Apostle Paul Life, Teaching & Theology

Apostolic Succession & Ordination According To The Apostle Paul: Charisma & Priesthood (Part 1 of 3)

This is the first part of a 3-part series concerning the Apostolic succession & ordination according to the Apostle Paul. In this part we discuss about Charisma and Priesthood.

Author: Vlasios I. Feidas, Professor Emeritus of the Athens University

The concept of apostolic succession is indissolubly linked to the self-evident prospect of the succession of the apostles after their death continuing the apostolic work, while ordination was the only way for the apostles to concede their powers to their proven associates to secure not only the wider distribution of responsibilities in place, but the uninterrupted continuity of the apostolic work of the episcopate in time. However, while the development of the apostolic work in place was covered from the beginning by ordination by the apostles of the local priesthood (bishops and deacons or elders), as evidenced by the apostolic testimonies, the continuity of the apostolic function of the episcopate in time, that is, to deal with the question of the succession of apostles after their death, was not an immediate or pressing need during the apostolic period. That's why the testimonies are occasional and definitely unclear, especially after their systematic questioning by Protestant theology. In this sense, the relationship of ordination and apostolic succession is the only safe way for a systematic approach to the crucial issue, are the relevant testimonies that exist in the letters of Paul the Apostle, on the one hand, because they have focused on the main theological disputes , on the other hand, because they provide the opportunity for a critical and comparative assessment of the important testimonies of the early post-Apostolic time (70-100 AD), which have an impressive affinity of spirit and terminology with the testimonies of the Pauline letters. Therefore, the crucial questions are: Who ordains, whom ordains and what work does the ordained undertake in the apostolic work of the diocese?

The apostolic succession refers to the uninterrupted continuity of the apostolic work of the episcopate in the historical course of the Church and is expressed exclusively by transferring of Christ's authority from the apostles to their successors, which also determines their relation to the local priesthood as evidenced by Apostolic and post-Apostolic times. The doubt expressed by Av. Harnack, as well as by the historical school of Protestant theology, to Roman Catholic teaching about the apostolic succession was based, on the one hand, on the notional separation of an ecumenical order of charismatics (apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, etc.) from the one of the local priesthood (bishops and deacons, elders), and on the other hand the arbitrary rejection of the unceasing continuity of the authority of the apostles to their successors bishops as witnessed in the early second century in the letters of Ignatius of Antioch. Indeed, A.V. Harnack supported the primacy of the ecumenical order of the charismatics to the local priesthood based on the passage of Paul the Apostle to Ephesians, according to which «It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up» (Ephes. 4, 10-12). Thus, he arbitrarily connected "apostles", "prophets" and "evangelists" with the eminent ecumenical order of charismatics, and "shepherds and teachers" with the local priesthood.

He thus excluded every concept of succession in the apostolic function of the episcopate using accordingly the relevant testimonies of the Teaching as for the order of the traveling "prophets". The main aspiration of this notional separation of the Protestant theology of the universal order of charismatians from the local priesthood was the rejection of the Roman Catholic teaching αbout the uninterrupted apostolic succession to the bishops of the church, since the bishops of Ignatius' letters can be referred neither to the order of the charismatics, separated from the priesthood, nor to the local priesthood (bishops or elders), which was not a bearer of the episcopal power. The fact that the titles "bishop" and "elder" are not declared in the New Testament as organ of the episcopal power in the context of the apostolic succession makes it necessary to seek for it in one of the prominent orders, which participated in the apostolic function of the episcopate both during the apostolic and the early post-Apostolic times. In a special study, we claimed that the order of the prophets actually held a prominent position during the critical period in the continuation of the apostolic work of the episcopate, since they were the chosen disciples and associates of the apostles in order to continue their work, as can be inferred from the proper Interpretation of the relevant testimonies not only of the Teaching, but also of the whole post-apostolic period. (The church of the Church and order of Prophets, V.I. Feidas, 1984)

It is very characteristic that the apostle Paul, who is included by his pupil and associate Evangelist Luke, in the order of the Prophets of the Church of Antioch (Verses 13, 1-3), always places the prophets' order immediately after the apostles both in the Epistle to Ephesians (4: 10-12) and in the famous passage of A to Corinth's letter: «And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts. » (I Cor. 12, 28-31).

This important testimony makes it clear that: a) the hierarchically predisposed separations (apostles, prophets, teachers) were « the greater gifts » which cannot be identified with the free or temporary gifts of the simple believers, b) the bearers of « the greater gifts » are specific orders with a permanent dedication to the apostolic work of the episcopate, since what "God bestows upon the Church" is permanent in the life of the Church, such as the order of the apostles; c) the order of the prophets was given their function by God, as was the order of the apostles, which is why Its prominent position is determined by reference to the apostles and not of course to the local Church, and (d) the order of the prophets is emphasized in both the apostolic and the early post-Apostolic times as the most important order of the Church after the apostles.

In this sense, the suggested by A.V. Harnack and Protestant theology vertical separation of charisma and priesthood is an arbitrary theological invention, for which any convincing evidence cannot be found in the New Testament and the post-apostolic writings. Thus, R. Bultman (Theology of the NT, 2, 103) dismisses as unfounded the theory of A. V. Harnack to separate the ecumenical order of the charismatics from the local priesthood and supports not only the equivalence of the function of those who belonged to the prophets' order, but also their up growth to domination in the apostolic work of the episcopate. Who belonged to the prophets’ order? It is obvious that in this order belonged the disciples and the associates of the apostles, since the prophets, as well as the associates of the apostles, were able to preach the gospel, ordained by the apostles without a local commitment (Acts 13,1. ex.), to survey and support the local churches (Acts 15, 36), to represent the apostles and to communicate apostolic decisions to the local Churches (Acts 15, 22, 32), to ordain, like the apostles, bishops and deacons in Local churches (Acts 14, 23). The relationship of the prophets to the apostles' associates, although confirmed in the New Testament and early post-apostolic writings (Teaching), nevertheless makes it necessary to describe, on the one hand, the particular meaning of the title of the prophets against the title of the apostles, on the other hand the way of entering of the apostles' associates into the order of prophets.

Stay with us for the second part of the series which we will disuss about the Apostolic work of the episcopate and apostolic ordination and also the Apostolic ordination and the class of prophets.