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To: unlearner

So you apparently think that authority and organization in the Church perished with the last apostle. The Church, on the other hand, believes that the Apostles appointed successors — namely, the Bishops, and that these bishops continued to have authority over the Church. You can read about this in the Epistles of St. Ignatius of Antioch, a disciple of the Apostle John. And for my on my view of the Church, see “On the Unity of the Church,” by St. Cyprian of Carthage, who was martyred in about the year 258:

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf05.iv.v.i.html


63 posted on 01/03/2016 1:57:08 PM PST by crumudgeonous
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To: crumudgeonous

“So you apparently think that authority and organization in the Church perished with the last apostle. “

No. I think the form of the church during the lives of the apostles is essentially described in scripture and is the pattern for the way local churches should operate today. Two things changed. The Bible was completed, and the apostles died. As long as there was a living apostle, (John was the last remaining) he could be consulted by letter on matters of difficulty for the local elders. Today, elders have the wisdom of the apostles at their finger tips. And the things necessary to know have been recorded.

Bishops / elders / pastors were appointed by apostles like Paul as well as those he mentored like Timothy and Titus. The local church is supposed to be led by these men. They did not have apostolic authority then, and they do not have it now other than what I already described.

You posted a link to a very long article about the church, but neither you nor the article answer the question of what the church is. I have stated that the church is the congregation of believers — nothing more, nothing less. Apparently you think it is something else, but I cannot tell exactly what you think it is because you have never answered, and it is quite unclear from your posts.


64 posted on 01/03/2016 9:11:14 PM PST by unlearner (RIP America, 7/4/1776 - 6/26/2015, "Only God can judge us now." - Claus Von Stauffenberg / Valkyrie)
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