Since her foundation by
Lord Jesus Christ, the Church has gone through different structures of organization
as it grew in numbers. From being a small group led by twelve men (Acts
2:42-43), to local groups organized in a communal model led by Elders under the
authority of the Apostles (Acts 14:23; 15:4), to finally settle in a more
hierarchical structure known today as Episcopal system (1Tim 1:3; 4:11;
5:17-19;Tit 1:5).
By the time the apostolic
church of the first century was fully organized, it looked like this:
SIMON-PETER:
Head of the Apostles, first among equals. Even though Peter was one of the
Apostles, he was commended with the leadership of the apostolic quorum. That is
why Peter is named first among the Apostles’ names (Mt 10:2; Mk 3:16; Lk 6:14).
To Peter were the women sent to announce the Lord’s resurrection in a special
manner (Mk 16:7). Jesus appeared to Peter before any other apostle (1Cor 15:5).
Peter was given a special grace to serve as support to his brothers in the
ministry (Lk 22:31-32; Jn 21:15-17). Paul looked for Peter’s approval before
any other (Gal 1:18). Peter presided the first council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:7)
JAMES
AND JOHN: James, the Lord’s brother, and John, who had a
special place next to Peter, among the Apostles (Gal 1:19; 2:9). James the Lord’s
brother came to occupy the place of James, John’s brother in that small close
group next to Peter (Mk 5:37; 9:2). The three of them were called the “Pillars
of the Church”(Gal 2:9)
THE
APOSTLES OF THE LAMB: Eleven of them counting with Peter,
including Matthias who replaced Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:26; Rev 21:14)), minus
James son of Zebedee, John’s brother, who died under Herod earlier (Acts 12:1-2)
THE
“ÖTHER” APOSTLES: Apostles with great authority, but never
of the same status as the original twelve, whose names alone will be written in
the New Jerusalem’s pillars (Rev 21:14). Among these are James, the Lord’s
brother, and St Paul. Among this also were Barnabas (Acts 14:14), Silvanus and Timothy
(2Cor 1:1; 1Th 1:1; 2Th 1:1; Phil 1:1), Apollos (1Cor 1:12; 3:4-5) and Titus
(Tit 1:5). Here are also counted the survivors of those seventy disciples Lord
Jesus called during his ministry, like possibly Mark and Luke (Lk 10:1). After
the first century, the descendants of this type of apostles eventually became
known as what we now know today as Bishops.
BISHOPS,
PRESBYTERS OR ELDERS: The local authorities in every
Christian community, chosen by the people with the approval of the Apostles,
and ordained in that office (Acts 6:3; 14:2; 2Cor 8:19; Tit 1:5)(1). Initially
called Elders or Πρεσβύτερος (Presbyter), following the Jewish terminology (Num
11:16-17), they were called also Bishops or Eπίσκοπος (Overseer). During the
first century, they had not the hierarchical position that was attached to them
in the second century, neither was only one in charge of the community, but a
group of them. The office of Elder, Presbyter and Bishop were the same, and
they administered the local churches under the authority of the Apostles. (1Tim
3:1; Tit 1:5-7)(In Titus 1:5 and 1:7, the Greek terms Πρεσβύτερος and Eπίσκοπος
are used for the same office).
DEACONS:
Or
Servants, (Διάκονος). A third class
of Church officials who initially were chosen to assists the Apostles with the
everyday duties of keeping the communities, among them cooking and distributing
meals (Acts 6:1-3), and preceded the existence of Elders. Later on became assistants
of the Elders and their type of appointment changed to a more ecclesiastical
context. By the end of the first century, they were considered part of the
Ordained Ministry, together with the Elders and the Apostles.
IMPORTANT
THINGS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT
1 – Apostles and Elders
were always only men (Acts 1:21; 1Tim 3:2; Tit 1:5-6)
2 – There were women in
the rank of Deacons (Ro 16:1)(2)
3 – Prophets, Teachers,
and other type of Ministerial charisma were not positions within the apostolic
church as such, but different types of gifts that were manifested in different
individuals regardless their office, whether Apostle, Elder, Deacon or outside the
list altogether. (Acts 11:27; 13:1; 15:32)
4 – The office of a
single Bishop in charge of different communities and in control of other Elders
or Presbyters was gradually established as the Apostles of the first century
were dying out, eventually replacing them in office all over the world by the beginning
of the second century.
Omar Flores.
(1)
Didache 15:1
1Clement
44:3
(2)
Clement of Alexandria, Stromata 3:6:53
Constitutions
of the Holy Apostles, 3:2
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