On Church Authority – Part II

Even if it is not absolutely necessary, it is recommended to read Part I before proceeding to read the below, which covers the ministerial priesthood under the New Law.

Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles, ~1300, Byzantine icon

2.1 Meanings of “Church”

The word church has multiple meanings. Translated from ecclesia, it literally means “calling forth” and later “assembly”.

It is, for example, used by the clerk in Ephesus in the literal sense as recorded in Acts 19: “And if you inquire after any other matter, it may be decided in a lawful assembly.”

In the Christian context, it can refer to church authority in general, as found in Matthew 18:17 when Christ instructed, “And if he will not hear them: tell the church.”

It primarily means the body of believers or the “Mystical Body of Christ”. St Paul states this in Ephesians 1:

And He [God] hath subjected all things under His [Christ’s] feet, and hath made Him head over all the church, which is His body, and the fulness of Him who is filled all in all.

St Paul also made a similar reference in Colossians 1:

And He [Christ] is the head of the body, the church…

Later in the same chapter regarding his own sufferings:

If so ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and immoveable from the hope of the gospel which you have heard, which is preached in all the creation that is under heaven, whereof I Paul am made a minister. Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for His body, which is the church…

The church can also refer to the place of worship. Described as a “house”, this image carries with it the structure and bonds of a family. St Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 3:

But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

On a related note, the church is described as the spouse or bride of Christ. (2 Corinthians 11, Ephesians 5, Revelations 19–21) Christ and the Apostles also described the church as a “flock”, and Christ or those in authority as a “shepherd”. (John 10, 1 Peter 5 et al)

There are other attributes of the church that these words and images convey but that is outside the scope of this article series. In short, the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ and there is authority structure.

2.2 Functions of Church Authority

Our Lord Jesus Christ called His disciples as recorded in the early chapters of all four Gospels.

In the context of talking to His disciples about dealing with people and sin, he said the below, amongst other things, in Matthew 18:

Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.

This is evidently referring to the power to forgive sins (that they will later have as Apostles). After the Resurrection, He gave the following commands in Matthew 28 (Mark 16 and Luke 24):

All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.

And in John 20:

Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.

The following are apparent:

● “All power” is given to Christ and He subsequently conferred some of it onto the Apostles. (“Going therefore…” and “As the Father hath sent me, I also send you.”)

● He also “breathed” on them, giving them the Holy Ghost and reassured them, “I am with you all days.” Thus, the authority is not merely conferred verbally, there is divine assistance.

● The Apostles are to “teach … all nations”. This highlights the distinction between religious (church) authority and civil authority. Christ stated earlier, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s: and to God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22, Mark 12, Luke 20)

● More pertinently, the teaching of all nations “to observe all things whatsoever I [Christ] have commanded” overrides civil authority. Church authority does not dismiss civil authority and political borders, but rather that the former is above or encompasses the latter.

● Teaching presupposes that there is something to teach; that is, dogma and doctrine. In 1 Timothy 3, the Church is described as “the pillar and ground of the truth”; in other words, the truth is preserved by and can be found in the Church.

● Church authority includes the power to baptize and to forgive sins; that is, to administer the Sacraments.

● This authority extends to the end (“consummation of the world”).

In short, church authority is responsible for teaching, enforcing God’s commandments and administering the Sacraments.

2.3 Ministerial Priesthood

There are different types and different degrees of “priesthood”. The confusion partly comes from the various terms used in Scripture; sometimes the same term is used differently, and all this made worse by the various, messy English translations.

In simple and broad terms, the primary function of the priesthood is sacrifice. This concept is well established in the Old Testament. So, in the broadest sense, all human beings possess the natural priesthood—it is part of human nature to have the ability to help (“sacrifice”) for others.

Those who are baptized receive the Holy Ghost and are therefore in the state of grace and members of the Church (Mystical Body of Christ). Due to the supernatural life received at baptism or restored at confession, they are “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1) and possess the common priesthood—that is, common to members of the Church. This is commented on in 1 Peter 2, referring to believers in general:

Be you also as living stones built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. … But you are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people…

The above does not exclude the ministerial priesthood with the corresponding authority to teach and administer the Sacraments to the faithful. The ministerial priesthood existed as the levitical priesthood under the Old Law.

Under the New Law is a different ministerial priesthood, of which there are three grades: diaconate (deacons), presbyterate (priests) and episcopate (bishops). These terms come from the Greek and Latin used in the New Testament, which support the tradition that Christ instituted these. A few examples are provided in the appendix at the end of this article.

Other ranks were instituted as the Church grew in number and spread. It was never claimed Christ specifically instituted these. Therefore, these are not absolutely necessary. Nonetheless, church authority has the right to establish and abolish them. For example, an archbishop is essentially a bishop and a cardinal is a bishop.

The pope is also a bishop which is an anomalous case since someone has to be in charge, and Christ did explicitly elect Peter. This will be covered in Part III.

Below are some general observations regarding church authority and ministerial priesthood:

● Similar to the prophets of the Old Testament, it is something God calls the individual to do and not something one should casually take up. “I did not send prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.” (Jeremiah 23) Also, St Paul writes in Hebrews 5: “Neither doth any man take the honour to himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was.”

● Christ said, “For many are called, but few chosen.” (Matthew 20, 22) This has multiple interpretations but, amongst others, God wants everyone to do the right thing and ultimately be saved but few are “chosen” for special assignments such as the priesthood.

● Christ sent the first disciples (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20). The word “apostle” means one who is “sent” or “commissioned”, which implies authority.

