Lie
Let’s trace the actual timeline.
AD 33: Christ founds His Church on Peter (Matt. 16:18–19).
33-100: The Apostles heed Christ’s VERBAL command to go forth making disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They establish Churches throughout the world. Paul and Peter write letters of instruction to those Churches. The first Missal—the Didache—is promulgated.
1st–4th centuries: That Church spreads, organizes, baptizes, celebrates the Eucharist, and fights off heresies. It’s Catholic. Ignatius of Antioch (AD 107) literally says: “Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be; just as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.”
393 & 397: Councils of Hippo and Carthage, Catholic councils, fix the canon of Scripture. You know, the very book Protestants now wave around claiming it fell out of the sky.
1054: The East-West Schism. The Orthodox peel off, but they still keep the sacraments, bishops, and apostolic succession.
1517: Martin Luther has a meltdown, and the Protestant clown car begins. Within 20 years, Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin are already contradicting each other. Within 200 years, thousands of splinter groups exist. Today? Tens of thousands.
Now compare that to the Catholic Church: one unbroken line of bishops from Peter to Leo XIV. Councils, catechisms, saints, theologians, and martyrs. Even when popes were corrupt, the doctrine never changed. Because Christ promised: “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matt. 16:18).
The Felt Banner Catholic™ Problem
And yes, I’ll say it: some modern Catholic leaders need to stop acting like this is a riddle too. You know the type — the “synodality” bishops who think “dialogue” with Protestants is our mission. Wrong. The Church doesn’t need to sit in a circle strumming guitars, asking Pastor Chad how his fog machine ministry interprets Ephesians. The only “dialogue” worth having is us saying, “Here is the truth of Christ’s Church. Join it.”
Because let’s be honest: Catholics have nothing to learn from Protestantism. Nothing. We don’t need TED Talk sermons, bad praise bands, or theological hot takes from guys who learned Greek on YouTube. They, however, have everything to gain from us: the sacraments, the Eucharist, the priesthood, the fullness of truth, and ultimately, salvation.
The Answer is Obvious
So which church is the “right” church? The one that existed before Luther threw a tantrum, before Henry VIII wanted a divorce, before Pastor Chad dimmed the lights and cued the band. The one that canonized the Bible, defined the Creed, and never stopped teaching with authority.
That’s not hard. It’s Catholicism. Always has been. Always will be.
Everyone else is just noise — a theological cover band playing out of tune in skinny jeans dividing the universal body of Christ.