The early church faced deep internal liturgical divisions, such as the second-century controversy over the correct date to celebrate Easter.

Even among those claiming apostolic ties, unity was fragile. Around AD 150, Polycarp traveled to Rome to debate Pope Anicetus over the timing of Easter. Eastern churches under Polycarp followed the Jewish lunar calendar, celebrating on the fourteenth of Nisan, while Rome insisted on the following Sunday. Though they disagreed, they maintained communion, demonstrating that the early drive for orthodoxy had to navigate deep, localized cultural differences before achieving rigid institutional uniformity.