Apostolic Succession
An unbroken chain of bishops reaching back to the apostles
Apostolic succession is the continuity of the Church's ministry through bishops in unbroken line from the apostles, witnessed early by Clement of Rome, Irenaeus, and Hegesippus. Traditions differ on its weight: it is central to the order of the Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican churches, while many Protestant traditions understand it differently or de-emphasize it in favor of continuity in apostolic teaching.
How it traveled
- ActsRome · 84explains
- The Prescription Against Heretics.— · 220explains
- The Epistles of Cyprian.Carthage · 258explains
- The First Ecumenical Council: The First Council of NiceNicaea · 325explains
- The Church History of EusebiusCaesarea · 339explains
- The Canons of the Councils of Ancyra, Gangra, Neocæsarea, Antioch and Laodicea, which Canons were Accepted and Received by the Ecumenical Synods— · 360explains
- Defence Against the Arians. (Apologia Contra Arianos.)Alexandria · 373explains
- The LettersCaesarea (Cappadocia) · 379explains
- Select Orations of Saint Gregory NazianzenNazianzus · 390explains
- Selections from the Letters of St. AmbroseMilan · 397explains
- A Commentary on the Acts of the ApostlesConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- Homilies on First CorinthiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- Homilies on Second CorinthiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and PhilemonConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and EphesiansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John ChrysostomConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the RomansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and ThessaloniansConstantinople (Istanbul) · 407explains
- The Letters of St. JeromeBethlehem · 420explains
- Jerome and Gennadius. Lives of Illustrious MenBethlehem · 420explains
- Letters of St. AugustinHippo Regius · 430explains
- On Baptism, Against the DonatistsHippo Regius · 430explains
- Answer to the Letters of Petilian, the DonatistHippo Regius · 430explains
- Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. JohnHippo Regius · 430explains
- Expositions on the Book of PsalmsHippo Regius · 430explains
- The Third Ecumenical Council: The Council of EphesusEphesus · 431explains
- The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates ScholasticusConstantinople (Istanbul) · 439explains
- The Ecclesiastical History of SozomenConstantinople (Istanbul) · 450explains
- The Fourth Ecumenical Council. The Council of ChalcedonChalcedon · 451explains
- The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of TheodoretCyrrhus · 458explains
- The Letters and Sermons of Leo the GreatRome · 461explains
- The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the GreatRome · 604explains
- Selected Epistles of Gregory the GreatRome · 604explains
- The Canons of the Synods of Sardica, Carthage, Constantinople, and Carthage Under St. Cyprian, Which Canons Were Received by the Council in Trullo and Ratified by II. NiceConstantinople (Istanbul) · 692explains
- The Canons of the Council in Trullo; Often Called The Quinisext CouncilConstantinople (Istanbul) · 692explains
- The Seventh Ecumenical Council. The Second Council of NiceNicaea · 787explains
- Treatise on the Sacraments (qq[60]-90)Paris · 1274explains
- Commentary on GalatiansWittenberg · 1546explains
- Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic ChurchGeneva · 1564explains
- A History of the Work of RedemptionNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
Key passages(20)
Tradition and Traditions · Yves Congar
Against Heresies: Book III · Irenaeus of Lyons
1. It is within the power of all, therefore, in every Church, who may wish to see the truth, to contemplate clearly the tradition of the apostles manifested throughout the whole world; and we are in a
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Against Heresies: Book IV · Irenaeus of Lyons
1. If any one, therefore, reads the Scriptures with attention, he will find in them an account of Christ, and a foreshadowing of the new calling (vocationis). For Christ is the treasure which was hid
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Against Heresies: Book V · Irenaeus of Lyons
1. Now all these [heretics] are of much later date than the bishops to whom the apostles committed the Churches; which fact I have in the third book taken all pains to demonstrate. It follows, then, a
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Against the Epistle of Manichæus, Called Fundamental · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 4.—Proofs of the Catholic Faith. 5. For in the Catholic Church, not to speak of the purest wisdom, to the knowledge of which a few spiritual men attain in this life, so as to know it, in the
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Book VII. Concerning the Christian Life, and the Eucharist, and the Initiation into Christ · Constitutions of the Holy Apostles
