OFFICE may be that, but there is ZERO evidence that ANY Apostle was a bishop.
Anywhere.
As I ALREADY showed you - MANY times - the Apostles WERE bishops and I PROVED it with Scripture:
The Greek word used here is επισκοπην (Episkopae), which means "Bishopric".
I don't accept that the word "Apostle" and "Bishop" are identical....
Or that simply because the word for "office" is the same, ergo Apostles and Bishops are the same.
Nor did you show that:
1) ONLY 12 men had the ability to forgive sins...
2) Judas re-gifted this after his death (how DID Judas do that, after his death?)
3) Judas is the RC denomination and/or your priest - or that Matthias is.
It wasn't for Judas to pass on because he killed himself.
.... SO, IF (and you still have don't NOTHING to so indicate), Judas AS AN APOSTLE (not Bishop) got some (as yet mysterious) unmitigated POWER to do (as yet untold) things as a gift from Jesus, then where did Jesus say these are re-gifted to the RCC upon his death and then the RCC can re-gift them to whomever it chooses?
Where does it say that Matthias go ANY of the (as yet mysterious) POWERS you claim that ONLY the Apostles (and not Bishops) got from Jesus?
And, pray tell, WHAT IN THE WORLD does that have to do with the RC Denomination today or with your priest?
Where did Jesus or any Apostle say that?
Specifically WHAT "authority" is given exclusively and specifically to "bishops?"
Acts 15:24"Since we have heard that some of our number [who went out] without any mandate from us have upset you with their teachings and disturbed your peace of mind".
You see - the Apostles - the EPISKOPOI (Bishops) had ALL Authority over the Church - just as Jesus promised (Matt. 16:18-19, 18:15-18, John 16:12-15, 20:21-23).
Who is the "us?"
Matthew 15:24 says nothing about "just as Jesus promised."
Where does this say ANYTHING WHATSOEVER about only the Apostles having the ability to forgive sins, much less that this has been re-gifted to the RC Denomination?
NOW - give me some SCRIPTURAL evidence to counter what I have explained.
It's YOUR position, the ball is in YOUR court.
I'm waiting for you to present SOMETHING from Jesus that He authorized ONLY the 12 Apostles to forgive sins, and yet Jesus authorized ONLY priests of the RC Denomination to forgive sins (I'm curious about that blatant contradiction of yours), where Jesus said ANYTHING about ANYONE regifting ANYTHING, where Jesus so much as even mentioned the word "succession" in any context or anything at all, where Scripture says that Apostle = Bishop, and where (pray tell) it says ANYTHING AT ALL about the RC Denomination or the clergy thereof, for anything at all - and specifically that they alone may forgive. When you have something, we can discuss it. The ball is in your court. You are the one insisting that Jesus said and did these things, you have just not yet provided the quotes from Jesus. Or any Apostle. Or any Scripture.
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