It is a remarkable fact that the Elders are not men- tioned here ; and this is one of the points which show Luke's want of proper authorities about the primitive Church. When we come to a period, where his infor- mation was good, we find the Elders prominent, and specially in practical business matters (pp. 52, 166, 171) ; and there can be no doubt that this characteristic Jewish institution existed as a matter of course in the primitive Church. The superintendence of relief measures was re- cognised as peculiarly their province (XI 30). It seems clear that in the memory of tradition the Apostles had survived alone as being the far more prominent figures, while the first Elders had been almost forgotten.
The new officers are here termed simply " Seven Men
Sec. 3. Appointment of Stephen and the Seven. 375
in charge of this duty " (i.e., septem viri mensis ordinandis). It would be easy to find Jewish analogies that would explain the original idea ; but it would not be easy to find any Jewish analogy to explain the vitality and adaptability of the institution. We must turn to Roman organising methods to find anything that will explain the importance and lasting effect of this step. Roman ideas were in the air ; and the vigorous life of the Church was shown in its power of seizing and adapting to its own purposes all that was strong and serviceable in the world. It suited itself to its surroundings, and used the existing political facts and ideas, "learning from the surrounding tvorld everything that was valuable in it " (p. 149).
The Seven who were appointed bear purely Greek names ; and one was not a Jew, but a proselyte of Antioch. There can, therefore, be no doubt that a distinct step towards the Universalised Church was here made ; it was already recognised that the Church was wider than the pure Jewish race ; and the non-Jewish element was raised to official rank. Nikolaos was a proselyte of the higher and completer type (p. 43) ; and his case was therefore quite different in character from that of Cornelius (p. 42 f.), who was only God- fearing. In the conferring of office on Nikolaos a distinct step was made ; but it was quite in accordance with the principle of the extreme Judaistic party in the Church (p. 157). The case of Cornelius was a second and more serious step.
The consequences of this first step in advance were soon apparent. The wider sympathies and wider outlook of Hellenistic Jews quickened the life of the young community ; and Stephen, especially, was con-
376 Chronology of Early Church History. Chap. XVI.
spicuous for the boldness with which he advocated the faith and opposed the narrowness of Judaism, saying, as his accusers alleged, " that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered unto us". Even though this is a per- version of Stephen's meaning, yet the form implies that Stephen had advanced beyond the previous position of the Apostles as regards their relation to Judaism.
The critical point in chronology is to determine the date of Stephen's accusation and martyrdom. Luke gives us no clear evidence as to the length of the two periods that he describes, viz.y (1) between Pentecost and the election of the Seven, (2) between the election and the death of Stephen. The latest date which our view leaves open is A.D. 33, for Paul's conversion followed shortly after Stephen's death, and in the fourteenth year after his conversion he visited Jerusalem for the second time, pro- bably in 46 (though 45 is not absolutely excluded, pp. 5 1, 68). Can we suppose that the necessity for the admission of the Hellenistic Jews to official rank was felt already in A.D. 32, and that Stephen's brief career ended in 33 ? The space of two years has seemed sufficient to many scholars ; some have been content with one. The difficulties which the primitive Church had to meet by appointing the Seven faced it from the first ; and that step was probably forced on it very soon. The wider spirit shown in the selection of the Seven was likely to cause an early collision with Jewish jealousy; and the party which had cut off Jesus was not likely to suffer His followers to increase so rapidly without an effort to stop the movement. Now the perse- cution that caused and followed Stephen's death was the first attempt at coercion ; the actions described in IV 5 f.