XLVI. Now concerning those bishops which have been ordained in our lifetime, we let you know that they are these:—James the bishop of Jerusalem, the brother of our Lord;Simeon the son of Cleopas; afte
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Letters of St. Augustin · Augustine of Hippo
Letter LIII. (a.d. 400.) To Generosus, Our Most Loved and Honourable Brother, Fortunatus, Alypius, and Augustin Send Greeting in the Lord. Chap. I. 1. Since you were pleased to acquaint us with th
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The Church History of Eusebius · Eusebius of Caesarea
Chapter VI.—Catalogue of the Bishops of Rome. 1. “The blessed apostles Namely, Peter and Paul; but neither of them founded the Roman church. See above, Bk. II. chap. 25, note 17. On Linus, see abov
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The Prescription Against Heretics. · Anti-marcion
Chapter XXXII.—None of the Heretics Claim Succession from the Apostles. New Churches Still Apostolic, Because Their Faith is that Which the Apostles Taught and Handed Down. The Heretics Challenged to
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The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great · Pope Leo the Great
Letter LII. From Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus, to Leo. (See vol. iii. of this Series, p. 293.) To Leo, bishop of Rome. I. If Paul appealed to Peter how much more must ordinary folk have recourse to h
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A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles · John Chrysostom
“For he was numbered with us,” (πρὥτος τοῦ πράγματος αὐθεντει absent from A.B.C ) says Peter. On this account it behooves to propose another; to be a witness in his place. And see how he imitates his
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Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church · John Calvin
11. At length the Roman Pontiff, not content with moderate districts, laid hands first on kingdoms, and thereafter on empire. And that he may on some pretext or other retain possession, secured by mer
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Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church · John Calvin
COMPARISON BETWEEN THE FALSE CHURCH AND THE TRUE. The divisions of the chapter are,—I. Description of a spurious Church, resembling the Papacy vaunting of personal succession, of which a refutation i
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Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church · John Calvin
9. I come to the seculars, some of whom are (as they speak) beneficiaries; that is, have offices by which they are maintained, while others let out their services, day by day, to chant or say masses,
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Book VIII. Concerning Gifts, and Ordinations, and the Ecclesiastical Canons · Constitutions of the Holy Apostles
XLVI. Now this we all in common do charge you, that every one remain in that rank which is appointed him, and do not transgress his proper bounds; for they are not ours, but God’s. For says the Lord:
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Commentary on Galatians · Martin Luther
What could Paul say to that? He answered: “What they say has no bearing on the argument. If the apostles were angels from heaven, that would not impress me. We are not now discussing the excellency of
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Ephraim Syrus: The Nisibene Hymns · Ephrem the Syrian
Hymn XVII. Concerning Abraham, Bishop of Nisibis. 1. Suffer, O Lord, that even my lowliness, should cast into Thy treasury its farthing, even as the merchant of our flock, who made increase of his t
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Ephraim Syrus: The Nisibene Hymns · Ephrem the Syrian
Hymn XVIII. 1. O thou who art made priest after thy master, the illustrious after the excellent, the chaste after the grave, the watchful after the abstinent, thy master from thee has not departed; i
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Epistle to the Smyrnæans: Shorter and Longer Versions · Ignatius of Antioch
See that ye all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as ye would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institutionLet no man do anything connecte
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Homilies on S. Ignatius and S. Babylas · John Chrysostom
homilies on s. ignatius and s. babylas. ———————————— eulogy. On the holy martyr Saint Ignatius, the god-bearer, arch-bishop of Antioch the great, who was carried off to Rome, and there suffered mar
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Modern teachers who discuss this idea
Modern and living teachers whose books take up Apostolic Succession. These works are still in copyright, so we can’t show the text here — each links out to the book.
- Yves CongarTradition and Traditions(1960)View on Amazon→