Editing Apostolic succession (section)

==Apostolicity as doctrinal and related continuity==
Some [[Protestant]] denominations, not including Scandinavian Lutherans, Anglicans and Moravians, deny the need of maintaining episcopal continuity with the early Church, holding that the role of the apostles was that, having been chosen directly by Jesus as witnesses of his resurrection, they were to be the "special instruments of the Holy Spirit in founding and building up the Church".<ref name=Litton>Litton, E.A. ''Introduction to Dogmatic Theology''. James Clarke & Co: 1960, p.388-389</ref> Anglican theologian E. A. Litton argues that the Church is "built upon 'the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles',<ref>Ephes. ii. 20</ref> but a foundation does not repeat itself"; therefore he says that when the apostles died, they were replaced by their writings.<ref name=Litton/> To share with the apostles the same faith, to believe their word as found in the Scriptures, to receive the same Holy Spirit, is to many Protestants the only meaningful "continuity". The most meaningful ''apostolic succession'' for them, then, is a "faithful succession" of apostolic teaching.

[[Max Thurian]], before his conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1988, described the classic [[Reformed tradition|Reformed]]/[[Presbyterian]] concept of apostolic succession in the following terms. "The Christian ministry is not derived from the people but from the pastors; a scriptural ordinance provides for this ministry being renewed by the ordination of a presbyter by presbyters; this ordinance originates with the apostles, who were themselves presbyters, and through them it goes back to Christ as its source.".<ref>quoted by Thurian from a report to the 1911 General Assembly of the Church of Scotland</ref> Then he continued:
<blockquote>"it does not guarantee the continuity and faithfulness of the Church. A purely historical or mechanical succession of ministers, bishops or pastors would not mean ''ipso facto'' true apostolic succession in the church, Reformed tradition, following authentic Catholic tradition, distinguishes four realities which make up the true apostolic succession, symbolized, but not absolutely guaranteed, by ministerial succession."<ref name="Thurian">Thurian, Max. ''Priesthood & Ministry''. Paula Clifford (tr) Mowbrays: 1983, pp.167f</ref> At the same time Thurian argued that the realities form a "composite faithfulness" and are (i) "perseverance in the apostolic doctrine"; (ii) "the will to proclaim God's word"; (iii) "communion in the fundamental continuity of the Church, the Body of Christ, the faithful celebration of Baptism and the Eucharist"; (iv) "succession in the laying on of hands, the sign of ministerial continuity".<ref name="Thurian" /></blockquote>

According to [[Walter Kasper]], the Reformed-Catholic dialogue came to belief that there is an apostolic succession which is important to the life of the Church, though both sides distinguish the meaning of that succession. Besides, the dialogue states that apostolic succession "consists at least in continuity of apostolic doctrine, but this is not in opposition to succession through continuity of ordained ministry".<ref>''Ref I'', 100</ref><ref name=Kasper>{{cite book |title=Harvesting the Fruits: Basic Aspects of Christian Faith in Ecumenical Dialogue |author=Walter Kasper |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |year=2009 |isbn=9781441136817}}</ref>{{rp|85}} While the Lutheran-Catholic dialogue distinguished between apostolic succession in faith (in substantive meaning) and apostolic succession as ministerial succession of bishops, it agreed that "succession in the sense of the succession of ministers must be seen within the succession of the whole church in the apostolic faith".<ref>''Ministry'', 61; cf. ''Malta'', 48</ref><ref name=Kasper/>{{rp|84}}

The [[Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church]] asserts that apostolic succession means something more than just a transmission of authorities; it witnesses to the apostolic faith from the same apostolic faith, and in communion with other churches (attached to the apostolic communion). Apostolic tradition deals with the community, not only an ordained bishop as an isolated person. Since the bishop, once ordained, becomes the guarantor of apostolicity and successor of the apostles; he joins all the bishops, thus maintaining ''episkope'' of the local churches derived from the college of the apostles.<ref name=Finland1988/>