Apostolic succession
The succession of bishops from the apostles and the lists of bishops of the great churches. Part of Church office.
Passages that substantially address this topic, in date order.
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- 1 Clement 42.1Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · The gospel came from God through Christ to the apostles.
- 1 Clement 42.2Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Christ from God, the apostles from Christ: all in good order.
- 1 Clement 42.4Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · The apostles appointed bishops and deacons from their first converts.
- 1 Clement 44.1Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · The apostles foresaw strife over the office of bishop.
- 1 Clement 44.2Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · The apostles provided for others to succeed the leaders they appointed.
- 1 Clement 44.3Clement of Rome · ca. 95–97 (range ca. 70–100) · Leaders rightly appointed and blameless should not be removed.
- Against Heresies 3.2.2Irenaeus of Lyons · ca. 180–190 · Confronted with the tradition kept by the successions of presbyters, the heretics claim to be wiser than the presbyters and even the apostles.
- Against Heresies 3.3.1Irenaeus of Lyons · ca. 180–190 · The apostles' tradition is visible in every church through the bishops they appointed and their successors, who knew no secret doctrine.
- Against Heresies 3.3.2Irenaeus of Lyons · ca. 180–190 · Irenaeus points to the church of Rome, founded by Peter and Paul, whose apostolic tradition and succession of bishops confound the heretics.
- Against Heresies 3.3.3Irenaeus of Lyons · ca. 180–190 · Irenaeus lists the bishops of Rome from Linus to Eleutherius and cites Clement's letter as witness to the apostolic faith.
- Against Heresies 3.3.4Irenaeus of Lyons · ca. 180–190 · Polycarp, taught by apostles and martyred at Smyrna, and the church of Ephesus witness to the apostolic tradition against the heretics.
- Against Heresies 4.26.2Irenaeus of Lyons · ca. 180–190 · One must obey the presbyters who have the succession from the apostles and the gift of truth, and avoid heretics and schismatics.
- Against Heresies 4.26.5Irenaeus of Lyons · ca. 180–190 · The truth is to be learned in the Church from those who have the apostolic succession and a sound life and teaching.
- Against Heresies 4.33.8Irenaeus of Lyons · ca. 180–190 · True knowledge is the apostles’ teaching, kept in the Church through the succession of bishops with faithful reading of Scripture, and above all love.
- Prescription against Heretics 21Tertullian · ca. 203 · Only the preachers Christ sent are to be received, and their teaching is proved by agreement with the churches the apostles founded; the church's communion with those churches is the proof of its truth.
- Prescription against Heretics 32Tertullian · ca. 203 · Apostolic churches can show a succession of bishops going back to an apostle, as Smyrna from John and Rome from Peter; newer churches are apostolic by sharing the same doctrine, but heresies pass neither test.
- Refutation of All Heresies, Book 1, preface 6Hippolytus of Rome · ca. 222–235 · Only the Holy Spirit given to the church can refute heresy, and Hippolytus, as a successor of the apostles, must guard the church and teach.
- Homilies on Numbers 22.4Origen · ca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410) · Moses, not daring to choose his own successor, teaches church leaders never to hand on office by kinship or popular favour but to leave the choice to God; spiritually, Moses’ death is the end of the letter of the law, and Jesus leads the second people into the inheritance and gives the soul rest from inner warfare.
- Letter 45.3Cyprian of Carthage · 249/250–258 · Cyprian asked for the letters of the bishops who ordained Cornelius only to silence his slanderers; bishops, as the apostles' successors, must keep the church's unity and gather the straying sheep.
- Letter 75.16Cyprian of Carthage · 249/250–258 · The power to forgive sins was given to Peter and the apostles and passed to the bishops who succeed them; rival bishops are like Korah's band and share its fate.
- Church History 1.1.1Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Eusebius begins to set out the plan of his history: the apostolic successions, the church's leaders and writers, and the heretics who ravaged the flock.
- Church History 1.1.4Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · He will gather excerpts from earlier writers and weave them into a narrative, preserving at least the successions of the chief apostles in the notable churches.
- Church History 2.1.2Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · James the Just, called the Lord's brother as a son of Joseph, was the first bishop of Jerusalem.
- Church History 3.2.1Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Linus, mentioned in 2 Timothy, was the first bishop of Rome after Peter and Paul.
- Church History 3.4.8Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Crescens went to Gaul; Linus, with Paul in Rome, was the first bishop of Rome after Peter.
- Church History 3.4.9Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Clement, third bishop of Rome, is identified with Paul's co-worker.
- Church History 3.11.1Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · After James's death and Jerusalem's fall, the surviving apostles and the Lord's relatives chose Simeon son of Clopas, the Lord's cousin, as bishop of Jerusalem.
