"My deaconry can be traced back to Saint Peter." "A very-reverend, quite-reverend, most-reverend, 'duly-ordained,' anglican-catholic, father, priest, bishop, monsignor ceremoniously ordained' me part of THE apostolic succession (thus I am holier than thou and GOD is with me)," I've been canonized by a cardinal," "I been 'touched' by Benny Hinn," and so on. You've heard it before.
"I am of Paul. I am of Apollos." The Apostle Paul expounds upon related quarreling, jealousy, and divisiveness involving partisan and prejudiced disunity condemned in First Corinthians 1:10-17.
As with other particularly-cultic-catholic/episcopalian/anglican heresies (but those of some ELCA-and-other protestants as well), humanly-concocted religious orders (ecclesiastical offices) and humanly-connived "apostolic succession" is nonmistakenly HUMAN-centered......not Christ nor Spirit-centered. The strange-to-Scripture and foreign-to-God's-will cultic imposition of "apostolic succession" is a contrived pompous-ego attempt to feign credentials and spiritual-religious credibility by geneology-like and thus non-warranted plagiaristic-like lying and dishonest association with genuine human saints, purported human saints, or one's own self-appointed and made-up acclamation....but not the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ Himself.
"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
and:
"....charge some that they teach no other doctrine, neither give heed to [questionable catholic pseudo-history] fables and endless geneologies [of successive and possibly-nonqualified popes, bishops, "saints," etc.] which engender questionings, rather than godly edifying which is in faith.....our aim is non-feigned faith, from which some - having swerved - have turned aside to vain jangling...." [paraphrased/interpreted First Timothy 1:3-7]
It is without argument that Paul was appointed an apostle, not merely by his affirmation of such in Second Timothy 1:11 but by the record of his brilliant-face-of-Jesus Damascus-road encounter and conversion [Acts 9:1-22]. No where does Scripture indicate that disciple Ananias was an authorized bishop to commission Paul to apostleship by laying on his hands. The laying on of Ananias' hands was merely part of the procedure for Paul to regain his sight - not to ordain Paul to apostleship.
There are, of course, legitimate humanity-utilized ordinations of genuine ecclesiastical clergy of the Lord. Concordantly, God-through-Paul ordered his saints to ordain godly and Spirit-possessed pastors, teachers, etc:
Do not let churchy language of pseudo-"ordinations" and false-prophet-type "reverends" deceive you. The names of "Father, Son, Spirit or Ghost, Jesus, Christ, God," etc. are sometimes self-righteously, piously, and underhandedly used by those pseudo-clerics pretending to be angels of light in so-called "ordination" services, along with the magic hocus-pocus-"Spirit"-transfer presumption accompanying and caused by full-body/face-on-the-ground prostration and "laying on of hands."
Admittedly, the New-Testament Authors did themselves commission and require others to continue to commission faithful men [II Timothy 2:1-2]....but not as "generally-infallible" icons to bow down to at communion rails (a super ego trip for those "vested" self-atoners handing out the wafers and wine as they re-crucify/re-sacrifice the body of Christ back to Him.....a rather ridiculous and even blasphemous anti-gospel absurdity, when one really thinks about it).
When Cornelius - who in Acts 10:25-26 had fallen down at the feet of and would even have been ready to kiss the big-toe ring of Pope Peter in Divine worship (sarcasm intended) - the Apostle Peter lifted him up with a repugnantly stern and urgent command to: "Stand up; I too am a man." The Apostle John erred by falling down and worshipping an angel in Revelation 22:8-9, but was reprimanded by the angel to instead worship God and keep His Word.
