"Through countryside and city [the apostles] preached, and they appointed their earliest converts, testing them by the Spirit, to be the bishops and deacons of future believers. Nor was this a novelty, for bishops and deacons had been written about a long time earlier. . . . Our apostles knew through our Lord Jesus Christ that there would be strife for the office of bishop. For this reason, therefore, having received perfect foreknowledge, they appointed those who have already been mentioned and afterwards added the further provision that, if they should die, other approved men should succeed to their ministry" (Letter to the Corinthians 42:45, 44:13 [A.D. 80]).Or Ireneus, a disciple of the Apostle John
"It is possible, then, for everyone in every church, who may wish to know the truth, to contemplate the tradition of the apostles which has been made known to us throughout the whole world. And we are in a position to enumerate those who were instituted bishops by the apostles and their successors down to our own times, men who neither knew nor taught anything like what these heretics rave about" (Against Heresies 3:3:1 [A.D. 189]).your interpretation is wrong -- the first century Christians practised in a manner similar to what you see in any Catholic Church today. Read about the mass
"The true knowledge is the doctrine of the apostles, and the ancient organization of the Church throughout the whole world, and the manifestation of the body of Christ according to the succession of bishops, by which succession the bishops have handed down the Church which is found everywhere" (ibid., 4:33:8).
Didache (a Syrian liturgical manual written around A.D. 70), which stated, "On the Lords Day . . . gather together, break bread and offer the Eucharist, after confessing your transgressions so that your sacrifice may be pure. Let no one who has a quarrel with his neighbor join you until he is reconciled, lest our sacrifice be defiled. For this is that which was proclaimed by the Lord: In every place and time let there be offered to me a clean sacrifice. For I am a great king, says the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the gentiles [cf. Mal. 1:11]" (14:13).So, let's see -- Apostolic Succession, check, Mass, check, Eucharist, check, priesthood, check, episcopal nature, check, popes (bishops of Rome), check.
Hi, Cronos. ;-D
The comment was about the NT church, not what came after.
Non-Scripture sources? Check....
That alone tells you it’s a Catholic posting without even having to look at the screen name.
In order to tell something about the New Testament church, you have to read the NT.