.gif)
.webp)
25 THE TEACHING OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES
But we may take it that with the growth of the Church and of her need of organized government, the order of the Episcopate gradually acquired definite shape and authority, proceeding from a local, and quasi-parochial position to the higher presidential responsibilities which the term connotes in later times.
The office of 8«Ix r s is clearly traceable to the appointment of the Seven m Acts vi. It is true that they are nowhere expressly called deacons ; but in the account of their appointment we find both cnx ovc« and 6‹o« •«r used of the duties which they were to dis- charge, namely the “ daily ministration ” and the “ serving ” or " ministering to tables.” The original purpose of the diaconate was the care and distribution of the funds contributed by the rich members for the relief of the poor.
The work of the deacons, therefore, in some degree coincided with what as we have seen in chapter xiii. of thc Didache, was a function of the prophets. They were public almoners ; and this duty is no doubt included in the expression “ lctzoopJoktri
+i $‹‹r »p y‹’• ”—” they minister the ministry ” of the prophets and teachers. The deacons mentioned by St. Paul (Phil. i. i ; I. Tim. iii. 8) are generally regarded as holding the same office ; and this view is strengtheiicd by the injunction that the deacons must be yj ore- o^cp6cis " not greedy of filthy lucre." Their functions naturally became extended as the organization of the Church de- veloped.
Justin Martyr speaks of them as distributing the bread and wine in the Eucharist. In the A postolical Constitutions, when the bishop’s authority has become established, the deacons appear as his administrators, charged with the duty of visiting the poor, enquiring into their circumstances, and making report thereon to the bishop. With the “ presbyter-bishops ” they are associated, not only in the case of the poor, and the collection and disbursement of alms, but also in the public worship of the Church.
X£tQOTOP ‹to ‹. The expression is comparpJ by Taylor
26 THE TEACHIN G OF THE TIVE LVE APOSTLES
to t)iat irt Acts vi. 3. The comitiuii ity make the selection of candidates ; the apostles ordain and consecrate them to the office. 9“lie verb \eiporor/ui it, clearly used here in t)ie New Testament sense of “ to elect.” In later times it meant “ to ordain.”
Chap. xvi.—The treatise is appropriately concluded by an exhortation to watchfulness and preparation for the Second Advent. It closely rcscmbles our Lord’s warn- ings recorded by the Synoptists , and there is a striking parallel in v. ¢ to St. Paul’s teaching i n II. T hess. ii. 3- 2 , on the coming of Antichrist. The exprcssions in
John iY. 3 and II. Joh n y should also be compared
with it.
Ver. §. o‹ 8‹ t'ropi‹rovz«s &c. Evidently liascil upon our Lord’s words rec‹irded in Matt. x xiv. i 3, an‹l Mark xiii.
meaning is “ by the accursed thing itself” rather than " by the very curse.” The simplest explanation of the paradox, though not apparently noticed by the commentators, would seem to be afforded by the con text “ the. furnace ” or “ fi re of trial ”—which, though a destruction to the ungodly, will, by its refining and purifying power, be the salvation of the faithful. 'there may be also a reference to Gal. iii. i 3, “ Christ being made a curse for us,” though the words there are «ar•’p•
and ‹ri«arâparoz, ]t will have been noticed that there is no mention made throughout the treatise of the Cross of Christ. May not this, however, be a meta- phorical allusion to it !—" Saved by the accursed thing,” i,r., by the Cross or the Crucifixion of the Lord. (Were it not for eñzov one wou!d be tem r ted to rea‹l ‹ir• for ir , “ saved from the curse ” or “ accurscd thing,” i.r., the doom that awaits the wicked.
