We consider that St Paul sent his letters under the care of bishops and to be interpreted and applied by bishops. The Church and the Mass are older than the Bible, and the Bible comes from the Church and from the Mass. No early Christian could even imagine the Protestant heresy of "Bible Alone" without the Magisterium of the Bishops of the Church.
Further, we consider the Letter of St Clement, Pope of Rome to the Corinthians. Written in about AD 75 (only 5-10 years after St Paul died and during the lifetime of St John the Evangelist but before he had written the 4th Gospel), this Letter emphasizes that Jesus and the Apostles established the hierarchy of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. The lay faithful do not get to vote for their priests, but these are appointed by the bishops. Further, this Letter shows the authority of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope - that he has supreme, universal and immediate authority over all Christian faithful.
The Corinthians and all early Christians were not only Christians, they were Roman Catholics -- and, the study of Church History is the death of Protestantism.
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