In founding the Church, whose main purpose should be the reconciliation of man to God, Chnst's
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ORGANIZATION
chief act of organization was connected with the material that should form the Church, — the primary Apostles, and the larger gToup of disciples a\1io should foreshadow the ultimate attainment. To perfect them was the chief necessity : to make them the shining, guiding lights of the world, who in the after-days should do even greater things on earth than He Himself (Jn 14'-). Hence, perhaps, the little He says about the elements of external religion. He certainly accepted fi'om the past the act of baptism as employed by John (Mt 21-3 i| jxi^ iim^ l)^ oQ^), and commanded its i)ractice (Mt 28''^), though not Himself actuallj- baptizing (Jn 4-), and clearly impressing one Apostle with the minor importance of bajitism (1 Co 1") as com]iared with preaching — the baptism of tlie Spirit (:Mt .S'l ;! Mk P, Lk 3'", Jn 1-"'). He acce}ited the Sabbath of His people, but only subject to the good and needs of man (ilt 128, ^11^^ 2-\ Lk 6'), so that His followers afterwards felt free to change the day. While He organizetl praj'er to the extent that it shoukl be always in His name (:\It 18^^ Jn 14^3 lo^e iq2S)^ ,^j-,j showetl the spirit of that command in the prayer taught to His disciples, He would have it liberated from the formalism and ' vain repetitions ' of the past .and of the heathen (Mt 6"). He adopted no systematized body of teaching, or of technical Rabbinic discipline, and no casuistic expounding of Scripture. The one new institution He delivered into the keeping of His followers was in the consecration of that Last Supi)er ilestined to be the first of an ageless series, and to be the perpetual symbol of the vital union of the Church and its Lord in things visible and invisible (Mt 26^*'- -^ Mk 14^^ Lk 22i").
If, then, we ask what organization appears to exist on the night of the Crucifixion, we seem to find little that could satisfy the representative ecclesiastical mind. There is throughout Galilee and in Jerusalem a vaguely connected number of believers in Jesus. These know, in more or less detail, the kind of witness that is expected of them before the world, a manifestation that, once realized, would mark them out from the world more plainly than Jew from Roman. They ai'e bound together by this unity of character, which, once attained, will be the presence of the Kingdom of God to each one. Their leaders are eleven of their Lord's in- timates, chosen by Him as teachers and jireachers of His word. F(jr outward lielps they have the institutions of Judaism, with tlie baptism of John ; the continiral remembrance of Christ through pray- ing in His name, and in the prayer He had given ; and in the communion of the Lord's Supper.
But in the Acts and the Epistles we meet with a development of organization arising chiefly out of local necessities. Whilst remaining Jews and at- tending worship at the Temple (Ac 3'), the disciples gradually became more conscious of the necessity of something in the nature of a separate community. Meetings of sympathizers, which were also open to any who would come (1 Co 14-^), were planned, and since they could not be held in the synagogues (Ac &^), private houses were used (Ac 2^® S'*^ 18", Ro 16^ 1 Co 16'^, Col 4'=). Here were held gatherings for common prayer, for the breaking of bread, for Apostolic teaching and fellowship (Ac •2'*'^), and for the moral edification of those present. As the first community at Jerusalem increased in numbers, it was found to be necessary to organize a group of helpers for the distribution of charity and the general ministrations {diaKoviac. Ro 12^ 1 Co 12^) of almonry (Ac 61-"), though for tlie full 'work of the niinistry ' otlier gifts and opportunities would enter in (Eph 4^-). The Apostles continued to spend them- selves in preaching and in prayer; and as they needed assistance in these, they would naturally turn to their ' helps ' (1 Co 12-»), those ' men of good
report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom ' (Ac 6^), who would thus, by giving occasional instruction and spiritual guidance, become practising ministers of the word, though their almonry would remain the distinctive duty of these ' deacons,' and the key to their expected morality (1 Ti 3^*')> especially during the brief period of Apostolic communion (Ac 2'"- *^).
The Church still consisted of those called dis- ciples, but slowly it assumed a more visible mem- bership. Baptism became the recognized entrance ; baptism 'into the name of Christ' (Ac 2^8 8^'^ lO^* 19=, Ro 6'*, Gal 3-')— in St. Paul's thought a spiritual cleansing (1 Co 6^^), a mystical burial before the rising of the new life (Col 2^^). Each member was to offer sacrifices of praise and thanks (He 13^3), might teach (Ja 3^), and pray with im- mediate access to God (Eph 3^^), and would receive direct illumination (Jn P, 1 Jn 2-'). Each was a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Co 6^''), and was to be given up entirely (mentally, physically, and spiritually) to God (Ro 12'^-'^), unto a renewed life of righteousness and holiness (Eph 4-^). Their common name steadily underwent changes that marked a more organized body. From 'disciples,' the followers and learners of Jesus, they became more conscious of mutual bonds of faith and con- secration, so that doe\(poi ('brothers') better de- scribed them (Ac 28'^), since in the fellowship of Christ they had abolished the demarcations of nation, wealth, position, and sex (Gal 3-8, Col 3^'), and had attained to that kinship which is as close <as that of mother and brethren (Lk 8^'). Afterwards the religious sense of the brotherhood led them to a new name for the members, ol djLoi ( ' the saints ' ), those Avho are striving after holiness (1 Co P, Ro V). They are already looked upon as a school, a sect, a party (ai'peo-ts) by outsiders (Ac 2'i^- " 28"-), so that these first communities of ' the holy ones ' were being welded together openly. Their govern- ment was not sacerdotal, the name ' priest ' oc- curring in the NT only when used of the whole society (1 P 25- \ Rev 1« 5^"). At their head were still the Apostles, strong by their commission from Christ (Mt 10^ Lk 6^^ Mk 3" '"'"g- G^-^o), and in- creased in numbers through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Paul, Barnabas, Matthias, and others being added (1 Co d\ Gal V^ Ro 16', 1 Th 2''). Their faith and zeal had been renewed by tlie vision of the risen Lord (Ac l-'-'-, i Co 9^ 15'), and in that faith they had Avrought wondrous signs of their Apostolate (2 Co 12i2). But with the growth of the membership of the Church, and the forma- tion of many isolated congregations, superinten- dents or presidents {Trpea-jSiiTepoi) were needed and appointed, Avhose duties soon included that of teaching as well as governing the general affairs (1 Ti 3^ 5", Tit F). Their equivalent title in Greek cities would seem to have been 'overseers,' ' bishops ' (e-rria-KOTroi, Ph P, Tit V), and their duties the same, namely, attending to the poor and the sick, helping travelling brethren, exercising dis- cipline towards wrong-doers, and the general ad- ministration of the community's business. So that, although St. Paul mentions many offices in the Church (1 Co 12-8, j^pj^ 411^^ ^-^^q orders only stand out clearly in the NT after the Apostles, that of the presbyters or elders, and that of the deacon>. The prophetic office is too nearly allied to the Apostolic to be easily distinguished, though Jesus speaks of it as of something known universally (Mt 722 iQii 2334) . gt. John speaks of the Church as ' the saints, apostles, and prophets' (Rev 18-"-^*); and Acts names some (Ac IF' 21" IS^-').