This is a question every non-Catholic Christian must address. An Apostate Catholic Church is a required doctrine of all Protestants or non-trinitarian sectarians such as Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. The Catholic Church is not just another denomination out of many. For any professing Christian, the Catholic Church is to be either loved and obeyed as Christ's very own authority here on earth.... or despised as Antichrist.
Don't be so sure you know the answer because the Biblical and Historical reasons for the Catholic Church to make such claims for Herself are quite strong and weighty. Remember that the scribes and Pharisees were confident that the Scriptures proved Jesus was false prophet and a blasphemer. They were hard hearted...we all need to check our own hearts and pride daily.
Ask yourself...If Christ had established One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church would not Satan himself do everything he could to deceive people, spread lies, rumors,infiltrate Her with wolves in sheep's clothing, cause confusion about Her doctrines and try to discredit Her where ever possible...yet the gates of Hell shall not prevail against It.
So, please do not be so sure you understand the arguments and positions. I was raised Catholic, left before the age of thirteen to enter Evangelical, Conservative Protestant churches. I thought I knew the Catholic side of the story (I became an Anti-Catholic)...but I was wrong, I began to realize I couldn't explain to my inquiring Protestant friends why exactly Catholics believe what they believe.
So, 25+ years later I began to study for myself the Catholic arguments, in their own words. I have been blown away by the Christo-centric and Scripturally solid evidence for Catholicism. Enough so, that I do now believe that She speaks with the Authority of Christ Himself and I am so grateful that Jesus loved me so much to not only die for my sins but He as given me a Church, made me a member of the tangible Family of God which is the Pillar and Foundation of Truth (1Timothy 3:15). I can trust Her and be loved by Him, ministered by Him, nourished by Him through Her.
The Biblical Foundation for Church Authority.....
And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter (kepha*), and on this rock (kepha*) I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:17-19 ESV
*kepha is the word Jesus would have used in his native language, Aramaic.
To Peter alone are these keys given which we see from the Old Testament in 1 Kings ch.4 how Solomon had established twelve ministers/officers over the different parts over His Kingdom. We see in Isaiah 22 that only one of these office holders is the Prime Minister and holds important keys of authority and responsibility. Look closely as the Lord speaks to one of the holders of the office of Prime Minister to the King, the Son of David...
"I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your station. In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your sash on him, and will commit your authority to his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father's house. And they will hang on him the whole honor of his father's house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons." Isaiah 22:19-24 ESV
Any honest reading of these two similar passages from Matthew 16 and Isaiah 22 would admit that Jesus, the Davidic King, was appointing Peter to this office of Prime Minister. And remember "offices" must remain filled, for as we observe the first immediate action the Apostles took after Christ ascended was to fill the vacant office left by Judas Iscariot...
Peter in leading says...."For it is written in the Book of Psalms, "May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it"; and "Let another take his office."
Acts 1:20 ESV
We see that Jesus also gave His authority to the other 11 Apostles and the 72 (although Peter was primary). Speaking to appointed disciples whom the Early Church believed the Bishops to be their successors. Christ says:
"Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. Matthew 10:40 ESV
He clearly gives His very Authority to the 12 Apostles. Yes, they gave us the Holy, Inerrant New Testament Scriptures but remember only 3 of those initial 12 actually wrote any of those books/epistles. He clearly came to do more than inspire books to be written, he came to establish an Authoritative, tangible Church made up of men (although they were flawed) whom He chose, appointed and sent out with a mission. As we see in the Gospel of Matthew....
And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." Matthew 28:18-20
Another Catholic blogger at beginningcatholic.com explains this passage well....
"This brief passage contains several critical points about Church authority:
Jesus tells the Apostles that the authority he is giving them derives from his own, divine authority. ("All authority..." / "Go therefore".)
The Apostles' authority and mission comes directly from Christ himself.
The nature of this mission is to lead or govern ("make disciples"), sanctify ("baptizing them"), and teach ("teaching them to observe").
Christ promises to remain present with them always in support of this mission ("I am with you always").
Also, Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I send you." (John 20:21)
And...
"He who hears you hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me." Luke 10:16
I will work on expanding this post or explaining in future posts how we see biblically the truth and function of Apostolic Succession because that is a very vital doctrine which understandably must be proven for the Catholic claims to Apostolic Authority to be valid. (I will get working on that as time permits).
But assume for a minute you have been given ample evidence for the possible belief in Apostolic Succession...you may object to submission because the Catholic Church has had some corruption in her past, present and most likely her future. But Biblically we see that corruption does not negate ones God given authority.....
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you— but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
Matthew 23:1-3 ESV
Bryan Cross from Called to Communion deals with the question thoroughly in his article and podcasts called Ecclesial Deism. Please read....and/or listen to his Podcast here (Episode 6).
