I’m stil confused about the differences between priesthood authority, Apostolic authority and the office of a bishop. WHy did Jesus call Apostles and not bishops?
Jesus calls Apostles, Bishops, and Priests.
Apostle means “one who is sent”. He chose these 12, and trained them, then sent them into the world to carry His message.
He founded a Church, and made for it’s foundation the Apotles and prophets:
“…members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.” Eph 2:19-21
The Apostles chose successors for themselves, called bishops. The bishops then chose assistants from among the presbyters (elders). The English derivation of the word “presybter” is priest. They also apointed deacons to assist in the work.
All authority comes from Christ, through His Apostles, to those they appoint (ordain) for ministry.
“And thus preaching through countries and cities, they appointed the first fruits of their labours, having first proved them by the Spirit to be bishops and deacons of those who should afterward believe…Our apostles also knew, through our Lord Jesus Christ, there would be strife on account of the episcopate. For this reason…they appointed those ministers already mentioned, and afterwards gave instructions, that when these should fall asleep, other approved men should succeed them” {Pope Clement, A.D. 98);
“For what is the bishop but one who is beyond all others possesses all power and authority, so far as it is possible for a man to possess it, who according to his ability, has been made an imitator of Christ” {Ignatius,A.D. 110};
“And when I had come to Rome, I remained there Anicetus…Anicetus was succeeded by Soter, and he by Eleutherus. In every succession and in every city that is held which is preached by the law and the prophets of the Lord”, A.D. 180}; “But if there be any heresies which are bold enough to plant themselves in the midst of the apostolic age, that they may thereby seem to have been handed down from the apostles…we can say: Let them produce the original records of their churches; let them unfold the rolls of their bishops, running down in due succession from the beginning in such a manner that their bishop shall be able to show for his ordainer and predecessor some one of the apostles or apostolic men, a man moreover who continued steadfast with the apostles…”{ Tertullian, A.D. 200};
“We are not to credit these men, nor go out from the first and the ecclesiastical tradition; nor to believe otherwise than as the churches of God have by succession transmitted to us”
{Origen, A.D. 244};
“It is my purpose to write an account of the successions of the holy apostles, as well as of the times which have elapsed from the days of our Saviour to our own…” {Eusebius, A.D. 325};
“Believe as we believe, we, who are by succession of the blessed apostles, bishops: confess as we and they have confessed, the only Son of God (re: Arianism), and thus shalt thou obtain forgiveness…” {Lucifer of Calaris ‘On Athanasius’, A.D. 361};
“If the lineal succession of bishops is to be taken into account, with how much more certainty and benefit to the Church do we reckon back till we reach Peter himself…”
{Augustine, A.D. 400};
“We must strive in common to keep the faith which has come down to us today through the Apostolic Succession” {Pope Celestine, the Council of Ephesus, A.D. 431}.
