[Forest Keeper]

The council in Jerusalem reveals that decision making was done as a group and no one person made authoritative decisions on their own, a presbyterian system. ...... Until this happened a "bishop" was an elder who had no special authority other than to conduct the service. The development of "Metropolitans" is what really accelerated the process, until then the presbyters and bishops were viewed as equals. ......

Yes, this is the piece I didn't understand. Thanks very much.

[annalex]

Wmfights’ is at best a very tendentious reading of Acts, and it is not consistent with Corinthians, where we see Paul defining a hierarchical system of authority. In Acts, we see St. James presiding, as bishop, over the meeting and dictating the canon regarding the admission of the Gentiles. I don’t understand where Wmfights finds his “no special authority other than to conduct the service”.