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JayDyer
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By: Jay Dyer
There are many texts that are frequently neglected by apologists that demonstrate the Biblical origin of the Papacy. To begin with, consider some Old Testament texts that prophesy/foreshadow the office of a Supreme Pastor and earthly High Priest of the New Covenant:
We know this is talking about the New Testament period when their will be a largely Gentile Church, since this is the very text that St. Paul quotes in Romans 9 about Gentiles being brought into the new covenant. See Rom. 9:24-27. Note however, that the verse following the one quoted by St. Paul also applies to the same group, who appoints for themselves “one head.” Obviously the Church does not “appoint Jesus;” Jesus is the head of the Church by divine right, not by human appointment. However, the text mentions a head that will be appointed in the New Covenant era. Although we know that Christ appointed St. Peter as head of the Apostolic College, as even the Orthodox admit, this “election” also occured in the early Church in subsequent ages. We have, for example, the testimony of the earliest Fathers, like St. Irenaeus of the 2nd century, who speaks of the Roman Bishop (successor to St. Peter) as follows:
“But since it would be too long to enumerate in such a volume as this the successions of all the churches, we shall confound all those who, in whatever manner, whether through self-satisfaction or vainglory, or through blindness and wicked opinion, assemble other than where it is proper, by pointing out here the successions of the bishops of the greatest and most ancient church known to all, founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul—that church which has the tradition and the faith with which comes down to us after having been announced to men by the apostles. For with this Church, because of its superior origin, all churches must agree, that is, all the faithful in the whole world. And it is in her that the faithful everywhere have maintained the apostolic tradition” (Against Heresies, 3:3:2).
By: Jay Dyer
There are many texts that are frequently neglected by apologists that demonstrate the Biblical origin of the Papacy. To begin with, consider some Old Testament texts that prophesy/foreshadow the office of a Supreme Pastor and earthly High Priest of the New Covenant:
- Hosea 1:10-11:
We know this is talking about the New Testament period when their will be a largely Gentile Church, since this is the very text that St. Paul quotes in Romans 9 about Gentiles being brought into the new covenant. See Rom. 9:24-27. Note however, that the verse following the one quoted by St. Paul also applies to the same group, who appoints for themselves “one head.” Obviously the Church does not “appoint Jesus;” Jesus is the head of the Church by divine right, not by human appointment. However, the text mentions a head that will be appointed in the New Covenant era. Although we know that Christ appointed St. Peter as head of the Apostolic College, as even the Orthodox admit, this “election” also occured in the early Church in subsequent ages. We have, for example, the testimony of the earliest Fathers, like St. Irenaeus of the 2nd century, who speaks of the Roman Bishop (successor to St. Peter) as follows:
“But since it would be too long to enumerate in such a volume as this the successions of all the churches, we shall confound all those who, in whatever manner, whether through self-satisfaction or vainglory, or through blindness and wicked opinion, assemble other than where it is proper, by pointing out here the successions of the bishops of the greatest and most ancient church known to all, founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul—that church which has the tradition and the faith with which comes down to us after having been announced to men by the apostles. For with this Church, because of its superior origin, all churches must agree, that is, all the faithful in the whole world. And it is in her that the faithful everywhere have maintained the apostolic tradition” (Against Heresies, 3:3:2).
- Jeremiah 33:17-22 promises that in the New Covenant there will not be a ceasing of Apostolic Succession. The sucession will last to the end, meaning there will always be some member or members of the hierarchy alive on the earth, in communion with the Roman See.