- Church History 3.13.1Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Titus succeeded Vespasian; Linus of Rome was succeeded by Anencletus; Domitian followed Titus.
- Church History 3.14.1Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Annianus of Alexandria died and was succeeded by Abilius.
- Church History 3.15.1Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Clement, whom Paul names as a co-worker, succeeded Anencletus as bishop of Rome.
- Church History 3.21.1Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Under Trajan, Cerdo became bishop of Alexandria; Clement, third after Linus and Anencletus, still led Rome.
- Church History 3.22.1Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · At Antioch Ignatius was second bishop after Evodius; Simeon was second at Jerusalem after James.
- Church History 4.1.1Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Around Trajan's twelfth year Primus became bishop of Alexandria and Alexander bishop of Rome.
- Church History 4.4.1Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Xystus succeeded Alexander at Rome, and Justus succeeded Primus at Alexandria.
- Church History 4.5.2Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Until Hadrian's siege Jerusalem had fifteen bishops, all Hebrew Christians, leading a church of Jewish believers.
- Church History 4.5.3Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Eusebius lists the fifteen Jewish-Christian bishops of Jerusalem from James to Judas.
- Church History 4.5.5Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Telesphorus succeeded Xystus at Rome, and Eumenes succeeded at Alexandria.
- Church History 4.11.6Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Pius succeeded Hyginus at Rome; at Alexandria Mark and then Celadion succeeded Eumenes.
- Church History 4.11.7Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Anicetus succeeded Pius at Rome; Hegesippus stayed in Rome from his time until Eleutherus.
- Church History 4.19.1Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Soter succeeded Anicetus at Rome, and Agrippinus succeeded Celadion at Alexandria.
- Church History 4.20.1Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Theophilus was sixth bishop of Antioch after Heros, Cornelius, and Eros.
- Church History 4.22.3Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Hegesippus (quoted): in Rome he compiled the succession of bishops; in every succession and city the teaching agrees with the law, prophets, and Lord.
- Church History 5.5.8Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Irenaeus succeeded Pothinus as bishop of Lyons; in youth he had heard Polycarp.
- Church History 5.5.9Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · In Against Heresies Book 3, Irenaeus lists the bishops of Rome down to Eleutherus.
- Church History 5.6.1Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Irenaeus: the apostles entrusted the church of Rome to Linus, followed by Anencletus.
- Church History 5.6.2Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Clement, third bishop of Rome, had known the apostles and their teaching.
- Church History 5.6.4Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Irenaeus continues the Roman list to Eleutherus, the twelfth bishop after the apostles.
- Church History 5.6.5Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Through this succession the apostolic tradition and truth have reached Irenaeus's day.
- Church History 5.12.2Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Eusebius lists the bishops of Jerusalem from Mark to Narcissus, the thirtieth after the apostles.
- Church History 5.22.1Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Eusebius lists the bishops of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Caesarea, Jerusalem, Corinth, and Ephesus around 189.
- Homilies 3.60Anonymous · 4th century (reworking earlier material) · Peter calls for prayer to choose a successor who will sit on the seat of Christ, citing the parable of the faithful and unfaithful servant.
- Recognitions 0.1Anonymous · Greek original 3rd–4th century; Rufinus's Latin translation before 407 · Rufinus dedicates his Latin translation of the Recognitions to Gaudentius, explains his method and omissions, and reconciles Clement's succession with the Roman bishops Linus and Cletus.
- Theophany 4.24Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 325–337
- Canon 23Anonymous · 341 · A bishop may not name his own successor; a new bishop is chosen only by a synod of the bishops with that authority.
- Long recension, Antiochians 2Anonymous · later 4th century (probable) · Ignatius shows from Moses, the prophets, the evangelists and the apostles that the one God has a Son who became man and suffered, condemns those who deny either, and reminds the Antiochians of Paul, Peter and Evodius.
- Oration 21.8Gregory of Nazianzus · ca. 362–383 · Gregory contrasts Athanasius’s lawful, spiritual election to the see of Mark with later violent intrusions, and praises his balanced character as a bishop.
- Oration 34.2Gregory of Nazianzus · ca. 362–383 · Gregory praises Egypt for feeding the world with grain and with sound doctrine, through Athanasius and his successor Peter, who withstood every pressure without betraying the Trinity.
- Against Parmenian the Donatist 2.3Optatus of Milevis · ca. 366–385 · Optatus lists the bishops of Rome from Peter to Siricius, with whom the Catholics and the whole world are in communion, and challenges the Donatists to show the origin of their chair.
- Prologue to the Commentary on 2 TimothyAmbrosiaster · ca. 366–384 · Paul writes again to urge Timothy toward martyrdom and to warn of coming errors, wishing him the one grace of Father and Son and a succession of fit teachers after him.
