Early Christian Beliefs About Church Ministry

Ignatius, Epistles of Ignatius Supporting witness

You presbyters, "feed the flock which is among you," until God reveals who is to lead you. For "I am now ready to be offered," that I "may win Christ." Let the deacons understand the dignity of their position and strive to be blameless so they may follow Christ. Let the people be subject to the presbyters and the deacons. Let the virgins be aware of whom they have consecrated themselves to.

Ignatius, Epistle to the Trallians (Short Version) Supporting witness

In like manner, let all reverence the deacons as an appointment of Jesus Christ, and the bishop as Jesus Christ, who is the Son of the Father, and the presbyters as the sanhedrim of God, and assembly of the apostles.

Justin Martyr, The First Apology Supporting witness

...ayer to the gods of my country. But, as they did not respond, I called upon those among us known as Christians. Upon investigation, I found a great number and multitude of them and initially acted against them, which was quite inappropriate, as I later understood their power. They began the battle, not with weapons, armor, or bugles, as such preparations are detestable to them because of the God they carry in their conscience. Therefore, it appears that those we think are atheists have God as their guiding force entrenched in their conscience. Throwing themselves on the ground, they prayed not only for me but for the entire army, that we might be saved from the current thirst and hunger. We had been without water for five days because there was none, being deep in Germany, in enemy territory. Simultaneously as they threw themselves on the ground and prayed to God (a God unknown to me), water poured from the sky, refreshingly cool upon us but as withering hail upon Rome's enemies. Immediately we acknowledged the presence of God following their prayer—a God unconquerable and indestructible. Based on this, let us pardon such individuals who are Christians, lest they pray for and ac

Dionysius of Alexandria, Epistles and Epistolary Fragments Supporting witness

...o show that this had been the very purpose of God in leading us to them, when we had fulfilled this ministry, He led us away again. For Aemilianus intended to move us to rougher regions, it seemed, and to districts more Libyan-like. And he gave orders to draw all the parties from every direction into the Mareotic territory, and assigned villages to each party throughout the country. But he gave instructions that we should be located especially by the public way, so that we might also be the first to be apprehended. For he evidently made his arrangements and plans with a view to the easy seizure of all of us whenever he should decide to lay hold of us.”

1 Timothy 3:1 Background

This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.

1 Timothy 3:12 Background

Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

Philippians 1:1 Background

Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

Acts 6:4 Background

But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

1 Corinthians 12:28 Background

And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.

Romans 15:16 Background

to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Romans 12:7 Background

Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

...ed among us, you yourselves are not ignorant of them. For you certainly know that those named by us bishops, and presbyters, and deacons, were made so by prayer and by the laying on of hands, and that the difference in their names shows the difference in their duties. For not everyone who wants to be ordained is ordained, as was the case in that spurious and counterfeit priesthood of the calves under Jeroboam, 1 Kings 13:33, but only he who is called by God. For if there were no rule or distinction of orders, it would be enough to perform all the offices under one name. But being taught by the Lord the order of things, we distributed the functions of the high-priesthood to the bishops, those of the priesthood to the presbyters, and the ministration under both of them to the deacons, so that the divine worship might be performed in purity. For it is not lawful for a deacon to offer the sacrifice, or to baptize, or to give either the greater or the lesser blessing. Nor may a presbyter perform ordination. For it is not agreeable to holiness for this order to be perverted. For God is not the God of confusion, so that those in lower rank should tyrannically take for themselves the fu

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Direct teaching

...n named and approved, let the people gather on the Lord's Day, together with the presbytery and the bishops who are present, and let them give their consent. And let the chief of the bishops ask the presbytery and the people whether this is the man whom they desire as their ruler. If they agree, let him ask further whether he has a good testimony from all men concerning his fitness for so great and glorious an authority; whether everything relating to his piety toward God is right; whether he has practiced justice toward men; whether he has managed the affairs of his household well; and whether he has been blameless in the course of his life. And if the whole assembly together truthfully, and not out of prejudice, bears witness that he is such a man, let them ask a third time, as before God the Judge and Christ, with the Holy Spirit also present, as well as all the holy ministering spirits, whether he is truly worthy of this ministry, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established, Matthew 18:16. And if they agree the third time that he is worthy, let them all be asked for their vote. When they all give it willingly, let them be heard. And when sile

