He himself was an Apostle, the "least of the Apostles", not one of the Twelve; Christ appeared to him last. (1 Cor 15:7-9)
Who ordained the Gentiles in Acts 10:47-48?
They were not there ordained. They were baptized.
How much evil has entered this church of yours "by way of succession"?
None. Evil enters the church only by disobedience, especially the disobedience of rebellion against Christ's appointed authorities.
Wouldn't a better standard be that which Jesus Himself was identified by?
I don't understand this question.
If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because no light is in them.
Whose interpretation? That's the question Protestants conveniently sweep under the rug.
-A8
My point is that the Apostles did not have control over who received the Holy Spirit. Neither does Rome.
I don't understand this question.
What standard do we use to say "Jesus was Jesus"? How does anyone know that He was Jesus? What did the One Holy Apostolic Church of the day want to do to Jesus?
How did anyone know that John the Baptist was inspired? How about Elijah, Isaiah, or Daniel? None of these men were Levites, were they? Were these men proven to be men of God by a church, or did was their divinely inspired nature on display for all to plainly see by their actions and words? If a prophet were to arise today, how would someone know him to be a true or a false prophet?
Whose interpretation? That's the question Protestants conveniently sweep under the rug.
I don't take the Protestant label, but I know that scripture is plain on the big issues. I approach the Bible much the way I approach Judicial activism. If you are talking about penumbras and emanations, you are wrong. If the scriptures were so hierarchal, why did Paul tell his converts this:
Phi 2:12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;