Early Christian Clergy and the Priesthood Institution

The concept of clergy and priesthood in early Christianity developed from Jewish and biblical roots. The Hebrew term "cohen" and the Greek "presbyter" signify an elder or priest, indicating a connection between the Old Testament priesthood and early Christian clergy ^[2]. The institution of priesthood is rooted in the consciousness of sin and the need for mediation between humans and a holy God.

In the Old Testament, the priesthood was established through ceremonial consecration, as seen in Exodus 29, where Aaron and his sons were consecrated as priests ^[3]. The New Testament introduces a new understanding of priesthood, with Christ as the ultimate High Priest. Early Christian communities, however, continued to recognize a distinct group of leaders, including apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers ^[4].

The early Christian church's governance structure is described in the New Testament, with the apostles and elders playing key roles (Acts 15:6) ^[5]. The apostles were directly commissioned by Christ, while elders were appointed to oversee local churches. The role of these leaders was not only to govern but also to serve the spiritual needs of the community ^[6].

John Calvin notes that the primitive church had a distinct order of ministers, including bishops, presbyters, and deacons. Calvin argues that the government of the church by bishops is not necessarily derived from Scripture but has its roots in the early Christian tradition ^[7]. Charles Hodge, representing the Reformed (Old Princeton) tradition, also acknowledges that the government of the church by bishops is not universally required and is based on tradition rather than Scripture ^[8].

The Catholic tradition, as represented by Thomas Aquinas, views the episcopal office as a sacramental order, with bishops possessing a higher degree of authority and responsibility ^[9]. The concept of priesthood in Catholic theology is closely tied to the sacrament of ordination and the Eucharist.

In contrast, some Protestant traditions, such as the Lutheran and Reformed churches, reject the idea of a sacrificial priesthood. Luther's Small Catechism emphasizes the role of bishops, pastors, and preachers as servants of the Word, rather than as priests offering sacrifices ^[12]. The Thirty-Nine Articles of the Anglican Church also distinguish between the Old Testament priesthood and the Christian ministry, affirming that Christ is the only High Priest ^[11].

The early Christian understanding of priesthood was also influenced by Jewish traditions. The Babylonian Talmud discusses the concept of priesthood in relation to the Temple and the priestly duties ^[13]. The Jewish roots of early Christianity are evident in the New Testament, with many early Christian leaders being Jewish.

The development of the priesthood institution in early Christianity was a complex process, influenced by various factors, including Jewish traditions, biblical teachings, and the needs of the early Christian communities. Different Christian traditions have understood the concept of priesthood and clergy in distinct ways, reflecting their theological and ecclesiastical perspectives ^{[1, 10, 14, 15]}.

The Eastern Orthodox tradition, as represented by John Chrysostom, emphasizes the importance of the clergy in maintaining the spiritual life of the community. Chrysostom's writings highlight the role of clergy in teaching, preaching, and administering the sacraments ^[15].

The diversity of perspectives on the priesthood institution reflects the complex and multifaceted nature of early Christianity. Understanding these different traditions and their biblical roots provides insight into the ongoing debates and discussions within Christianity regarding the role of clergy and the nature of priesthood. The consecration of clergy, as seen in Titus 1:5, was an essential aspect of establishing order and continuity in the early Christian church ^[16].

The historical development of the priesthood institution has been shaped by various factors, including theological debates, ecclesiastical structures, and cultural influences. The different Christian traditions continue to understand and practice the concept of priesthood in distinct ways, reflecting their unique histories, theologies, and practices.

