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I have looked very close at both sides of this issue of succession. It mattered that I do so. However, how the Catholic leadership and those of ancient past have determined Peter's roll and the churches roll is beyond a stretch. Every-time I have approached their perspective I hit rumple strips....the flow isn't there...blind-spots present themselves and the stretch breaks like a rubber band.

I have learned in study of Gods word that it is one thing when the scripture moves right along and that when one has to twist or reconfigure what is actually being stated in order to justify ones opinion or belief. It just doesn't flow right...thus I can say with great certainly that IMO...No Peter nor any of the other Apostles handed down any succession to the Catholic church as they have believed and stated...and No the Pope is not Gods spokesman for the body of believers.

Thank you for your work and the text of scripture you so amply give....it has been and will continue to be a “good study”.

I perceive the Apostolic succession issue as a question of genealogy.

Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: [so do]. - I Timothy 1:4

If one's spiritual understanding is that the Holy Spirit moves from one Christian to the next by the physical act of laying on of the hands, then he would surely be concerned about Apostolic succession.

However, if one's spiritual understanding is that the Holy Spirit moves according to His own will, then the only succession that matters is from God directly to a man.

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. - John 3:5-8

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. – John 1:12-13

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together. – Romans 8:15-17

And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as [he did] unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? – Acts 11:15-17

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. - Romans 8:9

I am of the latter, btw, because man does not control God.

God's name is I AM.

I have looked very close at both sides of this issue of succession. It mattered that I do so. However, how the Catholic leadership and those of ancient past have determined Peter's roll and the churches roll is beyond a stretch. Every-time I have approached their perspective I hit rumple strips....the flow isn't there...blind-spots present themselves and the stretch breaks like a rubber band.

I have learned in study of Gods word that it is one thing when the scripture moves right along and that when one has to twist or reconfigure what is actually being stated in order to justify ones opinion or belief. It just doesn't flow right...thus I can say with great certainly that IMO...No Peter nor any of the other Apostles handed down any succession to the Catholic church as they have believed and stated...and No the Pope is not Gods spokesman for the body of believers.

Thank you for your work and the text of scripture you so amply give....it has been and will continue to be a “good study”.

INDEED to the max.

It has been a pile of bureaucratic self-serving magicsterical power-mongering right along from 300-400 AD on. And before that, there were house churches and clusters of believers all over the place loosely connected to one another--if at all--primarily by Holy Spirit's doings--NOT a political power structure..

Christ showed HIS seDiments about politically structured RELIGIOUS elites quite sternly and harshly more than a few times.

Human RELIGIOUS STRUCTURES and organizations ever since have revealed HIS wisdom on such scores relentlessly. The stench always rises sooner or later and usually not that long after Holy Spirit has left the building.

It doesn't matter the label on the door. Though !!!!TRADITION!!!! bound and fossilized tend to be worse than newly minted.

The Scripture manglings and rationalizations to support said manglings grow ever more outrageous. The notion that Jesus transited Mary's birth canal a la a miraculous White Hanky POP is absurd to the max. And that well before He'd received HIS GLORIFIED BODY POST RESURRECTION. That's a nice detail they seem to ignore rather glibly.

And the unmitigated hogwash about Mary not having other natural born Children is more outrageous absurdity. Scripture is rather clear repeatedly on that score. They're evidently not interested in clear Scripture. Clear Scripture doesn't seem to fit well in their rubberized 'Bibles.'

Fantasized farce upon fantasized farce enshrined in fossilized, ritualized irrationality is putting it mildly.

What an insult to the authentic Mary.

Christ also stated sternly at least twice HIS priorities vis a vis His earthly mother and blood brothers and sisters.

Yet again the Vatican Alice In Wonderland School of Theology and Reality Mangling will have none of THE TRUTH. Genetic rationalizers must work overtime to deny such plain Scriptures.

May God have mercy. Thanks for your perceptive, astute, well worded post.