Some churches also have a figure in overall authority, such as the
pope for Roman Catholics, or the ecumenical patriarch for
the Greek Orthodox. Many of the terms used for these offices are
derived from ancient languages and the continuity of terminology
is an important element in the traditions of various churches. By
its very nature, tradition emphasizes the unchanging nature of
things, and there is a danger that terms used by early Christians
(such as ‘bishop’ and even ‘church’) will be assumed to mean
similar things both in antiquity and in the modern world. The
reality, of course, is more complex, at least if we regard the church
as a sociological phenomenon and not as something ordained
by God. As we will see later in this chapter, the whole notion
of ecclesiastical hierarchies was regarded as inseparable from
Christian ideas about the role of God in human history and the
function of the church as representing God on earth. It is essen-
tial to keep this point in mind in the investigation that follows,
even when discussing the church as a human institution, since
our sources were written by Christians who were convinced both
of the reality of God and of the important role that he entrusted
to the church.
Let me begin with the basic terminology. I noted above
that modern terms for ecclesiastical institutions are often derived
from ancient words. In English, this phenomenon is complicated
slightly by the use of words derived from Germanic languages
in the early middle ages. Such is the case with the English word
‘church’ (compare Kirkein modern German), which is used
to translate the Greek word ekkle ̄sia. The ancient word is more
apparent in modern French l’église. The modern English terms
bishop, presbyter/priest, and deacon, however, are close enough
to their Greek counterparts episkopos,prebuteros, and diakonos.
Of course, when these Greek words were first used by Chris-
tians in antiquity, they did not carry with them the connotations
that their modern English equivalents have of an organized
ecclesiastical system. Instead, they carried a range of different
meanings, which can be highlighted by translating them literally.
Thusekkle ̄siacould mean an ‘assembly’; an episkoposwas anORTHODOXY AND ORGANIZATION IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY
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