Bridge of Reason

  The Roman Catholic Church stands or falls on the doctrine of apostolic succession. It is from this doctrine that the Church claims its supreme authority. Now, the Roman Church is not the only church to believe this doctrine, but they are the only church to claim unique and complete authority from it. The Catholic apologetic website, Catholic Answers says that the Roman Church, unlike ‘separate’ churches, can lay claim to being the true church by means of apostolic succession. What is apostolic succession? Apostolic succession is the idea that bishops in the Roman Church are the successors of the apostles to whom Jesus gave the authority, to go into all the world and preach the gospel. It presupposes that the original twelve apostles ordained others to be apostles through the laying on of hands. In doing this, they conferred upon them the same authority they had been given. These apostles (bishops) then ordained others, who in turn ordained others, who in turn… well you get the idea.

If you want to know your heart leap for joy at the hope we have in Christ read the first two chapters of Ephesians. Chapter one reminds us of who Christ is, what he has achieved, reminds us that all we have as believers is 'in him.' Then, as though to sober us from our celebrations lest we get cocky about all that we have, Paul reminds us: 'And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked...like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses and sins, made us alive in Christ...'  (Eph.2:1-5) The first thing to realise is you can be dead and alive at the same time, alive to the things of this world but dead to the things of God. The second is that it is the common lot ( like the rest of mankind ) until Christ comes along. The third is that your new life is a work of God, and the fourth is that this new life costs you your old life. The Bible calls relinquis