HIERARCHY
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HIERARCHY
care of the poor and sick was one of the duties of
deacons proper. The distribution of the Eucharist
was hkewise part of their duty. It is not impossible
that the last mentioned duty is already included in the
expression "ministering to the tables", used in our
text; for comparison see chap, ii, 46, "Breaking
bread from house to house (xXuvTh tc xar oinoi' Aprov)
they took their meat (fuTiXd/jL^avov TpoipTJs) ". The
most important point however is this: the Seven were
appointed to their office by the Apostles with imposi-
tion of hands and prayer. This prayer must have con-
tained, implicitly at least, the petition that the Holy
Ghost might empower and strengthen the chosen ones
to fulfil their office (of ministering to the tables), thus
conferring all that was essentially necessary to make
their office the same as the later diaconate. Nor has
the Church ever placed the essence of the diaconate in
anything else.
(b) The Presbyters of Palestine. — We do not know whether or not there is an historical basis for the legendary tradition that the first twelve Apostles, following the commantl of their Master, remained twelve years in Jerusalem. At all events only Simon Peter, (James), and John and James the "Brother of the Lord" are met with in Jerusalem between the years 45 and 50. About this time presbyters ap- peared in addition to the Apostles. We find mention of them for the first time in Acts, xi, 30. They are to be found in several Christian communities of Palestine. In Jerusalem the presbyters hold a midille rank be- tween the Apostles and the rest of the community. Together with the Apostles they write the letter which conveys the decision reached by the Church of Jeru- salem as to the proper mode of observing the law (xv, 1-30; cf. xvi, 4). The Acts mention the presbyters in conne.xion with James only on one other occasion (xxi, 18). It is contrary to the principles of historical research to associate the first appearance of the Pales- tinian presbyters with the monarchical position held by James of the house of David. It is only at a later time, probably after Peter had left Jerusalem for a long time or for ever, that James appears as the monarchic bishop of the holy city. The presbyters were at first simply assistants of the Twelve outside the capital. Then a substitute for the Apostles was needed in Jerusalem as well, when most of them had left that city. This was not a revolution in the sys- tem of church government; it was merely the natural course of events. No one who clearly understands the practice and the ideas of the earliest times will doubt that the installation of these presbyters was effected by means of imposition of hands and prayer. Very probably the presbyterate of the earliest time was only a dignity.
(3) The Origin of the Apostolic Authority. — (a) Paul proves that he is an Apostle sent directly by God and Christ and endowed with full power (Gal., i, 1, 12, 15; ii, 8-9; I Cor., i, 1; iii, 9-11; iv, 1; ix, 1; II Cor., i, 1; iii, 6; x, 4-S; xi, 4-5; the whole of chapters xi and xii; I Thess., i, 4-5; ii, 4, 13; Rom., i, 1-16; xi. 13 sq.; xii, 3; xv, 15-22; xvi, 25-27). (b) Supplementary texts: Gal., i, 8-9 (Paul preaches the absolute truth) ; Gal., ii, 2 (comparison between his Gospel and that of the original Apostles) ; Gal., ii.6 (he did not receive power from other Apostles, whether the word Apostles be taken in the narrower or the wider sense). The thought underlying all these texts is this: Paul con- ceived his own authority as analogous to the power conferred by God and Christ upon the Twelve, a power which Paul himself acknowledged, (c) These utterances of Paul agree with the following from the Acts of the Apostles: ii, 32; iv, 33; v, 32; viii, 25 (the Apostles are authoritative witnesses of the Resurrection and the deeds of Jesus Christ) : ix, 3 sq.; xxii, 14sq.; xxvi, 15 sq. (vocation of St. Paul); iv, 19, 20; v, 29; x, 42 (the Apostles are bound to make known what they have seen and heard) ; ix, 27 (Paul
is presented to the Apostles by Barnabas at Jerusa-
lem); xiii, 47 [Paul (and Barnabas?) appointed by
Christ to be the light of the Gentiles]; xx, 24, reXciuiTu
[TeXetwcat] . . . ttjv ScaKoviav ijv eXa/ioj' wapa tov Kvplov
'l-qcrou, SiapapTiLrpaadai to evayy^XKtov . . . This text is
equivalent to tho.se given above under (a).
