2. Choice of ordinands. — The normal method of choosing men for the Christian ministry in the Apos- tolic Age, as certainly in those which succeeded it, was election by those to whom the ordained was to minister. This was undoubtedly the case with the Seven in Ac 6. Whatever their exact office was — and it is not likely, in view of the solemn procedure adopted, to have been only an office of serving tables, a supposition which seems also to be con- trary to the evidence of evangelistic activity by Stephen, Philip, and the rest — the peo])le ('the whole multitude ') elected {i^e\i^avTo, ' chose for themselves,' 6') the Seven and presented them to the apostles (v.°), who after election ' appointed ' them (v.', KOTao-TTjffoMei') and prayed and laid their hands on them (v.°). The difference between the ' appointing ' and the ' electing ' would seem to be that while the people had a free choice, the apostles reserved the right of veto if they thought the choice in a particular case unsuitable. And the same veto apparently rested with ' apostolic men ' like Timothy and Titus. Thus Titus appoints (Tit P, KarasT-qa-gs, the same word as in Ac 6'') presbyters in every city. This must involve at least the same power of veto as in Ac 6.
We do not read of election in some cases ; notably it is not mentioned when the presbyters are ap- pointed in Ac 14'-^, and some have taken the pronoun in the phrase 'aj)pointed for them' as indicating that Paul and Barnabas acted without consulting the people. Yet, as has been said above (1), we ought probably to presume election to have taken place unless there is evidence to the contrary. The details are given in ch. 6 ; they are not re- peated in ch. 14. It is also probable that election existed at Ephesusand in Crete, though we nowhere read of it in the Pastoral Epistles. This method (not without a certain veto attached) continued for
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many centuries, and to a large extent, with peo- graphical and local variations, exists to this day (see art. 'Laity,' ERE vii. 7()S1".).
An exception to this method of clioosing men for the ministry would be when the Divine will was directly intimated. The Twelve were chosen by our Lord Himself (note especially Jn 15""), without ecclesiastical intervention. So also was St. Paul (Gal 1' ; see below, 8). In the ap])ointnient of Matthias to the apostolate, the people did indeed choose two (Joseph Barsabbas, surnamed Justus, and ALatthias) from among the personal witnesses of our Lord's life and resurrection, but took the lot whicli (after prayer had been offered) was cast be- tween these two as an indication of the purpose of God (Ac f "-'■). The prayer is noteworthy both as being the first recorded act of public worship of the disciples after the Ascension, and as containing words which are characteristic of later ordinations : ' thou which knowest the hearts of all men ' (xapSio- ■yv^ara iravTuv, v.^; cf. 15"), though it is uncertain whether the prayer in Acts is addressed to the Father or to the Son. In the later oi'dinations it is addressed to the Father. In the case of St. Matthias there was apparently no further 'ordina- tion ' to the apostolate. The Divine choice is an- nounced by the lot, and so he ' was numbered with the eleven apostles' (v.=*).
Other cases of Divine intervention are mentioned, and in such cases it would seem that there was no election. Whatever was the significance of the cere- mony in Ac 13'"' (see below, 8), the choice of Bar- nabas and Saul was made by the Holy Ghost — no doubt through the utterance of a Christian prophet. And Timothy, as St. Paul tells us (1 Ti 4»), was ordained through (5id) prophecy. This is taken by Liddon (Com. in loc.) as indica£ing an apostolic utterance or prayer — i.e. the ordination prayer. But this interpretation does not suit 1'* : ' the pro- phecies which went before on thee' (or better, as RVm, 'which led the way to thee') ; and a much more likely view is that the ' prophecy ' is the indication of the Divine purpose bj' a Christian prophet, showing that Timothy was a suitable person. Here a regular ordination did follow. It IS possible, though perhaps not probable, that the words in Ac 20-' (see below, 6) mean that the Holy Cihost had by a prophet pointed out the presbyters at Ephesus as being worthy of ordination.
3. The outward sign of ordination. — We are not told th.at our Lord gave directions to the apostles as to the method b}' which they were to appoint officials for the Church. Indeed, it is not a little remarkable that what Western theologians of a later day called the ' matter ' and ' form ' of ordina- tion could neither of them have been taken from the incidents recorded in the gospel narratives which have come down to us. For in Jn 20"-'- (we need not stop to inquire whether these words were addressed to the Ten or to a larger number of dis- ciples) our Lord is said to have ' breathed ' on those present, whereas the apostles and those who came after them used, without any known exception, lay- ing on of hands as an outward sign, and to have pronounced a declaratory and imperative formula, whereas the disciples always (till the Middle Ages) used by way of ' form ' a prayer only.