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Do Presbyterians have Apostolic Succession? 

A common accusation against Presbyterians from more "High-Church" denominations like Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Eastern Orthodox is that Presbyterians don't have a sacramental priesthood that can trace its authority back to the apostles. But is this the case?

What is Apostolic Succession?

Apostolic Succession is the idea that a "real" Church must have valid sacraments, and only a valid priest can consecrate valid sacraments. Furthermore, to be a valid priest, one must be able to trace their ordination back to the Apostles.​

Usually people who believe in Apostolic Succession believe it must be traced through Bishops, meaning that a valid priest must be ordained by a Bishop who was ordained by a Bishop who was ordained by a Bishop and so on back to the Apostles. The idea is that the authority Jesus gave to the apostles is passed on through the Bishops to the church today

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Is it Biblical?

The "Pastoral Epistles" of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus all list the qualifications for leadership in the church and it never mentions any succession of Bishops. Titus 1:5-9 says "This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint Elders in every town as I directed you if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For a Bishop, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who" contradict it."

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1 Timothy 3:1-7 says "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.  He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,  for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil."

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