TITO S. CADELINA JR.

BSCRIM III

MY REFECTION ABOUT "CHURCH AS APOSTOLIC"

My perspective on the "Church as Apostolic" is that our Church is apostolic

because it holds and teaches the faith that Christ himself taught to the twelve apostles.
Because Jesus chose the apostles to carry on his mission after his death and
resurrection, we refer to them as "hand-picked successors." "You are Peter, and upon
this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against
it," Jesus said, entrusting the leadership of his Church to the apostle Peter (Matthew
16:18). As a result, Peter was the first bishop and pope. Jesus wasn't putting his friends
in positions of power, influence, or honor by his activities. Instead, he was asking them
to live a life of service to his Church as missionaries. This mission has been shared by
all subsequent bishops and popes up to the present day. As priests, prophets, and
kings, the pope and bishops are said to share in Christ's ministry. The pope and
bishops, as priests, celebrate the Eucharist and all the sacraments in order to guide
their people to holiness. They are the Church's official teachers as prophets. And, like
Jesus, they speak with power as kings. This is a crucial feature of our Church's
apostolic nature. The apostles were given authority to preach in Jesus' name. He
entrusted them with the power to baptize, heal, and forgive sins. He also gave them the
authority to make new Church disciples in order for their mission to continue indefinitely.
The apostolic succession assures the continuance of Christ's teachings through the
sacramental anointing of bishops and popes. "Without Jesus, there is no church," Pope
Francis remarked, adding that the church's faithfulness to the apostles' teaching and
preaching ensures that the church is teaching and sharing the true Jesus. "Through the
years, the church has preserved this valuable asset, which is the sacred Scriptures, the
sacraments, and the ministry of its pastors, so that we can be faithful to Christ and
share in his life," Pope Francis remarked. "The church is like a flowing river that
expands and irrigates," he explained, "but the water that runs is always that which
comes from the spring, Jesus himself" (Wooden, 2013).

Catholics believe the Pope has the gift of infallibility in his role as the Church's
official teacher. Infallibility is defined by the dictionary as "the attribute of being infallible;
the inability to be mistaken," or the ability to be error-free. The Holy Spirit protects the
Pope from error when he (1) wishes to teach (2) by virtue of his ultimate authority (3) on
a matter of faith and morality (4) to the entire Church. As a result, his teaching act is
referred to as "infallible," and the teaching he articulates is referred to as "irreformable."
(Mirus, undated). When the pope proclaims a teaching on faith or morals, we trust that it
is true and correct - not because the pope is infallible and incapable of making a
mistake, but because the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Truth, leads him in such issues.
Our Church's apostolic nature assures us that its teachings are founded on Christ. We
can be confident that by partaking in the sacraments, we will grow closer to Christ as a
result of grace. Pope Francis tells us that we are all summoned to "go out," just as
Jesus summoned the apostles. "Belonging to the apostolic Church means being aware
that our faith is anchored in the proclamation and witness of the very Apostles of Jesus
— it is anchored there, it is a long chain that comes from there —; and for this we
always feel sent, we always feel delegated, in communion with the Apostles'
successors, to proclaim Christ and his love to all mankind." (General Audience of 17
September 2014 | Francis).

The apostles were consulted on all sermons to ensure that the teachings were in
line with the Bible, revealed truth, and the apostles' doctrine. Many clergymen from the
Roman Catholic, Anglican, and other churches were among the Catholic Apostolic
Church's clergy. The process through which the Christian Church's ministry is claimed
to be derived from the apostles by a continual succession, which is frequently
accompanied with a claim that the succession is through a series of bishops, is known
as apostolic succession. The followers of the Apostolic faith believe that God exists in
just one form. They believe that each of them is a different version of Jesus. In Apostolic
culture, one must repent of his

or her sins and be baptized by immersion in order to be saved. Because the

kingdom of heaven already exists in her, the Church is one, holy, catholic, and
apostolic. This kingdom has come in Christ, is growing within believers' hearts, and will
be completely realized on the Last Day, when all believers are joined into one People of
God. This kingdom is the heavenly Jerusalem, which is built on the names of the twelve
apostles of the Lamb (Rev 21:14). Because the Church's origins and doctrines began
with the apostles at Pentecost, it is called apostolic. The Church is Apostolic for the
following reasons: It was erected on the Apostles' foundation. Through the Holy Spirit,
preserves and transmits the Apostles' teaching. Continues to be taught, sanctified, and
led by the Apostles' successors, the bishops. The Catholic Church is apostolic because
it is able to trace its lineage in unbroken continuity back to the Apostles. "And I tell you,"
Jesus continued to Peter, "you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and
death shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). "All authority in heaven and on earth
has been handed to me," He remarked to all the Apostles. Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey all I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you
always, until the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20).