In Revelation 1:6, the Apostle John stated that Jesus Christ has made us priestsof God His Father. U S priests? In I Peter 2:9 the Apostle Peter called the chosen and destined Dispersion exiles (i.e. 'us' - again) a royal priesthood. The Spirit makes no discrimination nor distinction about that [see Acts 11:12]. The Divine Voice in Acts 11:9 instructs everyone that "What GOD has cleansed, you must not call common." And
As theologian Timothy G. Enloe revealed within the website http://www.gracesermons.com/robbeeee/tim3.html, apostolic commissioning was to establish bonafide teaching - not offices - of Christ's doctrine. That author also discerned that the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Himself the cornerstone of the building of God's saints mentioned in Ephesians 2:20 is a non-successive entity that is a given from the start and itself does not develop over time - unlike the continuing and growing church-people structure who rest on that foundation.
No where in Scripture are we commanded to make "apostles" of all nations, but instead disciples of all nations....as we continue to ordain and appoint New-Testament-worded bishops, deacons, and elders - the qualifications and disqualifications of who are clearly stated in I Timothy 3:1-14 and Titus 1:5-14. God - not man - gives gifts of leadership to HIS chosen to be pastors, teachers, miracle-workers, etc. [Ephesians 4:11-14]
Incidently, why do cultic catholics consider Peter to be The First Papal Bishop of Rome, when no where in the New Testament is there any record of Peter ever visiting or residing in Rome? (However, we do know from the Bible that the Apostle Paul was there).
The dubious claim of non-broken lineage of hands-laid-on transfer of "Spirit Authority" from primary to secondary to tertiary "apostles" is extremely questionable, indeed. Hands-blessed clerics have been and become apostate and heretics, so their remaining Spirit magic (if they ever had any to begin with) to "ordain" others, is voided. In the case if clergy-turning-apostate, it would be as if the Devil himself was supposedly authorized by mere "apostolic succession" to ecclesiastisize men by "apostolic succession." Spirit credentialing has not, does not now, and will never occur by gentic-reproductive-type physical-contact emanations of whatever human body parts, including hands. Let's not get carried away with the holy-cloth superstitions of touching magic hems of garments to cure hemorrhaging, nor relic magic napkins by Dorcas Industries for Peter and Paul to snot in and create healing-magic shadows by. Toenail-clipping relics from Elvis and The Beatles are bad enough.
The purported "apostolic succession" of the catholic church has accumulated such obviously-wrong non-New-Testament heresies as:
- a dispensing of atoning forgiveness through receiving sacraments
- catholic priesthood which [supposedly] alone is able to in reality transform bread and wine into actual medically-testable flesh and blood
- offering eucharist as a continuing sacrifice for atonement
- adoration of and prayer to Mary and to statues of the same
- only catholic/episcopalian/anglican priests authorized to intercede with God on behalf of confessors, instead of confessors directly petitioning the Scripturally-mentioned intercessors themselves to Christ and the Holy Spirit
- absolvement of sins by a priest dependent on the priest's choice to absolve or to not absolve.....and on his own authority.....without the confessor himself able to be absolved directly from the Father through and because of Christ Jesus.
(If catholic indulgences (an anti-gospel/anti-atonement means to acquire money for offering-plate coffers) release from purgatory: Pay Up To Free Up?)
The previously-mentioned website points out that a true church (and corresponding authentic clergy therein) will align with Scriptural teachings - not fabricated "apostolic succession" as a litmus test for Divine authorization in determining veracity (or lack of it) of WORTHY celebrants for communion. A TRUE church will teach only what Scripture teaches, and not miss the mark by adhering to religiously-humanistic substitutes like hocus-pocus "apostolic succession."
The Apostle Paul rips mandatory seminary ordination and (alleged) "apostolic succession" to shreds in Galatians 1:11-2:16 with reference to his own pre-parish/pre-missionary theological training as a new apostle newly-commissioned directly from Jesus Himself (on the Damascus-road outdoor seminary). And Paul rightfully establishes (or reiterates) his own apostolic credentials in Second Corinthians 11:1-33 through Second Corinthians 12:1-12 with understandable boastfulness.
