I don't know if I have ever felt such kinship with the disciples as I do after reading your great essay.
Peter's response he gives when asked if they will also walk away really resonates with me. I finally turned to Jesus at 48 years old because I had taken most every other known path available. When the world calls me to return, I am not tempted. My temptation is void largely because of my faith, also because I know practically there is no other path; Jesus holds the answers to eternal life.
1) The disciples were not of the priestly class because the priesthood had been corrupted. Corrupted to the point where it could not be reformed, but the whole apparatus had to be -- and indeed was -- destroyed and replaced. In fact, not only were the disciples not in the priestly class, they were not even Judeans (with one, notorious exception that proves the rule).
2) As both the Orthodox and Catholics will tell you, the Disciples became the Apostles (again, with one notorious exception) and Apostles were consecrated by Christ as the original Bishops. The narrowing was from laity, to the Religious, to the Bishops, with the Apostles deferring to Peter. Whether Peter was merely first among equals or the head of The Church is another argument, but whichever way one falls on that point, it is clear that the Bishops were given Authority over The Church, which was an inherently hierarchical and sacramental institution.
I don't know if I have ever felt such kinship with the disciples as I do after reading your great essay.
Peter's response he gives when asked if they will also walk away really resonates with me. I finally turned to Jesus at 48 years old because I had taken most every other known path available. When the world calls me to return, I am not tempted. My temptation is void largely because of my faith, also because I know practically there is no other path; Jesus holds the answers to eternal life.
To follow or not to follow that is the question. Thanks for your work
A couple of comments:
1) The disciples were not of the priestly class because the priesthood had been corrupted. Corrupted to the point where it could not be reformed, but the whole apparatus had to be -- and indeed was -- destroyed and replaced. In fact, not only were the disciples not in the priestly class, they were not even Judeans (with one, notorious exception that proves the rule).
2) As both the Orthodox and Catholics will tell you, the Disciples became the Apostles (again, with one notorious exception) and Apostles were consecrated by Christ as the original Bishops. The narrowing was from laity, to the Religious, to the Bishops, with the Apostles deferring to Peter. Whether Peter was merely first among equals or the head of The Church is another argument, but whichever way one falls on that point, it is clear that the Bishops were given Authority over The Church, which was an inherently hierarchical and sacramental institution.