Apostolic Succession: Episcopal Formation

By Christopher Bryant

Explore the the profound theological implications of apostolic succession with this in-depth study examining the foundations and historical development of this pivotal concept.

Apostolic succession, the unbroken lineage of bishops extending back to the original apostles, has profoundly shaped Christian identity since the church's inception. In this comprehensive book, Rt. Rev. Christopher Bryant traces the origins of apostolic succession from biblical antecedents through extensive analysis of the Church Fathers' writings.

Delving into the multifaceted nature of apostolic succession, Bryant outlines its various types, including succession of the hand (tactile succession), succession of the chair (occupying the apostolic seat), and doctrinal succession (preserving the apostolic teachings). He illuminates succession's vital role as a mark of apostolicity and a safeguard against heresy in the early church.

Exploring apostolic succession's purpose, the book reveals how this lineage of ordained leaders preserves the transmission of authority, church doctrine, sacramental grace, and the "chain of custody" of the apostolic heritage. Apostolic succession emerges as the backbone providing continuity, unity and mission across centuries of Christian history.

Shifting to modern issues, Bryant engages key tensions between Protestant ordination and Catholic Holy Orders. He offers balanced perspective on succession's validity in independent churches, drawing insights from Eastern and Western theology. The book concludes by assessing succession's far-reaching impacts on pivotal doctrines like ecclesiology and pneumatology.  

Well-researched and accessibly written, this book provides a comprehensive understanding of apostolic succession's role in shaping Christian identity. It offers invaluable perspective for anyone seeking to grasp this foundational, yet often controversial facet of our shared faith tradition.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Greater Than Publishing Group
• Release date: Jul 19, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223393368

Christopher Bryant

Christopher Bryant is a maverick omnipreneur and a Bishop in the United Anglican Convergence Church. A person who has struggled with fear in the past, he believes it was his Faith in God and application of spiritual principles that allowed him to overcome. Now he releases this devotional to you so you too can experience freedom from fear. He comes home everyday to his wife Maisha, and their two children, Gracie and Haddie.

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Rt. Rev. Christopher Bryant, PhD

Apostolic Succession

First published by The Greater Than Publishing Group 2023

Copyright © 2023 by Rt. Rev. Christopher Bryant, PhD

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

Rt. Rev. Christopher Bryant, PhD has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

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Contents

Preface

I. UNDERSTANDING APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION

1. Defining Apostolic Succession

Defining Apostolic Succession

Conclusions

2. Old Testament Foundations

The Old Testament Priesthood of All in Covenant with God

The High Priests

The General Priesthood

The Levites

Conclusions

3. New Testament Foundations

I Will Build My Church

Guard the Deposit

Paul’s Instructions to Timothy

Conclusions

4. Apostolic Succession in the Church Fathers

Apostolic Succession in the Church Fathers

St. Clement — A.D. 80

Ignatius — A.D. c. 115

To the Magnesians

To the Philadelphians

To the Trallians

To the Smyrnaeans

Hegesippus — A.D. 180

Irenaeus — A.D. 189

Against Heresies III:3:1

Against Heresies, Book III:3:3

Against Heresies, Book III:4:1

Against Heresies, Book IV:26:2, 5

Against Heresies, Book IV:33:8

Tertullian — c. A.D. 200s

The Donatist Controversy

St. Cyprian’s Response to Donatism

St. Augustine’s Response to Donatism

Conclusions

5. The Point of Apostolic Succession

Transmission of Authority

A Mark of Apostolicity

The Church’s Chain of Custody

Transmission of Sacramental Grace

Conclusions

6. Current Trends and Issues in Apostolic Succession

Tensions Between Protestant Ordination and Catholic Holy Orders

Intent - From Preaching Elders to Sacrificing Priests

Ontology - Function Versus Transformation

Implications for Ecumenism and Shared Understanding

Contemporary Abuses: Dubious Successions and Claims

Issues of Intent

Issues of Integrity

Consequences of Misuse

Apostolic Succession in Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity

Spiritual Power Versus Institutional Continuity

Spiritual Fathering and Fruitfulness

Recovering Sacramental Theology

Perspectives on Apostolic Succession’s Validity in Independent Churches

The West’s Perspective - Succession’s Validity Beyond Institutional Approval

The East’s Perspective - Schism Severs the Stream of Grace

Toward Mutuality and Nuance

7. Securing The Validity of Orders Outside of the Historic Churches

The West’s Legacy - Objective Standards Protect Validity

Cautions from the East - Continuity Requires Communion

Prudence Mandates Staying Vigilant of Pitfalls

Conclusion - Blending Objective and Subjective to Sustain Apostolic Life

8. Apostolic Succession as Promise, Not Guarantee

The Weight of Succession

Succession as Signpost, Not Guarantee

Diverse Signs of Continuity

Room for Imperfection and Progress

The Spirit Sustaining Across History

Promise in Place of Presumption

9. Theological Impact of Apostolic Succession

The Impact of Apostolic Succession on Ecclesiology

Apostolicity

Authority

The Unity of the Church

Conclusions

The Impact of Apostolic Succession on The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit Aids and Preserves Correct Doctrine in the Office of the Bishop Individually.

The Holy Spirit Aids and Preserves Correct Doctrine in the Office of the Bishop Collectively.