- Question 110, section 7Ambrosiaster · ca. 370–384 · Rival bishops who set up seats outside or against the church, breaking the succession that began with Peter, also sit in the chair of pestilence and will be punished like Korah and Uzziah.
- Panarion (Adversus Haereses), Haer. 1-64 27.6.2Epiphanius of Salamis · 374-377 · The first bishops of Rome.
- Panarion (Adversus Haereses), Haer. 1-64 27.6.3Epiphanius of Salamis · 374-377 · Why Clement followed Linus and Cletus.
- Panarion (Adversus Haereses), Haer. 1-64 27.6.4Epiphanius of Salamis · 374-377 · Clement may have declined the episcopate at first.
- Panarion (Adversus Haereses), Haer. 1-64 27.6.6Epiphanius of Salamis · 374-377 · Epiphanius conjectures how Clement came to be bishop.
- Panarion (Adversus Haereses), Haer. 1-64 27.6.7Epiphanius of Salamis · 374-377 · The list of Roman bishops to Anicetus.
- Apostolic Constitutions 7.46.1Anonymous · ca. 380 · A list of bishops ordained by the apostles follows.
- Apostolic Constitutions 7.46.2Anonymous · ca. 380 · The first bishops of Jerusalem were James, Simeon and Judas.
- Apostolic Constitutions 7.46.3Anonymous · ca. 380 · The first bishops of Caesarea were Zacchaeus, Cornelius and Theophilus.
- Apostolic Constitutions 7.46.4Anonymous · ca. 380 · Euodius and Ignatius were the first bishops of Antioch.
- Apostolic Constitutions 7.46.5Anonymous · ca. 380 · Annianus and Avilius were the first bishops of Alexandria.
- Apostolic Constitutions 7.46.6Anonymous · ca. 380 · Linus and Clement were the first bishops of Rome.
- Apostolic Constitutions 7.46.7Anonymous · ca. 380 · Timothy and John were bishops of Ephesus.
- Apostolic Constitutions 7.46.10Anonymous · ca. 380 · Paul ordained bishops in Cenchreae, Crete, Athens and Tripolis.
- Letter 53.2Augustine of Hippo · ca. 386–430 · Augustine lists the bishops of Rome from Peter to Anastasius and notes that no Donatist bishop appears in the succession.
- Letter 53.3Augustine of Hippo · ca. 386–430 · Augustine argues that even an unworthy bishop in the succession would not harm the church, since the faithful hope in the Lord, not in men.
- On the Profit of Believing 35Augustine of Hippo · ca. 391–392 · Seeing the moral fruit of the church, secured by divine providence, one should not hesitate to embrace the Catholic church, whose authority descends from the apostolic see through the succession of bishops.
- Lines 219–231Augustine of Hippo · 393 · Catholics do not rebaptize because Donatist baptism has the true form, like a severed branch, but without life from the root; the succession of bishops from Peter’s see is the rock the gates of hell do not conquer.
- Against the Epistle of Manichaeus Called Fundamental 4Augustine of Hippo · ca. 396–397 · Augustine lists what holds him in the Catholic Church (the consent of nations, its authority, the succession of bishops from Peter’s see, and its very name) unless the Manichaeans can show the truth plainly.
- Against Faustus the Manichaean 13.5Augustine of Hippo · ca. 398–400 · Augustine argues that report, if trusted, testifies against the Manichaeans and for the Christ of the scriptures, whose authority rests on the churches' succession and fulfilled prophecy.
- Against Faustus the Manichaean 28.2Augustine of Hippo · ca. 398–400 · Augustine appeals to the Church’s unbroken succession from the apostles as guarantee that Matthew’s Gospel, with its account of the birth, is Matthew’s, against Mani’s books and apocryphal writings.
- Against Faustus the Manichaean 28.4Augustine of Hippo · ca. 398–400 · Augustine argues that Christ’s own words are known only through the apostles, that the Church’s succession guarantees Matthew’s Gospel, and that even Paul gained authority only by agreement with the apostles.
- Against Faustus the Manichaean 32.21Augustine of Hippo · ca. 398–400 · Augustine argues that the apostolic authorship of the New Testament is known through continuous succession, just as the Manichaeans know their books are Mani’s.
- Against Faustus the Manichaean 33.6Augustine of Hippo · ca. 398–400 · Augustine argues that the apostolic writings are known to be genuine by continuous testimony and the succession of bishops, just as the works of Hippocrates, Plato, and Cicero are known, and spurious works rejected.
- Against Faustus the Manichaean 33.9Augustine of Hippo · ca. 398–400 · Augustine closes by urging the Manichaeans to follow the authority of Scripture as handed down by apostolic succession, or at least to believe God’s nature unchangeable and incorruptible, and so cease to be Manichaeans.