- Key People:
- St. Irenaeus
- Related Topics:
- Church
apostolic succession
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What is apostolic succession in Christianity?
In Christianity, apostolic succession is the belief that bishops represent a direct, unbroken line from the original Apostles of Jesus Christ, possessing special powers passed down from them. These powers include the right to confirm church members, ordain priests, consecrate other bishops, and oversee clergy and church members within their diocese.
The Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Old Catholic, Swedish Lutheran, and Anglican churches accept apostolic succession, believing that a valid ministry relies on bishops whose office descends from the Apostles. Other Protestant Christian churches do not consider apostolic succession and church government necessary for a valid ministry.
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Why do some Christian churches believe apostolic succession is important?
In Christianity, apostolic succession is the belief that bishops represent a continuous, unbroken line from the original Apostles of Jesus Christ. Churches that uphold apostolic succession consider it essential for a valid ministry, as it ensures the proper authority to conduct rites like ordination and confirmation, and to govern the church.
Churches that recognize apostolic succession include those within Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Old Catholicism, Swedish Lutheranism, and Anglicanism, though they may not recognize each other's ministries. These churches believe Christ established a ministry through his Apostles, who then appointed others, continuing the work.
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How is apostolic succession usually passed down from one generation to the next?
In Christianity, apostolic succession is the belief that bishops carry special powers passed down in an unbroken line from Jesus Christ's original Apostles. These powers primarily include the right to confirm church members, ordain priests, consecrate other bishops, and govern clergy and church members within their diocese.
The Roman Catholic Church views apostolic succession as the foundation for its claim as the legitimate continuation of the community established by Jesus Christ. The church believes that the power to teach, administer sacraments, and govern originates from the Apostles and is passed down through the laying on of hands. This succession is validated through recognition by the Roman Pontiff.
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Which Christian groups recognize apostolic succession, and which do not?
Apostolic succession is the belief that bishops represent a direct, unbroken line from the original Apostles of Jesus Christ, possessing the authority to confirm church members, ordain priests, consecrate bishops, and govern their diocese.
Churches that accept apostolic succession include Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Old Catholic, Swedish Lutheran, and Anglican churches. These churches believe that a valid ministry is based on bishops whose office has descended from the Apostles.
Many Protestant Christian churches do not believe that apostolic succession or church governance through bishops is necessary for a valid ministry. They contend that the New Testament lacks clear direction on the ministry and that true succession is spiritual and doctrinal rather than ritualistic. Some Lutheran churches have bishops, but, excluding those in Sweden, they have not maintained the doctrine of apostolic succession.
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How does apostolic succession affect leadership roles like bishops or popes in certain churches?
In Christianity, apostolic succession posits that bishops form an unbroken line from the original Apostles, inheriting their powers, like ordaining priests and governing their diocese. Churches such as the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican maintain that only bishops in this succession can perform valid sacraments.
The Petrine theory in Roman Catholicism asserts that Jesus appointed Peter as the first pope, thus establishing the papacy as a direct continuation of apostolic succession. Consequently, only these bishops and popes are seen as having the authority to lead and minister within the church.
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What are some debates or controversies about apostolic succession among Christians today?
Apostolic succession is the idea that bishops represent a direct, unbroken line from Jesus's apostles, possessing the authority to confirm members, ordain priests, consecrate bishops, and govern their diocese.
Churches like Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Old Catholic, Swedish Lutheran, and Anglican affirm apostolic succession, yet they don't always recognize each other's ministries.
Other Protestant churches find apostolic succession unnecessary, arguing the Bible lacks clear ministerial direction, the early church had diverse ministers, historical claims are unverified, and true succession is spiritual and doctrinal, not ritualistic.
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apostolic succession, in Christianity, the teaching that bishops represent a direct, uninterrupted line of continuity from the first Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to this teaching, bishops possess certain special powers handed down to them from the Apostles; these consist primarily of the right to confirm church members, to ordain priests, to consecrate other bishops, and to rule over the clergy and church members in their diocese (an area made up of several congregations).
The origins of the doctrine are obscure, and the New Testament records are variously interpreted. Those who accept apostolic succession as necessary for a valid ministry argue that it was necessary for Christ to establish a ministry to carry out his work and that he commissioned his Apostles to do this (Matthew 28:19–20). The Apostles in turn consecrated others to assist them and to carry on the work. Supporters of the doctrine also argue that evidence indicates that the doctrine was accepted in the very early church. About 95 ce St. Clement, bishop of Rome, in his letter to the church in Corinth (First Letter of Clement), expressed the view that bishops succeeded the Apostles.
In Roman Catholicism the doctrine of apostolic succession was further bolstered by the Petrine theory, which claimed that Jesus designated St. Peter the Apostle to be his representative on earth and the leader of the church and that this ministry was passed on to Peter’s successors as bishops of Rome. Peter received this authority, according to the theory, when Jesus referred to him as the rock of the church and said to him,
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And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church…. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:18–19)
Peter is thus understood to have been the first pope, and the papacy itself is believed to be a continuous line of apostolic succession.
The Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Old Catholic, Swedish Lutheran, and Anglican churches accept the doctrine of apostolic succession and believe that the only valid ministry is based on bishops whose office has descended from the Apostles. This does not mean, however, that each of these groups necessarily accepts the ministries of the other groups as valid. Roman Catholics, for example, generally regard the ministry of the Eastern Orthodox churches as valid but do not accept the Anglican ministry. Some Anglicans, on the other hand, consider episcopacy necessary to the “well-being” but not to the “being” of the church, and, therefore, they not only accept the ministries of the other groups as valid but also have entered into close associations with Protestant groups that do not accept apostolic succession.
A number of Protestant Christian churches believe that the apostolic succession and church government based on bishops are unnecessary for a valid ministry. They argue that the New Testament gives no clear direction concerning the ministry, that various types of ministers existed in the early church, that the apostolic succession cannot be established historically, and that true succession is spiritual and doctrinal rather than ritualistic.
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