Ver. 6. The three signs of the Second Ad vent : First, the sign of an outspreading in heaven ; next, the sign of the voice of a trumpet ; and the third, a resurrec- tion of the dead.” The second and third signs present
27 THE TEACHING OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES
no difficulty ; they are identical with the teach ing of
I. Cor. xv. and I. Thess. iv., and rest on the authority of our Lord’s words (Matt. xx iv 3 I, Luke xx. 35) ; but what is mean t by tt e‹ov C‘Kc€T €Fcws c’v o!pav ! The
explanation adopte‹1 by Dr. Taylor is that suggested by A rclideacon Edwin Palmer, “ a spreading of the hands transversely to the body so as to form a cross.” llarnabas, in chap. xii. of his epistle, quotes several pre- figurements of the cross in the Old Testament, c.g. Moses stretching out his hands to enable Israel to conq uer Amalck ; the brazen serpent set upon a pole ; the words of Isaiah, " All day long have I spread forth my hands,” &c. Justin Martyr also, and the S ibylliiie O racles (fully dealt with by Prof.
Rendel Harris in his Teaching of the Twelve Apostles and the Sibylline Books) illustrate the same idea, and regard the “ sign of the Son of M:tn iii Heaven ” as a vision of Ch rist cruci-
£ed. These, and other sug3estions and illustrations, are remarkable for their i ngciiuity, aii‹l for the labour wliic h has been bestowed upon them ;
but it is questionable whet her after all it is not more consonant with the early simplicity of our treatise to avoid all explanations that zre mystical and fantastic, and to regard the expression as simply res’tiiig on the words of our Lord in Matt. xXiv. 2 } , " As the ligh tning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west, so shall be the coming (rrnpovo-‹ 'i) of the Son of Mail . ” or as in Luke xvii. 24, " As the lightning when it ligliteiictli out of the one part under the heaven shineth unto the other part under heaven, so shall the Son of Man be in His day.” The “ sign of the Son of Man ” (mentioned only in S t. Matthew) may well be left without attem}it at cxplana- t ion. The best comment is that of Mr. Carr in the Cambridge Bible, “ What this [signs shall be it is vain to conjecture ; but when it a}ipears its import will be instantly recognized by the faithful.”
4’he omission of the phrase from the other Syno}itist points to the 1› ossibi1ity of its being simply a periphrasis
28 THE TEACHING OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES
for the “ Son of Man ” ; and the ‹ •r ‹zowts rr oépnry may be a literal misunderstanding of Christ’s metaphorical description of the suddenness and all-per vading nature of His r•p°•«n.
APPENDIX A.
TH E “ TWO DAYS IN THE ErISTLE OF EARN AEAS.
Chap, xviii. Now let us pass on to other knowledge and teachi ng. There are two ways of teaching and of aut hprity, the way of Light and the way of Darkness, and there is much difference between the two ways. For over the one there are appointed light-bringing angels of God, but over the other angels of Satan.
And the former [God) is the Lord from everlasting to ever- lasting , but the latter [Satans is the prince of the time that now is of lawlessness.
Chap. xix. The way of Ligh t then is th is, if a man, being desirous to take his way to the place appointed, be zealous in li is deeds. The knowledge then which has been given to us that we may walk therein is after this manner. Thou shalt love Him that created thee, thou shalt fear Him that fashioned thee, thou shalt 6lorify
Him that redeemed thee from death : thou shalt be
single in heart and rich iii spirit. Thou shalt not be joined with them that walk in the way of death, thou shalt hate all that is not pleasing to God, thou shalt hate all hypocris} , thou shalt in no wise forsake the com- mandments of the Lord.
Thou shalt not uplift thyself but shalt be humble-minded in all t hings. Thou shalt not take glory to thyself, thou shalt not take evil counsel against thy neighbour ; thou shalt not give insolcnce to thy soul.
Thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not commit fornication, thou shalt not corrupt children. The word of God shall in no wise go forth from thee where any are unclean.
4“hou shalt not respect any person in rebuking for transgression. Thou shalt be meek, thou shalt be peaceable, thou shalt be in fear of the words which thou hast heard. 4“hou shalt not be mindful of evil against thy brother or bear malice.
.gif)
.gif)
.gif)
