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Was the Early Church Catholic? Orthodox? Protestant? Joe Heschmeyer Explains!

The Lighten Up Podcast

What did the early Church really believe? Was it Catholic or Orthodox? Was it a loose, anything-goes version of modern Protestantism like we see today? Joe Heschmeyer, the host of the Shameless Popery Podcast and apologist at Catholic Answers, argues that it was unmistakably Catholic. In this episode, Joe sits down with Hannah to unpack the evidence from Scripture, church history, and the early Church Fathers. He explains why the Christian story makes far more sense when you follow the visible Church Jesus actually established, rather than trying to reconstruct the faith from private interpretation alone. Joe also tackles one of the biggest questions for Catholic-curious Christians: if Protestantism doesn't match the early Church, why not Orthodoxy? He walks through the leadership structure of the Church, the role of Rome, and the historical case for apostolic succession in a way that is clear, direct, and deeply thought-provoking.  If you’ve been wrestling with church history, Catholic identity, or what “original Christianity” really means, this episode gives you a compelling framework for moving forward without waiting to have every answer first. 📌Episode Resources: Joe’s book: The Early Church Was the Catholic Church - https://a.co/d/0ha7B2pa Catholic Answers Website - https://www.catholic.com Shameless Popery YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@shamelesspopery 🔔Check out our book club on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheLightenUpPodcast 📖Grab your copy of STUNNED BY SCRIPTURE by Dr. John Bergsma: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612783937?linkCode=ssc&tag=hannahcrews0d-20&creativeASIN=1612783937&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.2PB2I38GARM1E&ref_=aipsflist_asin Thank you to our sponsors! ✨Truthly: Catholic ai Ai that won't give you opinions (just church teaching). Use the link below to try it yourself! First week's free. https://get.truthly.ai/TlbX/hannah ✝️Christian Healthcare Ministries Health insurance alternative at half the cost https://info.chministries.org/hannah-crews?utm_campaign=infl_hannahcrews&utm_source=hannahcrews&utm_medium=hannahcrews_vanityurl_august2025_hannahcrewslandingpage&utm_content=info-pack 📱Follow on social media: Subscribe on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Hannahcrewsblog Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thelightenup.podcast/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Lighten-Up-Podcast/61589769352109/?http_ref=eyJ0cyI6MTc4MTc0OTA2NjAwMCwiciI6IiJ9 Chapters: 00:00 Joe Heschmeyer on how Shameless Popery got its name 04:37 Why the early Church matters for Protestant listeners 07:08 How Christians know the Gospels belong in the Bible 10:50 The claim that the Reformation restored the early Church 14:56 Why the Protestant Old Testament was not fixed in Jesus’ day 17:05 Why not Orthodox instead of Catholic? 19:36 Acts 15 and the authority of the apostles and elders 24:25 Peter’s role and the keys of the kingdom 26:38 Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant models of authority 31:28 Objections about Vatican corruption and scandal 33:27 Schism, Israel’s failures, and bad leaders in sacred office 39:52 Don’t wait to know everything before becoming Catholic 43:40 Theology as love, not trivia 46:57 Where to find Joe Heschmeyer and Shameless Popery