The position and office of "priest" is typically an OLD-Testament term anyway, and not part of the NEW-Testament church as recorded in the New Testament itself. The meager references to "priests" in the gospels and Acts of the New Testament are to Pharisee/Sadducee Sanhedrin types of the jewish (not Christian) religion. Such certainly are no part of the disciples and saints called Christians (NOT "catholics" nor "episcopalians" nor "anglicans") for the first time in Acts 11:26.
The references to "priests" in the book of Hebrews are generally to Old-Covenant priests of the jewish religion, and the references to "priests" in I Peter 2:9 and Revelation 1:6 have a generic all-Christian-saints overall inclusiveness. "Rector" is a humanly-concocted catholic/episcopalian/anglican managerial and supervisor term not found in the Bible. The Word of God does not mention "cardinals" with reference to either ecclesia or birds. "Monsignor" sounds like Spanish or Mexican nobility or sword-fighters.
Judaizers insisting on clergyizing and reverendizing those labeled with the designations of "deacon" and "priest," plus propagate display of their legalistic ritualism with a show-off-to-all conglomeration of make-crosses-in-the-air, cross-their-hearts, bow-down-to-priests-and-altars genuflective choreography.....but by constantly, relentlessly, and ritualistically enslaving themselves with such humanly-contrived customs, reveal their idolatrous worship of the indirect, mere things, relics.....and not the invisible presence of the Holy Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ...according to their whims-at-the-moment, often-confusing, sometimes-disruptive, and changeable capreciousness.
Characteristic of the concept of "apostolic succession" is the factor of [blasphemous] supreme human authority. Unconditional submission to governing authorities mentioned in Romans 13:1-7 can be taken too far, and must be balanced out by the "we must obey God rather than men" of Acts 4:19-20 and especially Acts 5:29-32. To impose or presume authority of humans who God does not establish nor authorize in the Spirit is not only heretical, but is nothing but despicable, hideous, and obnoxious human-worship idolatry.
Do you recall how the King James Version blasphemously misworded II Kings 5:3 in misrepresenting the Israelite girl's mis-statement of:
GOD my lord? Was she thus calling Naaman her master "GOD" - or [equally as erroneous] inferring that God was not with Elijah His prophet? Neither, to be sure! Even a little Hebrew girl knew enough to not call any human being "GOD!"
Fortunately, the Revised Standard Version replaced "GOD my lord" with: "my lord" instead!
A similar 20th-century misappropriation of authority is the ridiculous pope/bishop-is-infallible Hitlerian-Nazi absurdity:
After all, does not one sacred Bible verse order us to "Obey your [sinfully wicked] leaders and submit to them [and their evil godless directives]....(sarcasm intended) per Hebrews 13:17 and Jude 1:8-11? An obvious rhetorical: NO! - to set the record straight.
Interesting that the Apostle Peter tells us that the Spirit is given to those who obey Christ and His doctrines (not necessarily to those "ordained" ceremoniously or declared "ordained" by State licensing bureaucrats or fake religious archibishop/bishop-type clergy).
We must not be deceived by charlatan pseudo-clergy men and women who don and wear clerical collars....who having done and when doing so commit as much damage as Alexander the Coppersmith did against Saint Paul.
Here is a list of ELCA hierarchy who purportedly support the [pro-homoeffeminate/homosodomite-"clergy"] decisions taken at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in 2009.