(4) Relations of the Apostle to the Communities Founded by him. — (a) Gatatians. — The Galatians were obliged to believe and obey the preachingof Paul (Gal., i, 6-12; iii, 1-2; iv, 14-19; v, 2, 7-10). Their rela- tions are based upon the following three facts strongly emphasized liy Paul : (i) They have received the Holy Ghost (^ d«.o^s nlffreu! ("by the hearing of faith", iii, 2). (ii) Paul preaches the absolute truth, therefore let him be anathema who preaches a Gospel besides that which he has preached (i, 8-9). (iii) To resist the truth when preached, is to disobey (v, 7).
(b) Corinthians. — Paul introduces himself as an authoritative teacher: (I Cor., i, 11 sq.; cf. iii, 4-7; ii, 4-5; iv, 3-5, 15, 16, 17, Paul threatens to use severe measures (iv, 19-21); he commands them to expel the incestuous adulterers (v, 1-1-3); to appoint arbitrators (vi. 1-7); he distinguishes between his permission {avyytiup.1}) and his command {iiriTayiq) (vii, 6); cf. vii, 7, "I would"; 8, "I say"; 10, "I command, not I, but the Lord"; 12, "I speak, not the Lord"; 25, " I give counsel"; 40, he wishes them to follow his counsel. Paul has the right to be maintained by those to whom he preaches, but he has not made use of this right (ix, 1-2 ; 7-16). He praises them that keep his ordinances (xi, 2) ; " now this I ordain", 17; "the rest I will set in order, when I come ", xi, 33 and 34; cf. also the orders, xiv, 28 sq. and xv, i sq.; xvi, i sq.: ordinance concerning the collection, which according to the will of the .Apostles, was always to be looked upon as a free act of kindness. Cf. II Cor., ix and Rom., xv, 26 sq. In the first Epistle to the Corinthians the Apo.stle does not attribute te the community any authority whatsoever over himself; he refuses to be the object of any arrogant judgment (iv, 3). In three instances he admits that the com- munity has certain rights which, however, have their origin in his command or his directions (v, 1-13 ; vi 1-7; xvi, 1 sq.). II Cor., i, 23 sq.: Paul assures them that he avoided coming to Corinth in order to spare them, and he adds: " Not because we exercise dominion over your faith, but we are helpers of your joy." This is the only passage of this kind found in the WTitings of St. Paul. II Cor., ii, 9: "For this end also did I WTite, that I may know the experiment of you, whether you be obedient in all things; " iii, 2-3; vii, 8-12; viii, 10 sq. (mild requests); x, 1-lS; up to this chapter of the second Epistle to the Corinthians St. Paul lays little stress upon his authority; he does not so much utter injunctions as counsels and requests, without, however, acknowledging any power of the community over himself. Now he speaks of the spiritual weapons given by God " unto the pulling down of fortifications", (4) "bringing into captivity every understanding (vdrjpji) unto the obedience of Christ", (5) "having in readiness to revenge all disobedience", (6) the Lord has given him power "unto edification" (8; cf. xiii, 10; xi, 4); there is no other Christ, no other Gospel, but that which he has brought (dr^x^'^f, not apax^o-de) (xiii, 2); if he comes again, he will not spare the sinners. From chap, x on Paul again forcibly empha- sizes his full authority over the community.
(c) Romaths. — We must take into account that the Apostle speaks to a community which he himself has not founded (cf. especially chap, xv); consequently he does not give commands; nevertheless he teaches with full authority, as one who has power. He refers (xiii, 3) to the grace granted him in order that he might be enabled to give earnest admonitions; hence it is that the Gentiles owe him obedience (xv, 15-19). The same idea is expressed in chap, xvi, 17-19. The text (x,14-17) is one of those most helpful in giving
