[RnMomof7]

Early Christians certainly didn’t think that loyalty to the bishop was an un-Catholic matter, and there were some pretty crummy bishops.

The title Bishop means overseer, there is no apostolic succession taught in scripture.

Christ picked His apostles, He never transfered the right to men or He would have told us that in scripture..

[SoothingDave]

there is no apostolic succession taught in scripture.

In my Bible, Paul embues Timothy with his authority.

[rdb3]

The title Bishop means overseer, there is no apostolic succession taught in scripture.

Right. I can not find that in Scripture anywhere.

Where did that come from any way?

[ajr276]

Yes, he did pick His apostles, who then passed on the authority they had received by laying hands on subsequent overseers. This passing of the torch, so to speak, is most evident in Acts 6:1-7. Add to it the Ignatian presumption of a threefold office (bishop, presbyter, deacon) and I think it's pretty clear that the early church assumed a special authority in the office of bishop.

Where I hesitate to agree with Catholic and Orthodox theologians is the idea that the epsicopos is a separate office from presbyter by divine fiat. I'm not convinced that this separation of offices was ordered by Christ, but I am convinced that it was practiced and set forth as at least a practical norm while the apostles were still living.

[Ken4TA]

Christ picked His apostles, He never transfered the right to men or He would have told us that in scripture.. Think before typing....