Are there any Protestants who knows the definition of apostolic succession?

Question

I asked a similar question earlier and not one Protestant knew what this means. That was so unbelievable I had to ask again. Has the book of Acts been taken out of Protestant Bibles in the last five years. I know it was there when I left Protestantism and became Catholic.

James Bond,

It is a Sacred Tradition just like the Bible only older. But, you are very wrong about it not being in Scripture. I guess it is a case of not being able to see the forest for the trees. The whole book of acts is about apostolic succession and the spread of the Church under its authority. Furthermore you are a way off in your chronology; the Catholic Church was created at Pentecost after the foundation had been prepared by Jesus for an enduring Church. Certainly there were many congregations being established but they were all apostolic Churches and Catholic. Constantine had absolutely nothing to do with the papacy. Good point, only the Church had the authority to find in anathema the Arian heresy, this authority coming directly from Christ. Certainly the authority of the Church decades after Constantine was sufficient to canonize the Christian Scriptures of which some of the books are part of the Protestant Bible.

Answer 1

I am a protestand and I know. When Christ said to Peter upon this rock I will build my church and gave him the keys to the kingdom, Peter in Catholic tradition became the first Pope. With the laying of hands past down from Peter and the apostles the succesion of Popes, Bishops and Priests continues. Peace be with you brother

Answer 2

Good answer from Stashnut7. But what are the implications?

Jesus started just one actual organization in Matt 16:18. All the other 30,000 (with the exception of the Orthodox branch of the catholic-orthodox Church) are imitation organizations devised by heretics to justify a partial gospel.

As the Episcopal Church is finding out, an imitation organization has no grounding to deter it from complete apostasy, e.g., ordaining as bishop a man who deserted his wife and two daughters for a homosexual boyfriend.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Robinson

The clergy of an ersatz "church" has no authorization to carry out the sacraments. While baptism and marriage may be accepted from unauthorized ministers, this is not the case with reconciliation, confirmation, Eucharist, orders, and anointing of the sick, which require actual apostolic authority.

Cheers,
Bruce

Answer 3

Apostolic succession is a "tradition" - it is not scripture (it is 'not written', to quote a biblican phrase). As an ex-protestant you should know that.

You should also know that there is disagreement as to who "succeeded" who (there were many churches with many 'fathers' established in Asian Minor, Palestine, Carthage, the Levant, etc., prior to the establishment of the catholic church. The establishment of a bishopric or papacy may have been politically convenient for Constantine and sucessive christian emperors, but who is to say they did not stray from the original message? Who is to say the Arians were not correct?

Answer 4

Apostolic succession in the book of Acts? You obviously have had 'professional' help to see that. You are correct that the church that Christ bought with His own blood was started at Pentecost, but I have failed to notice the word catholic there, or anywhere else in the bible for that matter. I am sure you could enlighten us all with a plethora of scriptures (all taken out of context) to support your claims.

Answer 5

Many Protestants don't even know what they believe. No offense to you or any of your Protestant family members. They think is either some Catholicism made up or in cases of Anglicans they think they have it. I've seen so many questions regarding Catholicism and it seems many of those people don't even know the Bible. Much of Catholic beliefs are found in Acts and in the book of Matthew.

Answer 6

Every prophet had 12 successor from Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus to Muhammad peace be upon them all and their successors.