Re: The Early Christians: In Their Own Words

Theodore of Mopsuestia described the gradual dying out of apostles and 
prophets and the growing power of the bishops to govern the church: after 
the death of the first apostles, the weakness of the second-generation 
apostles was obvious through the weakening of their power to work
miracles. 
As a result, they voluntarily renounced their leader****p, transferring
part 
of their authority to church overseers, who became provincial bishops. In 
fact, the power of the provincial synods first asserted itself in the
fight 
against Montanism. This again brings us to the end of our time period.