“thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme …” (Ezek. 38:10, ESV)
We are still discussing the establishing of the myth of the reverend/pastor as the central focus of the ecclesia, specifically from a historical perspective.
Although Ignatius of Antioch was the church father who greatly influenced this positioning of the reverend/pastor as centre of authority in the local church, it was Clement of Rome (who died in approximately 100 AD), who made the formal distinction between ordinary church members (laity) and those in a specialised position of education and authority (clergy) (R. Paul Stevens: The Abolition of the Laity). The fundamental argument he pursued was of course that the Old Testament order of the priesthood of Levi was translated into the New Testament as a similar hierarchy (Marjorie Warkentin: Ordination: A Biblical-Historical Overview). It was however Tertullian (155-220 AD) who, in his book On Monogamy, made the distinction between clergy and laity in writing. He typified it as a class difference! Over the centuries this clearly un-Scriptural perversion lead to an unmovable tradition, as J.G. Davies clearly points out in his extensive research: The Early Christian Church: A History of its First Five Centuries.
Cyprian of Carthage (200-258 AD) also fell back to the Old Testament priestly order, establishing it in a new guise. He was the one who started referring to bishops as priests (Viola & Barna: Pagan Christianity). “Thus it was the bishop, as chief pastor of the local church, who came to represent the fullness of the ministry. He was prophet, teacher, chief celebrant at the liturgical assembly, and chairman of the board of of overseers of the Christian ‘synagogue’.” (Niebuhr & Williams: Ministry in Historical Perspectives). You’ll struggle to find a more apt description of the status quo of the reverend/pastor in the contemporary church!
Within this church hierarchy a further division later developed in the clergy, especially through Hippolytus’ (170-236 AD) notion of the head bishop being in the same position as the Old Testament high priest, and thus able to forgive sins (The Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus, translated by Burton S. Easton; Richard Hanson: The Christian Priesthood Examined). In 318 AD this notion was established as a legal function of the state, by Constantine, and bishops were appointed as equals to the Roman magistrates (J.G. Davies: The Early Christian Church).
To lend even greater legitimacy to their growing untouchable status, the idea of “apostolic succession” was fabricated which, similar to the genealogical line of Aaron/Levi presented a supposed spiritual bond which stretched back to Peter, who gradually started becoming known as the first pope (Ann Freemantle, red. A Treasury of Early Christianity; Norman Sykes: Old Priest and New Presbyter).
There is clearly “an evil scheme” at the bottom of this pressing development in church history. In the following teaching we will look at this.
- Selah: Ponder Matt. 15:16 in the light of this study.
- Read: 133 (what a correcting synchronicity is found in this – praise God!).
- Memorise: 133
For a more in-depth understanding: Read any of the books mentioned above
