Re: The Early Christians: In Their Own Words

Another protective measure against the dangers threatening at that time was

to transform the church into an organization through the bishops’ office. 
In the first Christian communities (built with no thought of permanence
and 
ready to break camp at any moment) the danger of disunity was overcome by 
the leader****p in the Spirit given by the apostles, prophets, and
teachers, 
and by the brotherly love ruling among all members of the church. From now

on, the organization of the bishop’s monarchical rule, their synodal 
decrees, and finally the ascendancy of the Pope guaranteed the uniformity 
of the catholic world. The bishops declared themselves the legitimate 
successors to the apostolate and prophetic Spirit; and the Spirit was 
restricted to their office. Without this myth, their office could never 
have gained supremacy. The free-working Spirit and the church of God as
the 
body of the invisible one were replaced by a different reality: the
visible 
church of the bishops. Irenaeus defined this episcopal church according to

its claims: the teaching of the apostles, the system of the church, the 
succession of bishops, and the perfect tradition of the holy Scriptures. 
Already in his time no addition or curtailment of the Scriptures was 
tolerated. He regarded every bishop as appointed by the apostles through 
the successive laying on of hands.