Moving in the Apostolic

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Moving in the Apostolic

Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century began to bring the Church out of the spiritual darkness that had blinded the minds of many for centuries. The Roman Catholic Church taught that the Church was indeed "apostolic," but that Christ's apostolic authority was institutionalized in the succession (or sequence of appointments) of bishops. This authority was believed to have come from Christ, who had appointed the disciples, who had in turn appointed "bishops" (Greek: episcopos) over various cities. From the second to the sixteenth centuries, all the leading centers of the Church had bishops. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope, the bishop of the church at Rome, came to be recognized as the highest bishop of all. The Protestant Reformation challenged this monopolistic doctrine. The reformers considered apostolic authority to be found in the Bible alone (sola scriptura) rather than in Church tradition and institutions. Unfortunately, many of the most prominent protestant reformers also believed that the apostolic period had ceased at about the same time as the completion of the New Testament. A Perpetual Ministry The apostolic office was never designed to cease; it was intended to be a perpetual office throughout the Church age. The eleven apostles understood by the prophecy of David that this office must be filled when vacant. Let his days be few, and let another take his office (Ps. 109:8). For it is written in the Book of Psalms: "Let his dwelling place be desolate, and let no one live in it"; and, "Let another take his office" (Acts 1:20). The remaining apostles prayed for the Lord's guidance in choosing another to take the place of Judas Iscariot. They understood by the Word of the Lord that another should fill the office vacated by Judas. This is a biblical principle concerning ministry offices. Each generation is responsible to pray and