● He also indicates that authority represents Himself, “He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me.” (Luke 10)

● “Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops, to rule the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” (Acts 20)

● Those in authority are part of the Church. “And He [Christ] gave some apostles, and some prophets, and other some evangelists, and other some pastors and doctors, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…” (Ephesians 4)

● St Paul in his letter to the Corinthians had no problem mentioning his own authority. He refers to the faithful as “dearest children” (1 Corinthians 4) and more directly, “Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that in all things you are mindful of me: and keep my ordinances as I have delivered them to you.” (1 Corinthians 11)

● St Paul also reminds Timothy to fulfil his duty to teach given the priesthood he received “with imposition of the hands”. In 1 Timothy 4:

For therefore we labor and are reviled, because we hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of the faithful. These things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth: but be thou an example of the faithful in word, in conversation, in charity, in faith, in chastity. Till I come, attend unto reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine. Neglect not the grace that is in thee, which was given thee by prophesy, with imposition of the hands of the priesthood.

● St Paul gives another reminder in 2 Timothy 1, this time linking the priesthood to God’s grace, thus confirming that the Holy Orders is a Sacrament.

For which cause I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace of God which is in thee, by the imposition of my hands.

● The passage from 2 Timothy 3 is sometimes used to argue for “Scripture Alone” and against religious authority. However, this conveniently ignores the fact that St Paul explicitly reminds Timothy of the people who taught him and that Timothy may and can use Scripture “to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct”.

But continue thou in those things which thou hast learned, and which have been committed to thee: knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and because from thy infancy thou hast known the holy scriptures, which can instruct thee to salvation, by the faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice…

● St Paul in 2 Timothy 4 reminds him of the importance of “sound doctrine” and to “fulfill thy ministry”. In other words, pass on the teachings faithfully.

● In Titus 1, St Paul tells him to ordain more priests:

For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and shouldest ordain priests in every city, as I also appointed thee…”

2.4 Appendix

Gk: archiereus (ἀρχιερεύς), L.: principes sacerdotum, is literally “chief priest” or “high priest” and translated as such, typically referring to the Jewish high priest. Note that it is the masculine form in Greek and Latin. (Matthew 26, Acts 23 et al.)

The above Greek is sometimes translated into Latin as pontifex, also masculine, as commonly found in the book of Hebrews, also translated as “high priest”.

Gk: hiereus (ἱερεύς), L.: sacerdos, is literally “priest” and is translated as such, typically referring to Jewish priests. Note that it is the masculine form in Greek and either in Latin (Matthew 8, Hebrews 7 et al.)

Gk: poimén (ποιμήν), L.: pastorem, is literally “pastor” and is translated as “pastor” or “shepherd”. Note that it is the masculine form in Greek and Latin. The meaning seems to be generic and metaphoric. For example, in John 10, Christ said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep.”

Gk: leitourgos (λειτουργός), L.: minister, means something like a public servant or official, which assumes authority and is translated as “minister”. The meaning seems to be generically referring to a priest/minister. Note that it is the masculine form in Greek and Latin. For example, in Romans 15, St Paul writes: “That I should be the minister of Christ Jesus among the Gentiles; sanctifying the gospel of God, that the oblation of the Gentiles may be made acceptable and sanctified in the Holy Ghost.” In this case, his description also mentions sacrifice and hints at the Sacraments.

Gk: hupéretés (ὑπηρέτης), L.: minister, means servant and is translated as “servant” or “minister”. In Acts 26, the episode of St Paul’s conversion, Christ said to him, “But rise up, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared to thee, that I may make thee a minister…”

Gk: doulos (δοῦλος), L.: servus, means something like a slave and therefore a subordinate and is translated as “servant”. Note that it is either gender in Greek but is the masculine form in Latin. This seems to be used generically and somewhat figuratively, often in the greeting of the letter. On its own, it does not imply authority. However, as Christ highlighted by washing the disciples’ feet (John 13), leading and serving go together. Also, in the of opening of 2 Peter 1, the author states that he is also an apostle: “Simon Peter, servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained equal faith with us in the justice of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ…”

Gk: apostolos (ἀπόστολος), L.: apostolus, literally means someone “sent” or “commissioned” and therefore having authority. Note that it is the masculine form in Greek and Latin. It is used specifically.

Gk: diakonis (διάκονος), L.: minister, is literally “servant” or “attendant”. It is sometimes used generically and translated as “minister”. Note that it is either gender in Greek but is the masculine form in Latin. For example, from Ephesians 3: “Of which I am made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God, which is given to me according to the operation of his power…”

However, it is sometimes translated into Latin as diaconibus, also either gender, and is used to specifically mean “deacon”. One can tell by the context that it is used referring to the rank and office. For example, in Philippians 1: “Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ; to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.” Also in 1 Timothy 3: “Deacons in like manner chaste, not double tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre…”

Gk: presbuteros (πρεσβύτερος), L.: presbyteri, is literally something like “old men” and is sometimes translated as “elders”. In some cases, it refers to Jewish elders (Matthew 21, Matthew 26 et al). At other times, it specifically refers to the rank and office of “priest”. For example, in 1 Timothy 5: “Let the priests that rule well, be esteemed worthy of double honour: especially they who labour in the word and doctrine…”

It should be noted that the feminine plural is used in 1 Tim 5:2 but the context is clearly referring to “old women” and not priestesses: “An ancient man rebuke not, but entreat him as a father: young men, as brethren: old women, as mothers: young women, as sisters, in all chastity. Honour widows, that are widows indeed.”

Gk: episkopos (ἐπίσκοπος), L.: episcopis, is literally something like “overseer” and sometimes translated as such. It can be used generically referring to one who “visits” and “oversees”. It is also used specifically referring to the bishopric. In those cases, it is the masculine form in Greek and Latin. (Philippians 1, Titus 1, 1 Timothy 3, 1 Peter 2)

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