HIERARCHY
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HIERARCHY
avinrp^r^vTepo^ and witness of the sufferings of Christ
(v, 1). Two charismata are mentioned, tlie preaching
of the Word of God and the ministry of the community
(iv, 11). Whosoever has received a charisma should,
as a good steward, use it in the service of his neighbour
(iv, 10). The phrase "if any man speak" (e( tis
XoX«) certainly does not mean the gift of tongues, but,
as is shown by the additional clause ws \6yia ffeoO, the
preaching of the Word of God. AaXctc tJ^ X67oi; toC
OeaO soon becomes a standing expression for the
preaching of the Gospel to Jews and Gentiles. The
preacher has to adhere to the Word of God, i. e. to the
common doctrine which is to be considered as the
Word of God Himself. The ministry for the com-
munity is also looked upon by the writer, as a power
granted by God; ef ns SiaKovei, us i^ Iffxios, ijs xopw^^
6e6s (iv, 11); cf. lo-x^s used to denote the power of
God (Eph., i, 19; vi, 10; II Thess., i, 9; Apoc, vii, 12).
In these texts we see again Paul's idea of government
and superiors; they are in his eyes institutions of God.
For the rest superiors occur only in chap, v, 1-5; they
are called presbyters; their duty is to feed the flock of
Christ, to take care of it, withovit constraint however
and without lording it over them (^TriirKOTroui'Tes — the
reading is doubtful) ; the young men shall be subject
to them. This text presents difficulties. On the one
hand it would seem that the exhortation is addressed
to presbyter-bishops as a governing body, while on the
other hand the opposition between the presbyters and
the younger men (i-eiirepot) points to merely patri-
archal relations. It is however most probable that
the two expressions — Trpeff^vrepoi — veiirepoi — passed
through a parallel development. After the "an-
cients " had become superiors in the strict sense, the
"younger men" were considered as subjects.
(3) The Didache. — The author of the Didache con- siders the teachings of the Faith as truths received from Jesus and announced by his Apostles, which men are obliged to accept (cf. the title and the first eleven chapters). He who teaches otherwise is not to be lis- tened to (xi, 2). If he teaches the truth he is to be received as the Lord himself (loc. cit.). He who an- nounces the Word of God is to be honoured as the Lord Himself (iv, 1). The travelling Apostles, the prophets, and doctors are to be duly respected. Neither prophets nor Apostles nor doctors possess an absolute authority; nay more, the Christians are taught certain signs to enable them to distinguish the true mission- aries from the false (xi-xiii). The Apostles (travelling missionaries) are described as of rare occurrence. Somewhat exceptional is the position of the prophets who have settled in a community. The Didache calls them high-priests (xiii, 3) ; as such they can lay claim to the first-fruits (xiii, 3-7). And since in addition to this they have the privilege of reciting eucharistic prayers at their own discretion (x, 7), we look upon them as presiding over the celebration of the break- ing of bread. Important information about the con- stitution of the Church at that time is contained in chap. XV, 1 and 2: "choose bishops and deacons, worthy of the Lord, men of meekness, who are not lovers of money, who are true and well tried. For they fulfil for you the ministrj' of the prophets and doctors. Do not therefore slight them; for it is they among you that enjoy high esteem with the prophets and doctors". From this text we derive the following items: First: Since the electoral proceedings are not given in detail, we cannot make a definite statement about the authority vested in the community. Sec- ond: As substitutes in performing the duties of proph- ets and doctors we find bishops and deacons; they are therefore shepherds who preach and explain the word of God.
The qualities required of them show that they possessed certain powers of government (Trpofis), and were entrusted with the administration of alms and Other positions of responsibility (a^iXapyvpovs Kal
oKijOeU Kal deSoKifma-pi^i'ovs). The text in question does
not show us how these various occupations were
divided between the two classes of officials. During
a period of transition from a comparatively incoherent
state to a more settled form of government, the several
communities would evidently enjoy certain powers
and prerogatives; but no sober critic would read be-
tween the lines of the artless catechetical instruction
the description of a generally-adopted system of demo-
cratic government. Those measures which every one
of the faithful may and should employ as protection
against doubtful prophets and false teachers are not
juridically-determined prerogatives vested in the
community. Nothing is left but a rather undefined
participation in the election of superiors. It is just
as though the dutj- of holding these elections was
imposed upon the community by some external
authority. The literary form of the document shows
that in the author's conviction the community is not
independent of authority in the principal points of
doctrine, discipline, and corporate existence, but is
obliged to observe those regulations which the writer
authoritatively details. He prescribes even the
prayers that are to be recited by the community in
the celebration of the Eucharist. The regulations
governing prayer, fasting, Eucharistic celebrations,
and elections of superiors do not emanate from the
local Church. On the contrary cert^ain local Churches
are earnestly enjoined by the author'to observe exactly
the usages which he regards as of Apostolic origin.
But from what source does the author, apparently a
teacher (5i5d<r»raXos) or prcphet, derive his authority?
It is evidently an Apostolic tradition known to him
in its main outlines. In this sense, Durell's words
are true ("The Historic Church", Cambridge, 1906),
" The authority of discipline resides in the Church as a
whole" (p. 76). But Durell does not distinguish with
sufficient clearness between the local community and
the one universal Church, which the Didache itself
represents as a unitarv organization.
C. The Texts of the Third Group.— (1) Epistle to the Hebrews. — It is important to note how the author (ii, 3, 4,) traces the genesis of the authoritative preach- ing of doctrine. It originates with Christ {apxv" \alJov(7a \a\it<TdaL dia. tou Kvpiov). Those who have hearel the Lord declare His words to others with authority (uttA twv aKovaivrwv th vixas f^e/Saiiiffi;), and God bears witness to them by miracles and various manifestations of the Spirit. Faith therefore is a duty. The same doctrine is indicated in iv, 2. In xiii, 7, the faithful are reminded of those superiors (■nyovp.ei'oi) no longer living, who announced the Word of God to them in the past. Contemporary superiors are also called /icjumenoi (xiii, 17,24). Nowhere else in the New Testament are Christian superiors called simply hegumenoi. In one passage of the Acts (xiv, 12), Paul is called "chief speaker" (^v o -iiyovixevos toS \6yov)] in XV, 22, Paul, Barnabas, Judas, and Silas are designated as "chief men", leading personages TT^fiipac . . . dvopas i^yovp-^fovs (v rots dScX^Ois). The expression may have been modelled on the words of our Lord; " He that is the leader, let him become as he that serveth" (6 i}yoiptvos iJs 6 SmKovHv, Luke, xxii, 26). The hypothesis that the hegumenoi of the Epistle to the Hebrews were prophets or even re- cipients of charismata in the strict sense of the word, is devoid of any historic foundation.
(2) The Epi-stle of St. James. — The warning that there should not be too many doctors (p-h JroXXoi JiSda-- (caXo( yive<rde) is explained by the great responsibility attached to this position. It is not clear whether the members of the third class of the threefold division "apostles, prophets, doctors", are here in question; probably they are. But the subjects of charismata in the strict sense are certainly not meant, since, in their own opinion, they do not set themselves up as teachers, but are entrusted with that oflBce by the