01. James W. Aageson, Concordia College, Moorhead
02. Klaus-Peter Adam, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
03. Terrence Baeder, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
04. James L. Bailey, Emeritus Wartburg Theological Seminary
05. David Balch, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
06. Mark Bangert, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
07. John Barbour, St. Olaf College
08. Mark W. Bartusch, Valparaiso University
09. Norman A. Beck, Texas Lutheran University
10. Patricia Beckman, St. Olaf College
11. Kadi Billman, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
12. Karla Bohmbach, Susquehanna University
13. Walter C. Bouzard, Jr., Wartburg College
14. James L. Boyce, Luther Seminary emeritus
15. James M. Brandt, St. Paul School of Theology
16. Julius Carroll, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary
17. Corrine L. Carvalho, University of St. Thomas
18. Herbert W. Chilstrom, Presiding Bishop emeritus, ELCA
19. Samuel Cruz, Union Theological Seminary
20. Lisa Dahill, Trinity Lutheran Seminary
21. Steed V. Davidson, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
22. Mary Sue Dreier, Luther Seminary
23. Mark U. Edwards, Jr., Harvard Divinity School
24. Paul W. Egertson, Bishop emeritus Southwest California Synod
25. John H. Elliott, University of San Francisco
26. Lowell Erdahl, Bishop emeritus St. Paul Area Synod
27. Maria Erling, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg
28. R. Guy Erwin, California Lutheran University
29. Norma Cook Everist, Wartburg Theological Seminary
30. Joseph Everson, California Lutheran University
31. Stephen P. Folkemer, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg
32. David Fredrickson, Luther Seminary
33. Clifford Green, emeritus Hartford Seminary
34. Robert D. Haak, Augustana College, Rock Island
35. Loren Halvorson, Luther Seminary emeritus
36. Roy Hammerling, Concordia College, Moorhead
37. Guillermo Hansen, Luther Seminary
38. Shauna Hannon, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary
39. James Hanson, St. Olaf College
40. Paul D. Hanson, Harvard Divinity School
41. Laura M. Hartman, Augustan College, Rock Island
42. Philip Hefner, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
43. Kurt Hendel, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
44. Sarah Henrich, Luther Seminary
45. Stewart W. Herman, Concordia College, Moorhead, MN
46. Mary Hess, Luther Seminary
47. John Hoffmeyer, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
48. Krista E. Hughes, Hanover College
49. Arland Hultgren, Luther Seminary
50. Paul O. Ingram, Pacific Lutheran University emeritus
51. Robert L. Isaksen, bishop of the New England Synod, 1988-2000
52. Carol R. Jacobson, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
53. Paul Jersild, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary emeritus
54. Roger Johnson, emeritus Wellesley College
55. Brian C. Jones, Wartburg College
56. Peder Jothen, St. Olaf College
57. Laurie Jungling, Augustana College, Sioux Falls
58. Everett R. Kalin, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
59. James Kelhoffer, St. Louis University
60. Peter Kjeseth, Wartburg Theological Seminary emeritus
61. Ralph W. Klein, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
62. Kathryn A. Kleinhans, Wartburg College
63. Edgar Krentz, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
64. Karl Krueger, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
65. L. DeAne Lagerquist, St. Olaf College
66. Carol Schersten LaHurd, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
67. Paul Landahl, Bishop emeritus Metropolitan Chicago Synod
68. Dirk G. Lange, Luther Seminary
69. Kristin Johnston Largen, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg
70. Gordon Lathrop, Yale Divinity School
71. Carolyn S. Leeb, Valparaiso University
72. William E. Lesher, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
73. Richard A. Lischer, Duke Divinity School
74. Lynne F. Lorenzen, Augsburg College
75. Mary Lowe, Augsburg College
76. David J. Lull, Wartburg Theological Seminary
77. Barbara Lundblad, Union Theological Seminary
78. Ronald B. MacLennan, Bethany College
79. Romwald Maczka, Carthage College
80. Bruce Malchow, Sacred Heart School of Theology, Wisconsin
81. Madeleine Forell Marshall, California Lutheran University
82. Jim Martin-Schramm, Luther College
83. Susan McArver, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary
84. Ian A. McFarland, Candler School of Theology, Emory University
85. Esther Menn, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
86. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, Seattle University
87. Gladys G. Moore, Mount Holyoke College
88. C. Lynn Nakamura, Trinity Lutheran Seminary
89. Peter T. Nash, Wartburg College
90. Craig Nessan, Wartburg Theological Seminary
91. Frederick Niedner, Valparaiso University
92. Douglas E. Oakman, Pacific Lutheran University
93. Emlyn Ott, Trinity Lutheran Seminary