Sources

Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 7, section 1: . Concerning The Garments Of The Priests, And Of The High Priest.”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Priest — The English word is derived from the Greek presbyter, signifying an "elder" (Heb. cohen). Origin.--The idea of a priesthood connects itself in all its forms, pure or corrupted, with the consciousness, more or less distinct of sin. Men feel that they have broken a law. The power above them is holier than they are, and they dare not approach it. They crave for the intervention of some one of whom they can think as likely to be more acceptable than themselves. He must offer up their prayers, thanksgivings, sacrifices. He becomes their representative in "things p”
Exodus (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Exodus 29 (introduction): CONSECRATING THE PRIESTS AND THE ALTAR. (Exo. 29:1-35) hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office--The act of inaugurating the priests was accompanied by ceremonial solemnities well calculated not only to lead the people to entertain exalted views of the office, but to impress those functionaries themselves with a profound sense of its magnitude and importance. In short, they were taught to know that the service was for them as well as for the people; and every time they engaged in a new performance of their duties, they were”
1 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Corinthians 12:28: And God hath set some in the church,.... As before the apostle gives an account of the various different gifts of the Spirit, qualifying men for service in the church of Christ, here he enumerates the several offices and officers: first apostles; as were the twelve disciples, and Paul the apostle; men that were immediately sent by Christ himself, and had their commission and doctrine directly from him; and a power of working miracles, to confirm the truth of their mission and ministry; they were sent into all the world to preach the Gospel, to plant churches”
Acts (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Acts 15:6: The apostles and elders came together - This was the first council ever held in the Christian Church; and we find that it was composed of the apostles and elders simply.”
Acts (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Acts 2:42: We often speak of the primitive church, and appeal to it, and to the history of it; in these verses we have the history of the truly primitive church, of the first days of it, its state of infancy indeed, but, like that, the state of its greatest innocence. I. They kept close to holy ordinances, and abounded in all instances of piety and devotion, for Christianity, admitted in the power of it, will dispose the soul to communion with God in all those ways wherein he has appointed us to meet him and promised to meet us. 1. They were diligent and constant inn their att”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 86: 2327 CHAPTER 4. OF THE STATE OF THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH, AND THE MODE OF GOVERNMENT IN USE BEFORE THE PAPACY. The divisions of this chapter are,—I. The mode of government in the primitive Church, sec 1-10. II. The formal ordination of Bishops and Ministers in the primitive Church, sec. 10-15. Sections . 1. The method of government in the primitive Church. Not in every respect conformable to the rule of the word of God. Three distinct orders of Ministers. 2. First, the Bishop, for the sake of preserving order, presided over the Presbyt”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 38: introduced. And it is no less notorious that a large part of the Church in which Christ dwells by his presence, and which He in every way acknowledges and honours, has no bishops until the present day. The government of the Church by bishops, Romanists admit is one of the institutions which rest not on Scripture, but on tradition for their authority. 4. But should everything else be conceded, the assumption that subjection to the Pope, as the vicar of Christ, is necessary to the existence of the Church, is utterly unreasonable. This is th”
theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of Things Pertaining to the Episcopal State, Art. 1: Article: Whether it is lawful to desire the office of a bishop? I answer that, Three things may be considered in the episcopal office. One is principal and final, namely the bishop's work, whereby the good of our neighbor is intended, according to Jn. 21:17, "Feed My sheep." Another thing is the height of degree, for a bishop is placed above others, according to Mt. 24:45, "A faithful and a wise servant, whom his lord hath appointed over his family." The third is s”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 5: Hippolytus, Cyprian, Caius, Novatian — ELUCIDATIONS. (part 1): I. (The presbyterate and the priesthood, p. 268.) HERE is an instance of a usage just becoming common to the East and West,--to give the name of priesthood to the chief ministry as distinguished from the presbyterate. So in Chrysostom passim, but notably in his treatise <greek>peri</greek> <greek>ierwsunhs</greek>. The scriptural warrant for this usage is derived, dialectically, from the universal priesthood of Christians(1) Pet. ii. 5), front the Old-Testament prophecies of the Christian ministry (Isa. lxvi. 21), and fr”
Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican) “Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican, 1571), A Note on the Annotations: A Note on the Annotations Introduction by the House of Bishops The Ordination and Consecration of a Bishop The Ordination of Deacons and Priests at the Same Service The Ordination of Deacons The Ordination of Priests, also called Presbyters The Declaration of Assent Wholeness and Healing”
Luther's Small Catechism (Lutheran) “Luther's Small Catechism (Lutheran, 1529), 1For Bishops, Pastors, and Preachers.: 1For Bishops, Pastors, and Preachers.”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Ketubot 26a.3: § It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: Just as teruma establishes the presumptive status for priesthood, so too the first tithe establishes the presumptive status for priesthood. And one who receives a share of teruma in court does not establish the presumptive status of priesthood.”
Introduction “1 Enoch (Book of Enoch), Introduction, section 25: to found a memorial Library in his name, with “two or more clergymen, who shall act as librarians, and shall promote _in whatever way_ the interests of theological study and religious life within the University”—a programme which seems to inaugurate the reign of original research within the domains of ecclesiastical theology. But if, as we are informed by the promoters of the proposed endowment, Dr. Pusey was above all things “a Christian apologist, the advocate and champion of the Church of eighteen centuries,” how can the disciples, who saw ”
CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Acts & Romans: destruction of the Temples and suppression of the sacrifices) many are become Christians, you must not forget to distinguish between show and reality. They are not a whit changed from what they were before: they only say they are so. They resort indeed to public acts of religion, and mingle themselves with the general body of Christians. But when they have a show of praying, they invoke either none or the Gods.”—Moreover, the country clergy were often themselves ill-taught and needing instruction. Thus Hom. in Col. (t. xi. p. 392) delivered at Consta”
Titus (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Titus 1:5: I left thee--"I left thee behind" [ALFORD] when I left the island: not implying permanence of commission (compare Ti1 1:3). in Crete--now Candia. set in order--rather as Greek, "that thou mightest follow up (the work begun by me), setting right the things that are wanting," which I was unable to complete by reason of the shortness of my stay in Crete. Christianity, doubtless, had long existed in Crete: there were some Cretans among those who heard Peter's preaching on Pentecost (Act 2:11). The number of Jews in Crete was large (Tit 1:10), and it is l”

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