A similar distinction was observed in the apos- tolic ministry and in the life and organization of the early ('hnrches. Among the various functions in the ("'Inirch mentioned by St. Paul in Romans occurs that of 'teaching '(Rol2'). It there takes the third place in a series, being preceded by prophecy ami inini«trj', and followed by exhorting, giving, ruling, and showing mercy. The last of these functions being of a general character, and such as any one might be called on to exercise, suggests that the list as a whole may not point to definite offices. But, in a nearly contemporary and prob- ably earlier epistle, teaching is assigned to specific persons. In 1 Co 12'^ this also comes third in a list ; but the list as a whole is ditl'erent from that in Romans, containing titles of persons, not merely functions ; so that we have ' teachers,' not merely •teaching.' They are preceded by ' first apostles, secondly prophets'; then we come to 'thirdly teachers.' The form changes after this to gifts »nd functions — ' miracles,' ' gifts of healing,' etc. That the teaching is ascribed in an especial way to Rome people, to the exclusion of otliers, is shown by St. Paul's questions, 'Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all tearhers?' (v.^). Never- theless, the following questions, ' Are all workers of miracles? have all gifts of healing?' etc., show that the personal dilleren<es rest on dillcrcnces of gift. At Corinth they who have gifts of teaching are teachers, as they who have gifts of healing are healers. Another arrangement appears in Ephe- sians: 'and he gave some to be apostles ; and some, prophets ; and some, evangelists ; and some, pastors antl teachers ' (Eph 4"). Here we have four ollices.
and that of teacher set last, an oflice not men- tioned in the earlier lists — the evangelist's — coming between it and the offices of apostles and prophets. Further, it is also known by the name of ' pastor ' ; for the arrangement of the clauses ('and some' introducing each class) shows that the ' teachers ' and the ' pastors ' are the same persons. The dis- tinction of the teacher from the evangelist is sig- nificant, suggesting the difierentiation of function in which the evangelist preaches, declaring the gospel, and the teacher instructs the converts. The companion title ' pa.stor ' points to a settled ministry within the Church as distinct from the travelling mi.ssionary activity of apostles and evangelists ; but it is to be observed that the apostles gathered up in themselves the several functions that were afterwards distributed among various members of the Churches. Thus St. Paul describes himself as appointed ' a preacher and an apostle ... a teacher,' etc. (1 'Ti 2' — assuming these to be St. Paul's words). When we turn to Acts we meet with yet another arrangement. Here teachers seem to oe identified with prophets (Ac 13') ; but St. Luke may mean that the pro- minent men whose names he gives consisted of prophets and teachers, as two classes. In course of time the teacher melts into the bishop, his function is absorbed in the episcopate ; as a sepa- rate officer he is discredited by comparison with the higher official, and ere long he disappears entirely. These stages may be noted thus : (1) At the first ai)pearance of the teacher there is no reference to the V)ishop : thus there is no indication of bishops in 1 Cor. or Romans. (2) At the time of the Ejip. of the Captivity the teachers seem to have practical oversight, like that of the early bishops, even if the name is not given to them, since they are called '])astc)rs' (Eph 4"). It seems reasonable to sup- pose that these were equivalent to the ' bishops ' of Pli 1', especially since the word ' bishop ' in the latter case may be functional rather than official, as Dr. Hort suggested. (3) In the Pastoral Epistles teaching is joined to the episcopal office. The bishop must be ' apt to teach ' (1 Ti 'A- ; com- pare Tit 1"). Especial lionour is to be given to the eUioi s who ' labour in the word and in teaching ' (1 Ti .5") : this suggests that teaching was not carried on by all the elders. St. Paul will not allow women to teach publicly in the Church (1 Ti 2"), and yet he had written of aged women being ' teachers of that which is good ' (Tit 2'), when he must have meant home teacning, or perhaps teach- ing by example, unless we are to su])pose that he changed his views on the subject between Titus and 2 Tim., which is improbable. Already the teacher's ollice is falling into unworthy hands ; and the a])ostle writes of the time when i)eople will not endure 'healthful teaching' (RVm ir/iaivovari^ SidaiTKaXlai, not 'sound doctrine' AV and RV), but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts (2 Ti 4^). (4) In the sub-Apostolic age we still meet with the teacher as distinct from the bishop, though teaching now is more and more appropriated by the latter ofiicer, and the teacher is sinking in importance. In the Didarhi there are ' teachers ' as well as ' apostles ' and ' prophets.' All three of these functionaries ai)pear as itinerant ministers visiting the Churches. "The tea(ther is to be tested by what he teaches, and received or rejected according as his instruc- tion agrees with what is laid down in this treatise or dill'ers from it (see Didnrhf xi.). These travelling teachers are quite distinct from the ' bishops and deacons ' whom the writer bids his readers ' appoint for yourselves' (x v.). Still later we meet with ' teachers ' in the Shepherd of Hermas, and here they appear among the otficera of the Church, coming between tlic bisliop and the