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

Cyprian to the presbyters and deacons, and to all the people, his very dear and longed-for brothers, greetings. What concerns both the common joy and the greatest glory of our Church, dearest brothers, ought to be told to you. For you must know that by divine condescension I have been warned and instructed that the presbyter Numidicus should be appointed among the Carthaginian presbyters, and should sit with us among the clergy. He is a man made illustrious by the brightest glory of confession, and exalted in the honor both of virtue and of faith. By his exhortation, he sent before himself a great number of martyrs, killed by stones and by fire. And he saw with joy his wife remaining at his side, burned with the others—or rather, I should say, preserved with them. He himself was half burned, crushed by stones, and left for dead. Later, when his daughter, with the anxious care of affection, looked for her father's body, he was found half alive, was pulled out and revived, and unwillingly remained behind from the companions whom he himself had sent before. But the reason he remained behind, as we see, was this: that the Lord might add him to our clergy, and might adorn the number of

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

1. Cyprian to the presbyters and deacons and people living at Furni, greetings. I and my colleagues who were present with me were greatly troubled, dearest brothers, and so were the fellow presbyters who sat with us, when we learned that our brother Geminius Victor, as he was leaving this life, had named the presbyter Geminius Faustinus as executor of his will. This was done even though it had long ago been decreed in a council of bishops that no one should appoint any of the clergy or ministers of God as executor or guardian in his will. For everyone who is honored with the divine priesthood and ordained for clerical service ought to serve only the altar and the sacrifices, and to be free for prayers and supplications. For it is written, "No man that wars for God entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him to whom he has pledged himself." If this is said about all men, how much more should those men not be bound by worldly worries and entanglements who are occupied with divine and spiritual matters, and are not able to leave the Church to make time for earthly and secular business! The Levites formerly observed this pattern of ordination and service und

Acts 14:23 Background

And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

Titus 1:5 Background

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

1 Timothy 3:10 Background

And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.

1 Timothy 3:2 Background

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

1 Timothy 3:8 Background

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.

Ignatius, Epistle to the Philadelphians (Long Version) Direct teaching

...d them; deacons to the presbyters, as to high priests; the presbyters, deacons, and the rest of the clergy, together with all the people, soldiers, governors, and Caesar himself, to the bishop; the bishop to Christ, just as Christ to the Father. And thus unity is preserved throughout. Let not the widows be wanderers, nor fond of dainties, nor going from house to house, but let them be like Judith, noted for her seriousness; and like Anna, known for her sobriety. I do not ordain these things as an apostle: for “who am I, or what is my father’s house,” that I should pretend to be equal in honor to them? But as your “fellow-soldier,” I hold the position of one who simply admonishes you.

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

...and receives the blessing from bishops, but never from presbyters. A bishop removes from office any clergyman who deserves removal, except a bishop, because he does not have the power to do that by himself. A presbyter gives the blessing, but does not receive it; yet he does receive the blessing from the bishop or from a fellow presbyter. In the same way, he gives it to a fellow presbyter. He lays on hands, but does not ordain. He does not remove from office, yet he does separate those under him if they are liable to such a punishment. A deacon does not bless and does not give the blessing, but receives it from the bishop and presbyter. He does not baptize, and he does not offer. But when a bishop or presbyter has offered, he distributes to the people, not as a priest, but as one who ministers to the priests. But it is not lawful for any of the other clergy to do the work of a deacon. A deaconess does not bless, nor does she do anything that belongs to the office of presbyters or deacons. She is only to keep the doors and to minister to the presbyters in the baptizing of women, for the sake of decency. A deacon separates a subdeacon, a reader, a singer, and a deaconess, if there