The Holy Spirit Empowers the Apostles and their Successors.

As Demonstrated at the Commissioning of the Apostles

As Demonstrated in Jesus’ Own Ministry

As Demonstrated by Pauls’ Impartation to Timothy

In The Forms for Ordination

In the Unity of the Church, through it’s Bishop

Conclusions

10. Conclusions

Implications of This Book

Bibliography

Notes

Preface

The endurance of the Christian faith over millennia is a remarkable testament to the providence of God. Among the many concepts that have allowed the Church to maintain its continuity and coherence across vastly different times and places is the doctrine of apostolic succession. This vital linkage between the contemporary Church and the original followers of Jesus has shaped the identity of Christianity since its inception.

In this book, taken from my PhD dissertation, I endeavor to provide a comprehensive examination of apostolic succession and its multifaceted implications for Christian theology and practice. As a defining attribute of the Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican traditions, apostolic succession has profoundly impacted liturgy, ecclesiology, priestly authority, and church governance over the centuries. The lineages claimed by certain independent churches also rely heavily on this doctrine as their source of legitimacy and connection to the early apostles.

However, apostolic succession remains a complex phenomenon with layers of history and theology that warrant in-depth exploration. My research traces the development of this concept from its biblical antecedents and foundations through the writings of the Church Fathers. I analyze the purpose and forms of apostolic succession, contemporary issues surrounding it, and its relationship to pivotal doctrines like the Holy Spirit and ecclesiology.

In examining this unbroken chain that links modern Christianity to its origins, I aim to shed light on an often controversial but undeniably central tenet of our faith. My goal is to stimulate thoughtful engagement and discussion, challenging believers across all denominations to connect meaningfully with the apostolic heritage we share. As the Church continues to evolve in a rapidly changing world, understanding this doctrine can anchor us in our collective past even as we discern where the Spirit may be guiding us in the future. I invite readers to join me on this journey of illuminating a concept at the very heart of the Christian story.

I

Understanding Apostolic Succession

1

Defining Apostolic Succession

There are fewer subjects that cause consternation in protestant and independent sacramental churches than that of apostolic succession. It is an issue important to ecclesiology, to Holy Orders, to ecumenism, and beyond. It is a preeminent mark of apostolicity, itself one of the four marks of the church. It is therefore believed that without it, one has an ecclesial gathering, but not a church. As of late in certain branches of Christendom, it is regarded as a mark of legitimate ministry. In others, it is the only means by which valid ministry is constituted. The lack of it in protestant churches is one of the barriers to full communion with the Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox Churches.

Here we will discuss apostolic succession, what it is, what it takes to have it, why it is important, and more. Let us attend.¹

Defining Apostolic Succession

The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church states that apostolic succession is:

The method whereby the ministry of the Christian Church is held to be derived from the apostles by a continuous succession. It has usually been associated with an assertion that a series of bishops have maintained the succession. These bishops have been regarded as succeeding the apostles because: 1) they perform the functions of the apostles;2) their commission goes back to the apostles; 3) they succeed one another in the same sees, the derivation of which may be traced back to the communion of the apostles; and 4) by some writers because through their consecration to the episcopal office they inherit from the apostles the transmission of the Holy Spirit which empowers them for the performance of their work (Cross & Livingstone, 1997)

This gives us a working definition by which we can develop our understanding.

There are several kids of apostolic succession. There is the succession of the hand, which also known as historic succession and tactile succession. This refers to the personal succession of individual bishops from their consecrator(s) by the laying on of hands. Then there is the succession of the chair or succession of the see, by which is meant that there is a succession of bishops who occupy a specific seat or office. Finally, there is doctrinal succession, or the faithful transmission of the deposit of faith through succeeding generations, guarded by the bishops. Inherent in both tactile succession and the succession of the chair is the idea that the animating principle behind the apostolic witness in the bishop is the Holy Spirit.

These types of succession, as embodied in an individual bishop, are then convergent. That is, they comprise and embody the Liturgical/Sacramental (Apostolic Authority), Evangelical (Apostolic Doctrine/The Deposit of Faith), and Charismatic/Pentecostal (Apostolic Anointing/Apostolic Grace) streams of the church.

It is important to note, that succession of the hand or chair alone is insufficient in and of themselves because the original and most constitutive purpose of apostolic succession was to act as a sort of chain of custody for the Deposit of Faith and the Apostolic Tradition. Rather, as Thomas C. Oden says, to the historical succession must be added the grace of accurate recollection and obedience to the original apostolic testimony, and the grace-enabled determination to guard and transmit it without novel accretions or substitutions.² If you have either historic succession or succession of the chair and do not have doctrinal succession, then your succession is incomplete at best, or non-existent at worst. Similarly, if one does not have the anointing of the Holy Spirit, one cannot function effectively in this grace and order. All three are necessary.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the concept of apostolic succession, as discussed in this chapter, is multi-faceted, comprising the succession of the hand, the succession of the chair, and doctrinal succession. Each strand, individually and in conjunction with the others, plays a crucial role in shaping the ecclesiological fabric of the Christian Church, particularly within the Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox Churches. As a mark of apostolicity and legitimacy of ministry, apostolic succession holds significant theological and practical implications, not only for the nature and constitution of the Church but also for its relationship with the broader Christian tradition.

The three types of succession are not standalone components but rather form an integrated