[BipolarBob]

the first thing Peter does after Jesus ascends into heaven is implement apostolic succession. Matthias is ordained with full apostolic authority.

Big words from the great boasting Church! How about the first thing GOD ordained was to replace Judas as the twelfth Apostle? Twelve tribes - twelve Apostles. Good grief. There, again, is NO apostolic succession. Twelve walls, twelve tribes, twelve keys, twelve Apostles. That's it. Not a succession of walls, gates, keys or Apostle wannabes.

[MeOnTheBeach]

NYer is absolutely right about there being an Apostolic succession. It wasn't supposed to be finite. It was supposed to endure.

This is why the Apostles replaced those that died. If there was only supposed to be the original 12 they wouldn't have replaced the missing ones.

This was the organization that Christ set up for the orderly administration of His Church.

However, it only lasted as long as the people supported it. when the Apostles were killed there was no one left at the top of the Church. Christ would have had to come back Himself or send someone with authority to make new Apostles.

Had He done that, the same thing would have happened to the new ones as happened to the old ones. So He just let it go because men can choose for themselves good or evil.