Peter...the Bishop of Rome?

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Your creative interpretation makes NO sense to what Paul said. Please give it a more concise try…sometimes I’m slow.
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Go read up on the early Church and how it operated. Did you ever notice that Paul refers to the members of the churches as “the saints.” Modern Protestants tend to totally distort this, since they apply their 16th Century concept of imputed justification (Luther’s invention) to the sacred text, and so declare that “all Christians are saints.” But this is an outrageous anachronism and does not address the historical context in which Paul is speaking, for, in the very early Church, all members of the Church WERE saints, i.e., in committing to Baptism, they had turned their backs completely on the world and were prepared to die for Christ (for there was a very distinct possibility that they were going to be crucified for their Faith). And so, in the very early Church, if one committed what was called a “mortal sin” (see 1 John 5) after Baptism, one had not only fallen short of one’s Baptismal vow, one was also formally excommunicated from the Church - a Church composed of literal saints!

It was only in A.D. 217 that Pope Callistus (invoking his Petrine authority to bind and loosen) relaxed this original Apostolic discipline; both Protestants and Catholics today (as well as Mormons) are effected by this decision, since modern believers in Christ (or in a pseudo-Christ) do not expect (though it hopes!) every member of the Church to be a literal saint - that is, someone totally committed to Christ and reflecting the Lord’s own holiness. But, once one realizes what the ancient standard for true Church membership ones, one can suddenly read St. Paul’s comments in Ephesians properly. Those who were totally committed to Christ were the saints; and these saints were indeed united in Faith. The goal of the Apostolic Church was to gather everyone else into this holiness and perfection of the Church, a Church united by its saints.
So once the unity exists, all those dead Apostles will what…disappear or be stript of their Apostolic calling?
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Non Sequitur.

The Apostles are not dead, but are alive just as Christ is alive: Phil. 1:23, John 11:26. They continue to serve the Lord as His witnesses until He restores the world to Himself. Their priesthood (which is the priesthood of Melchizedek) will continue forever; but their apostleship will not. As Apostles, they deliver the revelation that is like looking “through a glass darkly.” But, when Christ restores all things, we will “see face-to-face.” This is the Apostolic teaching.
 
FCEGM said:
in the very early Church, all members of the Church WERE saints, i.e., in committing to Baptism, they had turned their backs completely on the world and were prepared to die for Christ (for there was a very distinct possibility that they were going to be crucified for their Faith). And so, in the very early Church, if one committed what was called a “mortal sin” (see 1 John 5) after Baptism, one had not only fallen short of one’s Baptismal vow, one was also formally excommunicated from the Church - a Church composed of literal saints!
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now that is pretty hardcore. they make us look like big piles of filthy dirt. http://forums.goldenagecartoons.com/images/smilies/looneytunes/shame.gif

fortunately it’s not impossible for anyone here, because we have the Sacraments and the Big Guy upstairs looking out for us. 😃
 
Frances,

I want to thank you for providing an enlightening clarity to the discussion of the Early Church and Apostolic Authority. It was handled with great charity, and restraint.
 
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