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

..., the fellow workers of Paul, received and left to you. While the Gospel is being read, let all the presbyters and deacons, and all the people, stand up in great silence, for it is written, "Be silent, and hear, O Israel," Deuteronomy 27:9. And again, "But stand there, and hear," Deuteronomy 5:31. Next, let the presbyters exhort the people one by one, not all together, and let the bishop speak last, as the commander. Let the porters stand at the entrances for the men and watch them. Let the deaconesses also stand at those for the women, like shipmen. For the same arrangement and pattern was also in the tabernacle of the testimony and in the temple of God. But if anyone is found sitting out of his place, let him be rebuked by the deacon, as a manager of the front of the ship, and be moved to the place proper for him. For the Church is not only like a ship, but also like a sheepfold. For just as shepherds place all the animals separately, I mean goats and sheep, according to their kind and age, and yet each one runs together with its own kind, so it is to be in the Church. Let the young persons sit by themselves, if there is a place for them. If not, let them stand upright. But le

Early Liturgies, Divine Liturgy of St. Mark Direct teaching

Remember the orthodox bishops everywhere, the elders, deacons, sub-deacons, readers, singers, monks, virgins, widows, and laypeople.

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

Know, then, that these for the present are appointed readers, because it was fitting that the candle should be placed in a candlestick, whence it may give light to all, and that their glorious countenance should be established in a higher place, where, beheld by all the surrounding brotherhood, they may give an incitement of glory to the beholders.

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

and when with the teacher-presbyters we were carefully trying readers — in appointing Optatus from among the readers to be a teacher of the hearers — examining, first of all, whether all things were found fitting in them, which ought to be found in such as were in preparation for the clerical office.

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

...n made an example to others, both in courage and in the fear of God. I had indeed believed that the presbyters and deacons there with you would more fully warn and instruct you about the law of the Gospel, as was always done before under my predecessors. Then the deacons, going in and out of the prison, guided the desires of the martyrs by their counsel and by the teachings of Scripture. But now, with great sorrow of heart, I learn that not only are the divine commands not being set before you by them, but that they are even being held back instead. So the things that are being done by you yourselves, both toward God with caution and toward God's priest with honor, are being weakened by certain presbyters, who consider neither the fear of God nor the honor due to the bishop. Although you sent letters to me asking that your wishes should be considered, and that peace should be granted to certain of the lapsed as soon as, after the end of the persecution, we had begun to meet with our clergy and gather together again, those presbyters, contrary to the law of the Gospel and also contrary to your respectful request, before repentance was completed, before confession had even been ma

Malchion, Epistle Against Paul of Samosata Supporting witness

To Dionysius and Maximus, and to all our fellow ministers throughout the world—both bishops and presbyters and deacons—and to the whole Catholic Church under heaven: Helenus, Hymenaeus, Theophilus, Theotecnus, Maximus, Proclus, Nicomas, Aelianus, Paul, Bolanus, Protogenes, Hierax, Eutychius, Theodorus, Malchion, and Lucius, and all the others who are with us, living in the neighboring cities and nations, both bishops and presbyters and deacons, together with the churches of God, send greetings to our brothers beloved in the Lord.

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

Cyprian to the presbyters and deacons, his brothers, greetings. So that nothing about what was written to me and what I replied may be unknown to you, beloved brothers, I have sent you a copy of each letter. I believe that my reply will not displease you. But I should also inform you in this letter that, for a very urgent reason, I have sent a letter to the clergy who remain in the city. And since it was necessary for me to write through clergy, while I know that very many of our men are absent, and the few who are there are hardly enough for the ministry of daily duty, it was necessary to appoint some new men who could be sent. Know, then, that I have made Saturus a reader, and Optatus the confessor a subdeacon. By the general advice of all, we had already placed them next to the clergy, since on Easter Day we had entrusted the reading to Saturus more than once. And while, together with the teaching presbyters, we were carefully testing readers, we appointed Optatus from among the readers to be a teacher of the hearers, first examining whether everything proper was found in them, as ought to be found in those being prepared for clerical office. Therefore, nothing new has been done