"My deaconry can be traced back to Saint Peter." "A very-reverend, quite-reverend, most-reverend, 'duly-ordained,' anglican/episcopalian/catholic, father/priest/monsignor/vicar 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've 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 climb-the-corporate-ladder-like top-dog-superiority better-than-others-attitude disunity condemned in First Corinthians 1:10-17.

There are devout Catholics who are Christians, as there are devout Protestants who are Christians. Catholics typically concentrate on and emphasize works plus faith for justification per James 2:24, while Lutherans/Baptists/Presbyterians/Covenant/Assembly-of-God/etc. concentrate on and emphasize faith alone apart from works of the law for justification per Romans chapter 3. Both types of Christians know that both faith and works are gifts from God which He bestowed upon them and which they neither originated themselves nor earned. Both realize that neither faith nor works atones for their sins, but only the one-time holy sacrifice of Christ Himself by Himself on a cross of crucifixion before His manifested resurrection and ascension. Biblical moral imperatives are honored and practiced by both, and both hold fast to the same Biblical prophetic outlook. Both declare similar Scripture-based creeds and statements of belief, although protestants do not accept the word "catholic" sometimes presumed equated with "universal christian" because of typical general-public word association with anti-Scriptural heresies of catholic maryolatry, purgatory, pseudo-canonical apocrapha, and so forth. Those of both denominational sectarian persuasions - like many Jews - been brought up in churches and families among peers who are fixated and close-mindedly hung up with non-Biblical preconceived prejudices and heresies not of nor in accord with the Sacred-66-book HOLY BIBLE, and thus need to grow (and will grow) in corrective understanding and maturity.

In stark contrast, concerning heretic and cultic catholics, Jesus instructed us to call no one "Father" on earth, because we have one Father in heaven. Many catholics wrongly respond by calling bishops, cardinals, and the pope "Father." An inferior-gender weaker-sex woman somewhere in the New Testament gospels raised her chauvenistic sexist-feminist voice shouting "Blessed in the Womb who bore you, and the Breasts you sucked" to which Jesus replied "Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and keep it" - to which a significant percentage of catholics respond by blasphemously praying to the pseudo-divinity of the Womb and the Breasts of the initially-virgin and redemption-requiring Mary whom catholics incorrectly presume is perpetually virgin and absolutely sinless who (to them) never birthed the brothers of Jesus but is Co-Redeemer with Jesus and already bodily ascended into heaven. [That feminine-in-all-Nature, Mother-is-best immentality is tied in to everything from homosexuality to girly porn acquisition and retention]. The Old Testament commands us to receive no tattoos, and a majority of catholics respond by tattooing their foreheads each Ash Wednesday with Ash, as if that sanctifies and atones for them. Instead of faith, not-in-Scripture physical signs are instituted and adhered to.

As with other particularly-cultic-catholic heresies (but those of some reformed 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, or purported human saints, or one's own self-appointed and made-up acclamation....but not the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ Himself.....in the attempt to establish church-leadership authority.

It is without argument that Paul was appointed an apostle, both by His affirmation of such in II Timothy 1:11 but also by the record of his brilliant-face-of-Jesus Damascus-road encounter and conversion [Acts 9:1-22].

As to the Apostle Paul defending his apostleship, he seriously questioned whether he and his ilk needed to show earned or honorary academic-degree-type credentials from Satan's parochial or public schools, colleges, universities, professors - [allegedly] "accredited" by the Devil's religious or secular "accrediting" groups and organizations of so-called "education" and "learning" [II Corinthians 3:1].

Moreover, he considered it 'a small thing' to be judged by any human court, with their associated secular and godless attorneys, clerks, and judges. [Keep in mind Paul's respectful conduct and conversion with Roman law-enforcement officials, magistrates, kings, etc. in the book of Acts].

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 and receive the Holy Spririt - NOT ordain Paul to apostleship.

There are, of course, legitimate humanity-utilized ordinations of genuine ecclesiastical clergy of the Lord, frequently commissioned by the laying on of hands for blessing. Concordantly, in I Corinthians 12:28 God-through-Paul declared ordination for godly and Spirit-possessed pastors, teachers, etc:

But 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 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."

