Who do you think was the Greatest Apostle?

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James817 said:
Yes. And?
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It was a bit tongue in cheek. Given that Christ, who actually knew them, wouldn’t answer the question I wouldn’t venture to answer it since we don’t even know much about the majority of the Apostles.
 
It also depends on definition. What do you mean by Apostle. Are you referring to the 12, or to anyone who was sent? Mary Magdalene was the Apostle to the Apostles. Pope Francis has made the liturgical celebration honoring St. Mary Magdalene a feast. I agree with it was all of them.
 
The Magdalene is an Apostle in the sense that she was sent to proclaim the Risen Christ to His brethren. She wasn’t one of His chosen Twelve.
 
True but than neither is Paul or Barnabas one of the 12. It is why I stated that it needs to be clarified what is meant by Apostle.
 
I think Peter takes the cake. For upon Peter did Christ build his Church.
 
Paul was commissioned by Christ. Which makes him equal to the Twelve.
 
I mean, sure Peter was the Pope, but Paul did more and suffered more.
 
Does not make him one of the twelve Just like Mary Magdalene being sent by Jesus does not make her one of the twelve. Peter suffered greatly I do not know how you would say who suffered more. How do we know since do not have complete information. Being hung upside down on a cross versus having your head cut off seems that Peter would have suffered more of a excruciating death. However, it seems rather silly to debate who was the greatest, who did what or who suffered more. We know very little about their lives. I am just grateful for all of them.
 
It makes Paul equal to those chosen Twelve. He is part of the Apostlolic foundation.
 
Who knows. It could have been St Simon or Jude for all we know. We only get very little information about the early Church and Acts is very biased in Paul’s favor.
Even though not Canon I suggest reading the extra canonical Acts writings. The Acts of Thomas are just amazing. And yah they were written to long after to be authentic but it doesn’t mean the traditions in them aren’t true.
 
Could you show me Church document that states that Paul is part of the Apostolic Tradition. The only ones mentioned in the Catechism are the twelve. Paul is nowhere in the Catechism that I can find. Paul was important but not at the par with the twelve where we have Apostolic succession. The Church is Apostolic because it is founded on the twelve.
 
I will.

“So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. Christ’s body was glorified at the moment of his Resurrection, as proved by the new and supernatural properties it subsequently and permanently enjoys. But during the forty days when he eats and drinks familiarly with his disciples and teaches them about the kingdom, his glory remains veiled under the appearance of ordinary humanity.
“Jesus’ final apparition ends with the irreversible entry of his humanity into divine glory, symbolized by the cloud and by heaven, where he is seated from that time forward at God’s right hand.
“Only in a wholly exceptional and unique way would Jesus show himself to Paul as to one untimely born, in a last apparition that established him as an apostle.”
 
Thank you for the reference but It isn’t what I was asking to be documented. Paul was an apostle, in that he was sent, but he was not apostolic in that he was not one of the twelve and not whom the Church was built upon. The quote you provided does not state that he is being referred to in the One, Holy, and Apostolic Church. It only refers to him encountering the risen Christ and being sent by Jesus and in that sense of being sent he Is an apostle. There are only twelve that Jesus chose. Twelve to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. I believe that if you asked those referred to as apostles who is the greatest, they would point to each other.
 
in that he was sent, but he was not apostolic in that he was not one of the twelve and not whom the Church was built upon.
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That’s true because when Jesus said ‘Saul why do you persecute me’ He was speaking of the Catholic Church which had already been established.

Another thing to consider is that the Lord changed Simon’s name to Peter which signified the special role he would have.
 
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Personally, I like St. John🙂 He was the youngest and lived the longest. I would’ve liked to meet him once.
 
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