APOSTOLIC
SUCCESSION
“The Apostle declares that other foundation can no man lay than
that is laid — Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 3:11) Upon this foundation
our Lord, as the Father’s representative, began to rear his Church,
and in so doing he called twelve apostles — not by accident, but
by design, just as the twelve tribes of Israel were not twelve by accident,
but in conformity to the divine plan.” F208
1 COR. 3:11: “For other foundation can no man lay than that is
laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
ONLY TWELVE APOSTLES
REV. 21:14: “And the wall of the city had twelve foundations,
and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
“What better proof could we have that there were never more than
twelve of these apostles of the Lamb, and that any others were, as the
Apostle Paul suggests, ‘false apostles.’” F209
2 COR. 11:13: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.”
WE DISAGREE WITH THOSE CLAIMING IT
“...we are entirely out of accord with the views of Papacy and
of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and of the Catholic-Apostolic Church,
and of the Mormons, all of whom claim that the number of the apostles
was not limited to twelve, and that there have been successors since
their day who spoke and wrote with equal authority with the original
twelve.” F209
THE TWELVE STARS
REV. 12:1: “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman
clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head
a crown of twelve stars.”
“The stars as symbols represent the inspired teachers of the church
— the apostles....” D590
NO MORE NEEDED
“Nor can we imagine any need of more apostles; for we still have
these twelve with us — their testimony and the fruit of their
labors....The records of their ministries are with us; their records
of the Lord’s words, miracles, etc. Their discourses on the various
topics of Christian doctrine in their epistles are in our hands today
in a most satisfactory manner. These things are sufficient....”
F209
2 TIM. 3:16,17: (Cf. Diag) “All Scripture, divinely inspired,
is indeed profitable...so that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
fitted for Every good Work.”
ACTS 20:27: “...I have not shunned to declare unto you all the
counsel of God.”
|
