Oldal 29 [29]
ECCLESIASTICAL OFFICES IN THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Protestant scholars such as Stott and Fee? argue that the biblical elder is fun¬
damentally a spiritual overseer whose primary function is to nurture, protect,
and guide the community in faith. This view was reinforced by reformers such
as Luther and Calvin,’ whose writings emphasize that true pastoral leadership
stems from a personal relationship with God and is expressed through servant
leadership rather than authoritarian command. Catholic and ecumenical
sources—including the New Jerome Biblical Commentary* and the Catholic
Encyclopedia—consistently describe early church elders (or presbyters) as
shepherds entrusted with the spiritual care of the faithful. Ware® explains that
in the Orthodox tradition, the elders’ pastoral role is seen as an extension of
the priesthood, characterized by communal participation and mutual account¬
ability.
The appointment of deacons is recorded in Acts 6:1—6, where the apostles
selected seven men “full of the Spirit and wisdom” to manage the distribution
of food to widows—thus enabling the apostles to devote themselves to prayer
and preaching. The qualifications for deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 emphasize
personal integrity, self-control, and a good reputation, reinforcing that the
deacon’s ministry is as much about character as it is about competence in ser¬
vice. Protestant commentators such as Marshall and Lloyd-Jones® point out that
the deacon’s role mirrors Christ’s own ministry of service (cf. Mark 10:45).
Calvin’ asserts in his Institutes that every ecclesiastical office, including that
of the deacon, is established for the common good, with service as its defining
feature. Catholic sources, notably the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992),
describe deacons as ministers of charity and service, a tradition reinforced by
scholars such as Kiing and Kasper, who link early deaconal ministry with both
liturgical practices and modern social outreach. Ecumenical works, such as The
Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, portray the deacon as a servant
leader who bridges the gap between the clerical hierarchy and the lay commu¬
nity, while Zizioulas’ emphasizes that in the Orthodox tradition the diaconate
serves as a living witness to the incarnational reality of Christ’s ministry.
2 J. Stott: The Message of Acts. InterVarsity Press, 1990; G. Fee: 1 Timothy / Titus (New Interna¬
tional Commentary on the New Testament). Eerdmans, 1987.
3 M. Luther: Small Catechism. Concordia Publishing House, 1983. (Original work published
1529); J. Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion. Westminster John Knox Press, 1960.
(Original work published 1559).
* P. Quinn - E. McCloskey (eds.): The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
5 B.K. Ware: The Orthodox Church. Penguin Books, 1993.
6 1.H. Marshall: Acts: An Introduction and Commentary. InterVarsity Press, 1978; D.M. Lloyd¬
Jones: The Church According to Scripture. Banner of Truth, 1991.
7” Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion.
® L. Cross — E. Livingstone (eds.): The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (3rd edn.).
Oxford University Press, 2005.
° J. Zizioulas: Being as Communion: Studies in Personhood and the Church. St Vladimir’s Sem¬
inary Press, 1985.
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