Paul a bishop?

[Montie_Claunch]

I was wondering. I know that the bishops are the succsesor to the aposltes, so does that mean that Peter, Paul and the other apostles were bishops?

 

[Brain]

absolutely

 

[Orionthehunter]

Montie Claunch:

I was wondering. I know that the bishops are the succsesor to the aposltes, so does that mean that Peter, Paul and the other apostles were bishops?

In addition to the comment “absolutely” I’d like to add that the arrangement if the Pope as the Bishop of Rome and the other Apostles who were Bishop’s and that of the current Pope and the other Bishops is exactly the same. While all Bishops, the Pope is the greatest among equals as the Peter was in relationship to the other Apostles.

 

[Eileen_T]

Ambrose said that, at first, all bishops were called apostles although later apostle became restricted to the Twelve. This would suggest that the terms were interchangeable, so the Apostles would have been Bishops.

A bishop held his episcopate by means of his spiritual descent from the Apostles and thus from Christ. As Paul also received his authority by divine appointment from Christ it follows that he too would have been a Bishop.

 

[Todd_Easton]

When the Apostles were considering selecting a replacement for Judas Iscariot, his office as an apostle is called “his bishopric” in both the Douay-Rheims Bible (D-R) and the King James Version.

For it is written in the book of Psalms: Let their habitation become desolate, and let there be none to dwell therein. And his bishopric let another take. (Acts 1:20 D-R)

 

[TOME]

Paul was an Apostle but not a Bishop and let me explain.

First, as an Apostle, Paul ministry was to travel and the Gospel Message and establish a Local Church or if a community was already in its embronic stage to bring it into maturity. However, his ministry, along with the other Apostles, was not to remain in a fix community.

Let me give you an example from Acts of the difference between the two. During the First Council at Jerusalem, it was James, not Peter who presided. At first glance this may seem odd but it is not. James’ ministry was that of head of the Church of Jerusalem He did not leave his community but presided over that community, he was the overseer of the community or as we would say he was the Bishop of the Church of Jerusalem. Peter, on the otherhand was an Apostle, sent by Christ to preach the Gospel message, establish an Church then move on.

Paul shared in this same Apostolic Mission. Also, as it is widely known, the term Bishop developed from the greek term meaning Overseer. As we read from the pastoral letters of Paul to Timothy and Titus, the Bishop’s role and authority was based on the Apostolic teaching of Paul, but their roles were to remain fixed in the Churches given to there care and to preside over those particular Church, that is the role of the Bishop.

So the Bishops are the successors to the Apostles and their Authority is based on the Apostolic Tradition and the passing on and preservation of that Tradition, but the role of the Bishop is distinct from that of an Apostle.

Apostles and Bishops have two distinct ministries.

 

[Orionthehunter]

TOME:

Paul was an Apostle but not a Bishop and let me explain.

First, as an Apostle, Paul ministry was to travel and the Gospel Message and establish a Local Church or if a community was already in its embronic stage to bring it into maturity. However, his ministry, along with the other Apostles, was not to remain in a fix community.

Let me give you an example from Acts of the difference between the two. During the First Council at Jerusalem, it was James, not Peter who presided. At first glance this may seem odd but it is not. James’ ministry was that of head of the Church of Jerusalem He did not leave his community but presided over that community, he was the overseer of the community or as we would say he was the Bishop of the Church of Jerusalem. Peter, on the otherhand was an Apostle, sent by Christ to preach the Gospel message, establish an Church then move on.

Paul shared in this same Apostolic Mission. Also, as it is widely known, the term Bishop developed from the greek term meaning Overseer. As we read from the pastoral letters of Paul to Timothy and Titus, the Bishop’s role and authority was based on the Apostolic teaching of Paul, but their roles were to remain fixed in the Churches given to there care and to preside over those particular Church, that is the role of the Bishop.

So the Bishops are the successors to the Apostles and their Authority is based on the Apostolic Tradition and the passing on and preservation of that Tradition, but the role of the Bishop is distinct from that of an Apostle.

Apostles and Bishops have two distinct ministries.

This is a private interpretation. The Church teaches that the Apostles were the first Bishops and beginning of the Magisterium. The movement of Paul is similar to how a Bishop can be re-assigned to another diocese. If you were to look at the list of Bishops in various dioceses, many of them will claim that Paul was their first Bishop.

 

[TOME]

Orion
I agree that my post is an interpretation, however, I firmly believe that is in keeping with the teachings of the CCC #'s 858 -861, inclusive. However, if I am wrong I am open to any correction you may offer.

I agree that there are Churches that proclaim that their First Bishop was a particular Apostle yet enlight of the above mentioned reerences from the Catechism, it might be more accurate to say they were founded on the Apostolic Tradition of that Apostle. For example, we know from the NT that a Christian Community existed in Rome before the arrival of either Peter or Paul. Yet, part of the teaching of the Petrine Ministry is rooted in Rome and not Jerusalem is due to the strenght of the Apostolic Traditions of Peter and Paul, with the Bishop of Rome being the successor of these Apostolic Traditions.

Also, as the Catechism points out, the travels of Paul and the movement of Bishops from diocese to diocese is different. Paul’s movement was to spread the Gospel Message where it was never heard before or had not taken root, to found new Church and to move on. The Bishops today transfer from diocese to diocese which are already established Churches, to shepherd administrate that Church not to found a new Church, which was Paul’s ministry.

Finally, a difficulty when discussing this post is the history of the Ministry of the Bishop. The office and ministry of Bishop wasn’t fully established in the Church during the Apostolic Times of Paul.

 

[Orionthehunter]

TOME:

Orion
I agree that my post is an interpretation, however, I firmly believe that is in keeping with the teachings of the CCC #'s 858 -861, inclusive. However, if I am wrong I am open to any correction you may offer.

I agree that there are Churches that proclaim that their First Bishop was a particular Apostle yet enlight of the above mentioned reerences from the Catechism, it might be more accurate to say they were founded on the Apostolic Tradition of that Apostle. For example, we know from the NT that a Christian Community existed in Rome before the arrival of either Peter or Paul. Yet, part of the teaching of the Petrine Ministry is rooted in Rome and not Jerusalem is due to the strenght of the Apostolic Traditions of Peter and Paul, with the Bishop of Rome being the successor of these Apostolic Traditions.

Also, as the Catechism points out, the travels of Paul and the movement of Bishops from diocese to diocese is different. Paul’s movement was to spread the Gospel Message where it was never heard before or had not taken root, to found new Church and to move on. The Bishops today transfer from diocese to diocese which are already established Churches, to shepherd administrate that Church not to found a new Church, which was Paul’s ministry.

Finally, a difficulty when discussing this post is the history of the Ministry of the Bishop. The office and ministry of Bishop wasn’t fully established in the Church during the Apostolic Times of Paul.

I think you answered my comment that substantially agrees with my point. The organization of the Church at the time of Paul was such that the Bishopric of Paul appears on to be different but each bishop is a successor of the Apostles.