The main tendency, then, is that of a Rabbinic speculative Judaism, playing with historical legends and casuistry, and coloured by an asceti- cism borrowed from some heathen source, perhaps through Essenism (cf. Lightfoot, Col. ' On the Colossian Heresy,' liiblical Essays, xL, Ignatius, I pp. 359-374).
(6) Organization of the Church. — The Church forms one organized community, described as God's family (3"- "), an 'ecclesia' of a God of life (t6.): its members are ol dScXtpol {4"), ol narol (4'- 6" 6-), 47101 (5'"). They meet fur common worship, and apjiarcntly up to the time of tliis letter men and women alike had been wont to teach and to lead the prayers, but the writer limits this right to the men (2"'^). At the worship there are reading, exhortation, and teaching (4"), prayers, interces- sions, thanksgivings (2' 5°). Over this body the apostle is supreme : he hands over offenders to Satan {rap^SuKa, 1" ; but this would not necessarily exclude the co-operation of the Church, as in 1 Co 5*) ; his exhortations (2') and wishes (2") are authori- tative ; the true teaching is the gospel, which has been entrusted to him (1" 2'). Tunothv is his delegate, ' the instrument of an absent rattier than a wiuldcr of inherent authority' (Moberly), com- missioned to ordain ministers (though the whole community would have a voice in the choice of them, cf. 3-'°'""), to exercise discipline over them, to regulate worship, to control teaching, and hand on the traditions of the apostle. His exact status U not clear : he may have been a temporary dele-
gate for a special work, as he had been before to Corinth (1 Co 4'^"") and Philippi (I'h 2'"), and as Titus had been twice or thrice to Corinth (2 Co 7 and 8) ; or he niay have been permanently set aiiart as St. Paul's delegate for the liigher func- tions of ministerial work, unlimited by any local sphere, but sent from time to time to various places ; or, a<,'ain, he may have received a per- manent commission to represent the apostle and a permanent localization at Ephesus, or possibly throughout Asia Minor. Either view is tenable, but the lirst springs most naturally out of the language of 1' 4'*.
It is aJ.so uncertain whether he had received special ordination for this task. He had received a special gift, given bj' laying on of the hands of the presbyters, and prophecies had led Paul to choose him (1'* 4"); but the reference may be either to consecration for this ^iece of work, or to foniial ordination when he hrst became Paul's helper (Ac IG'"*). His position seems to be that of a vicar apostolic rather than of a localized bishop, though it is the germ out of which the later local- ized and monarchical episcopate developed.
The more permanent ministry under Timothy is assumed to be already in existence. There are no directions to establish any new oliice, unless it be that of the church-widows, but only to regulate and spiritualize those that exist. These are —
(1) The iirldKoiroi. He occupies a prominent position in the ej'es of the Churen and the heathen world ; he must have high moral qualihcations : from these it may be inferred that his duties wUl be to entertain travelling brethren (^iX6Jei'os), to teach (SiSaxTiKit), perhaps to control the finances (itpiXaptyvpoi), to preside and care for the Church {irpoaTTjvai., iirificXiuTdai}.
(2) Trpe<r/3i>Te/3oi, who are formally ordained (?) for the position (5--), who also preside [irpoeaTun-fs), who also preach and teach {iv X(57<fi xal iiSaaKaXlg.), who receive maintenance in retvim for their work, and who are under Timothy's disciijline. (There is not, as often assumed, a contrast in 5" between teaching and non-teaching presbyters, but only between those who take pains witn their teaching and those who do not).
Are these two different orders of ministers, or only two names for one order ? This question, too, cannot be positively answered. Tlic fact that rpur^uTtfioi are not mentioru-d in ch. 3; that the irrtffwfn: is not mentioned in ch. 6 ; that tlie same functions of presidin^r and teaching are attributed to both ; the vrima Jade meaTiinj; of Tit 1", of. Ac 20i'''-»,— tljese favour the Identiflcation of tlie two. On tile other liand, the constant use of the ein^lar iwirH4frof and of tlie plural w^nriiiTtfoit and the usa^e of the 2nd cent, favour the separation, and It^ave it a teiiaUe view that out of the many presbyters one i)iKliop was already chosen at Ephesus in order to preside over the whole and to represent them to the outer world.
(3) SidKoyM. Subordinate officers, whose char- acter has to be tested before the wliole com- munity before they enter on oHice. Their duties are not defined ; out they perhaps liave to ad- minister the finances under the iTltKoirot {p.^ oi^x/'OKepStit), and to teach, as a successful dia- conate gives them boldness of speech. After their diaconate they may perhaps hope to rise to a higher position {(iaeiiis) in the Church (3a-io. u. 131
(4) yvfa^Ket are also mentioned in the official ministry, between two sections dealing with dcixofoi : i.e. probably ' women wlio are deacons,' deaconesses ; Init jiossibly only ' wives of deacons.' A high character is required of them, but their duties are not defined.
(5) xw<"- The regulations for widows are de- scribed at fuller length, and give the impression that the writer is introducing a fresh organization in this case. There is probably a distinction ta be drawn between lonely widows who are the