Is Apostolic Succession a Mark of the True Church?

 

This mark is alleged by not only many Romanists, but also some among the Eastern Orthodox, and it thus bids us to examine it.

[1]. In order for something to be a mark of the church, it must be proper to the church and belong to it only. However, the office of succession is not proper to the church. For example, for many centuries Muslims claimed the succession of the Caliphate from Abu Bakr (if you are a Sunni Muslim). Annas and Caiaphas succeeded Aaron in the Levitical priesthood, but they were among the greatest enemies of the Lord Jesus. 

[2]. When the church fathers bring forth succession as an argument against heretics, they often mean to refer to the succession of apostolic teaching, rather than the office of bishop itself:

"They therefore publish the origin of their churches, they unroll the list of their bishops, so running down by succession from the beginning, that that first bishop had as his author and predecessor someone of the apostles, of apostolical men who yet continued with the apostles. Heretics may devise something such, but although they may have devised, they will not succeed any better, for their doctrine itself compared with the apostolic will expose it from its diversity and contrariety, because as the apostles did not differ from each other in their teaching, so also apostolic men would not teach contrary to the apostles'' (Tertullian, Prescription Against Heretics, Chapter 32)

"That which is of the same opinion is of the same seat. What, however, is of a repugnant opinion, is of a contrary seat. This has indeed the denomination, but that the truth of succession; nor is he a successor who teaches a contrary doctrine, but he who is of the same faith, unless anyone says he is a successor; as disease is the successor of health, darkness of light, a tempest of a calm, and extravagance of prudence" (St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Oration 21.8)

"Wherefore it is incumbent to obey the presbyters who are in the Church — those who, as I have shown, possess the succession from the apostles; those who, together with the succession of the episcopate, have received the certain gift of truth, according to the good pleasure of the Father. But [it is also incumbent] to hold in suspicion others who depart from the primitive succession, and assemble themselves together in any place whatsoever, [looking upon them] either as heretics of perverse minds, or as schismatics puffed up and self-pleasing, or again as hypocrites, acting thus for the sake of lucre and vainglory...From all such persons, therefore, it behooves us to keep aloof, but to adhere to those who, as I have already observed, do hold the doctrine of the apostles." (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book IV, Chapter 26)