MR 5.E Magisterium and Apostles

The early church believed that the main leader of the church was God. God delegated his authority to Christ and the Apostles, who were also leaders of the church. The Apostles traveled around Israel and nearby areas establishing churches and appointing men to assist in their ministry. The men appointed became bishops, the first Church officials. The word bishop means "office holder" in Greek. Transitioning to the present day, these bishops, directly descended from the first bishops, are the Apostles of today. They are direct descendants of the Apostles through apostolic succession. Apostolic succession is chain of descendants all the way from the Apostles to the bishops.