Again, the New-Testament authors probably did ordain and commission, plus require others to continue to ordain and commission, faithful men [II Timothy 2:1-2] (with or without 'laying on of hands')....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, deprecating and cheaping Christ's own once-in-history, once-for-all atonement by Himself alone, but as they themselves arrogantly and blasphemously presume God's perogative of forgiving sins of penitent communicants, excusing themselves to objectors by again presuming being commissioned by the Lord to so forgive themselves).

When Cornelius - who in Acts 10:25-26 had fallen down at the feet of and was going 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.

Do the contents of the New Testament apply to us now in the 21st century? IS Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today, and forever? Are we not spiritual (and even blood-descendant) progeny of the first Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians, Galatians, Thessalonians, and are not we present-day members of one or more of the continuing churches mentioned in the opening chapters of Revelation? In Revelation 1:6, the Apostle John stated that Jesus Christ has made us PRIESTS to 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 [Acts 11:12]. The Divine Voice in Acts 11:9 instructs everyone that 'What GOD has cleansed, you must not call common.' And who can withstand GOD who gives the same gifts to congregant lay people as was given to the Original Twelve Apostles? [Acts 11:16-18]

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. Therefore, Judas Iscariot is never called an apostle in the New Testament, even though he was one of The Twelve Disciples. Judas Iscariot never attained to that spiritual status of 'apostle' but was replaced by Matthias. The Group of Twelve was not a corporate- necessity number, but rather simply a preferential choice of the Lord. Author Enloe 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? (We do know from the Bible that the Apostle Paul was there, and the book of Acts ends with Paul paying his own expenses for two years with no mention of him allegedly being beheaded by Nero).

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 debatable. Spirit credentialing has not, does not now, and will never occur by genetic-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.

Presuming the words of any laid-hands-on superlative bishop or pope is as much etched-in-stone truth as what the original twelve apostles wrote in the New Testament smacks of the arrogant "we have Abraham as our [apostolic-succession] father" immentality from which blasphemy emanates the disgusting diarrhea of accursed substitute gospels and a different Jesus which Paul soundly condemned in his epistles. Why, one could be even burned at the stake for not mouthing the "one-true-church" catholic mantra of some hotshot ignoramus bishop or pope who (presuming that HIS Word is God's Word) ridiculously claims that the Earth is flat!

Along with purported "apostolic succession," the CULTIC of the catholic church have accumulated and perpetuated such obviously-wrong non-New-Testament heresies as:

(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 or non-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 "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 II Cor. 11:1-33 through II Cor. 12:1-12 with understandable boastfulness. And where is the record of Old-Testament prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Jonah, Hosea, Amos, Malachi, and others getting ordained and commissioned as prophets by the laying on of hands?

The position of "priest" is typically an OLD-Testament term, 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") 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 catholic managerial warden-type 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. Non-nicotene incense fumigates mosquitos, gnats, cockroaches, and allergic people. There's nothing like the smell of a grilled charbroiled steak or fresh-baked bread.

Judaizers insisting on their artificial terms of "ordained deacon, bishop, priest" and so on relish the display of their legalistic ritualism of all types of make-crosses-in-the-air, genuflecting types....worshipping the indirect, the things, the relics, and not the Savior and Lord Jesus Christ manifest through the invisible presence of the Holy Spirit....according to their own whims-at-the-moment, often-confusing/frequently-disruptive capreciousness.

Characteristic of the concept of "apostolic succession" is the factor of "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 blasphemous and results in 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 misstatement of:

GOD my lord? Was she thus calling her master Naaman "GOD" - or instead 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!"

A similar 20th-century misappropriation of "papal-vicar-of-Christ/bishop/archbishop-is-infallible" authority is the asinine 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? How about "Children obey your [toddler-raping-and-sodomizing, bank-robbing, President-assassinating, sniping-students, arsonating-the-White-House, Tylenol-poisoning, Trade-Towers-demolishing] parents (commanding you to conspire with them to commit such horrifying diabolical treachery and treasonous genocide)? [Again, sarcasm intended].

Interesting that the Apostle Peter tells us in Acts 5:32 that the Spirit is given to those who obey Christ and His doctrines (NOT those "ordained" ceremoniously or declared "ordained" by State licensing bureaucrats or fake religious archibishop/bishop-type clergy).