94. Jon Pahl, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
95. Gary Pence, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
96. Ann Milliken Pederson, Augustana College, Sioux Falls
97. Pete Pero, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
98. Richard J. Perry, Jr., Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
99. Brian Peterson, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary
100. Cheryl Peterson, Trinity Lutheran Seminary
101. Ray Pickett, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
102. Melinda A. Quivik, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
103. Mark William Radecke, Susquehanna University
104. Larry Rasmussen, Union Theological Seminary (emeritus)
105. David Ratke, Lenoir-Rhyne University
106. H. Frederick Reisz, Jr., Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary
107. Caryn D. Riswold, Illinois College
108. David Rhoads, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
109. Nelson Rivera, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
110. José David Rodriguez, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
111. Tom Rogers, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
112. Barbara Rossing, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
113. Philip L. Ruge-Jones, Texas Lutheran University
114. H. Paul Santmire, emeritus Wellesley College
115. Craig Satterlee, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
116. Gwen Sayler, Wartburg Theological Seminary
117. Christian Scharen, Luther Seminary
118. Thomas Schattauer, Wartburg Theological Seminary
119. Brooks Schramm, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg
120. Lea Schweitz, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
121. Michael Shelley, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
122. Gary Simpson, Luther Seminary
123. Mary M. Solberg, Gustavus Adolphus College
124. Gary Stansell, St. Olaf College
125. Ben Stewart, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
126. Kirsi Stjerna, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg
127. Martha Stortz, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
128. Jarvis Streeter, California Lutheran University
129. Fred Strickert, Wartburg College
130. Jane E. Strohl, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
131. Paul Stuehrenberg, Yale Divinity School
132. Karla Suomala, Luther College
133. Mark N. Swanson, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
134. Richard W. Swanson, Augustana College, Sioux Falls
135. Rosanne A. Swanson, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
136. Ronald F. Thiemann, Harvard Divinity School
137. James Thomas, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary
138. Linda E. Thomas, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
139. Samuel Thomas, California Lutheran University
140. Mark Thomsen, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
141. Samuel Torvend, Pacific Lutheran University
142. Teresa Swan Tuite, Bates College
143. Alicia Vargas, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
144. Peter Vethanayagamony, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
145. Aana Marie Vigen, Loyola University Chicago
146. Gregory Walter, St. Olaf Collage
147. Christine Wenderoth, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
148. Audrey West, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
149. Paul Westermeyer, Luther Seminary
150. Vitor Westhelle, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
151. Courtney Wilder, Midland Lutheran College
152. Ritva H. Williams, Augustana College, Rock Island
153. Charles A. Wilson, St. Olaf College
So-called "progressive" Schulzites, Hartmannites, and especially Malloyites presume (NOT "assume") that George W. Bush caused the destruction and genocide on 9112001.
Actually, [seditious] Schulzites, Hartmannites, and particularly Malloyites and their subversive ilk caused it.
Bill Clinton's open-borders policies allowed islamo-cultic terrorists like Atta and the other NYC Trade-Tower-demolishing jet highjackers into America with godless and anti-Biblical "non-discrimination" "civil-rights" "inclusive-diversity" tolerance and indiscriminate broadmindedness.
Keep in mind that is was not anti-patriotic hatefully-racist-and-bigoted Schulzite, Hartmannite, Maddowite, O'Donnellite, Cooperite, and of course Malloyite creeps and jerks nor quasi-muslim anti-sharia Barry "Barack Hussein Obama" Soetoro nor his close friends Billy-the-Kid Ayers and Jeremania Wright....who prevented further 9112001-type attacks after 9112001 -- but instead was an enraged George W. Bush along with his military and civilian operatives and supporters who not only incepted the protective domestic Patriot Act, but actually and courageously and aggressively went against, captured, and executed antisemitic-mastermind-dictator Saddam Hussein and his Baathists...sending fear into and scattering Al Qaeda, besides forcing Saudi/Pakistani Osama bin Laden into hiding and eventual permanent retirement.