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Catholics believe that bishops are – by the intention of our Lord Jesus Christ – the successors of the apostles (the concept of apostolic succession). This is the methodology whereby the Catholic Church traces itself back historically in an unbroken succession to the apostles and the early Church. Catholicism thus greatly emphasizes both doctrinal andhistorical continuity.
St. Clement, bishop of Rome (d. c. 101), taught apostolic succession, around 80 AD. (Epistle to the Corinthians, 42:4-5; 44:1-3), and St. Irenaeus was a very strong advocate of this tradition in the last two decades of the 2nd century (Against Heresies, e.g., 3:3:1, 4; 4:26:2; 5:20:1; 33:8, many others). Eusebius, the first historian of the Church, in his History of the Church, c. 325, begins by stating that one of the “chief matters” to be dealt with in his work is “the lines of succession from the holy apostles . . .” (translated by G. A. Williamson, Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1965, 31).
Continued below.
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St. Clement, bishop of Rome (d. c. 101), taught apostolic succession, around 80 AD. (Epistle to the Corinthians, 42:4-5; 44:1-3), and St. Irenaeus was a very strong advocate of this tradition in the last two decades of the 2nd century (Against Heresies, e.g., 3:3:1, 4; 4:26:2; 5:20:1; 33:8, many others). Eusebius, the first historian of the Church, in his History of the Church, c. 325, begins by stating that one of the “chief matters” to be dealt with in his work is “the lines of succession from the holy apostles . . .” (translated by G. A. Williamson, Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1965, 31).
Continued below.
Apostolic Succession: 40 Biblical Arguments
I provide forty Bible-based arguments in favor of apostolic succession: the notion of one apostolic deposit being passed down through history, protected by the Holy Spirit.
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