Is apostolic succession biblical?

The doctrine of apostolic succession teaches that the twelve apostles passed their authority to successors. Each generation then passed that authority to the next, creating a continuous line that exists to this day. The Roman Catholic Church views Peter as the leader of the apostles and believes that his successors carry his authority. It also teaches that Peter became the first bishop of Rome. According to this view, the early church recognized the Roman bishops who succeeded Peter as the central authority over all churches. Apostolic succession, combined with Peter’s supremacy among the apostles, results in the Roman bishop—the Pope—being the supreme authority of the Catholic Church.


However, neither Jesus, the apostles, nor any other New Testament writers teach apostolic succession. Scripture never presents Peter as “supreme” over the other apostles. The apostle Paul, in fact, even rebukes Peter when Peter was leading others astray (Galatians 2:11–14). It’s clear that Peter had a prominent role and was the leader of the apostles, although the book of Acts records that Paul and Jesus’ brother James also had prominent leadership roles. Nevertheless, Peter was not the “commander” or supreme authority over the other apostles. Even if Scripture discussed apostolic succession—which it doesn’t—the concept would not result in Peter’s successors being supreme over the other apostles’ successors.

The Catholic Church points to Matthias replacing Judas as the twelfth apostle in Acts chapter 1 as an example of apostolic succession. While Matthias did succeed Judas as an apostle, this is not an argument for continuing apostolic succession. Matthias replacing Judas is only an argument for the church replacing an ungodly and unfaithful leader with godly and faithful leaders. The New Testament never teaches that the twelve apostles passed on their apostolic authority to successors. The apostles also never predicted they would pass on their apostolic authority.

Jesus ordained the apostles to build the foundation of the church (Ephesians 2:20). What is the foundation of the church that the apostles built? The New Testament—the record of the deeds and teachings of the apostles. For this reason, the church does not need apostolic successors. The church needs the teachings of the apostles accurately recorded and preserved. This is precisely what God has provided the church in His Word (Ephesians 1:13; Colossians 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:15; 4:2).

The Catholic Church claims that a lack of ongoing apostolic authority results in doctrinal confusion and chaos. It is true that the apostles taught that false teachers would arise (2 Peter 2:1). Admittedly, the lack of “supreme authority” among non-Catholic churches results in different interpretations of the Bible. However, these differences in interpretation are not the result of Scripture being unclear. Rather, they result from even non-Catholic Christians carrying on the Catholic tradition of interpreting Scripture in accordance with their own traditions. If Christians and churches study Scripture in its entirety and in its proper context, they can know the truth. Doctrinal differences and denominational conflicts result from some Christians refusing to agree with what Scripture says. It is not the result of an absence of a “supreme authority” to interpret Scripture.

Alignment with Scripture, not apostolic succession, marks a true church. The Word of God must guide churches, as the early church illustrates: “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). Scripture is the infallible measuring stick for the teaching and practice of Christ-centered congregations (2 Timothy 3:16–17).