AS we shall be compelled to use various ecclesiastical titles, it will be well to see how far they have been obtained from scripture.
The term "bishop" occurs constantly in all histories of the church, simply because some were so called, and there is no other word that can well be substituted. The same title also occurs in the authorized version of the New Testament. We want to see how far they agree.
In the scriptures it is plain that the "bishops" and “elders” were one and the same. Paul had left Titus to appoint elders (presbyters), in every city, if any were blameless, &c.; for a bishop must be blameless, &c. (Titus 1:5-75For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: 6If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; (Titus 1:5‑7).) He was one who took the oversight of an assembly, or there were more than one appointed—elders—some for ruling, and some for ministering in the word. (1 Tim. 5:1717Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. (1 Timothy 5:17).) But there is no thought in scripture of these having any authority over districts.
Neither do we find such in the early church. As one has said: “Let none confound the bishops of this primitive and golden period of the church with those of whom we read in following ages. For though they were both designated by the same name, yet they differed extremely in many respects. A bishop during the first and second centuries was a person who had the care of one Christian assembly, which, at that time, was, generally speaking, small enough to be contained in a private house." It was not till much later that bishops had control over districts, with inferior clergy under them, and at length also with others superior to them.
In the first epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, we find the title "elder" or "presbyter" and "bishop" used indiscriminately. Others of the early fathers prove that these terms were used of the same person.
As we have seen, there were elders (in the plural) appointed in a city, and some were gifted to rule, and others to minister in the word. We can easily understand that one of the two, or more may have taken a prominent place and become a sort of "president," to use an expression given by Justin Martyr, and then that one to be called bishop' in distinction from the presbyters and deacons, that we read of in the epistles of Ignatius.
Still in the epistles bearing the name of Ignatius, the bishop seemed to be over the church in a city, though even there an undue reverence is claimed for the several officers. Thus he says: "It is evident we ought to look upon the bishop as the Lord Himself." (Ep. to the Ephesians, 6.)
“Let all reverence the deacons as Jesus Christ; and the bishop as the Father; and the presbyters as the Sanhedrim of God and college of the apostles. Without these there is no church." (Ep. to the Trallians, iii.)
“All of you follow the bishop, as Jesus Christ the Father; and the presbytery as the apostles; honor the deacon as the commandment of God... let that Eucharist be considered valid which is celebrated by the bishop, or by him whom he has permitted. It is not lawful without the bishop either to baptize or to celebrate a love feast." (Ep. to the Smyrneans, viii.)
Now though these extracts may not have been written by Ignatius (for it is a much disputed point, and in the Syriac copy of the Epistle to the Ephesians the above passage does not occur: of the other epistles, though there are shorter and longer versions, no Syriac copy has yet been discovered) they show what was creeping into the church when these epistles were put forth by some one—somewhat later than Ignatius (died A.D. 107). But even in the Syriac copy, which is believed to be by Ignatius, these words occur: "Look to the bishop, that God also may look upon you. I will be instead of the souls of those who are subject to the bishop, and the presbyters, and the deacons: with them may I have a portion in the presence of God.”
The next step would be that as Christianity extended to the districts around a city, if any dispute arose, appeal would be made to the presbytery of the city, when, if one of these had assumed a separate place of bishop, he would be brought into prominence, and by degrees would obtain influence over a district. Then later on there were several bishops in a province, and when any important matters arose a synod of the bishops would be called, and one would preside. The bishop of the chief city or district generally presided, and he was eventually called Metropolitan. This again was followed by the appointment of archbishops or patriarchs.
In this early stage of the church "Apostolic Succession" was not known. It is true that Paul empowered Titus to ordain elders in every city, but there is not a word that this authority for ordination was afterward to be continued, and without authority there could not be the same appointment. Men might be gifted for the various branches of work—as is the case to this day; but gift is not office. How was the office to be obtained? This indeed led to many disputes: Were the bishops properly ordained? Then, when heresies arose, were consecrations by heretics valid? Later on, the emperors appointed whom they pleased to be bishops. At length a great system of hierarchy was established, but which had not one single feature of resemblance to anything found in the New Testament.
On the other hand, there is not one word in scripture to warrant the church in choosing its own ministers; indeed, among some, at least, of the dissenting bodies, the thought of its being scriptural is quite given up, and they argue that because all human societies choose their own officers, it is right for the church to do the same. But this, alas, reduces the church of God to a mere club. Would that Christians were content to meet in the name of the Lord Jesus, according to Matt. 18:2020For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20), and there let all whom God has gifted use their gifts, without any choice of the people or any human appointment.
God indeed knew how soon evil would be associated with His church, and He caused His servant Paul, when predicting the apostasy after his decease, to commend the saints “to God and to the word of his grace."He said, in the Epistle to the Hebrews,"obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls “(chap. 13:17), but there is no instruction as to how the authority was to be handed down in the future. And so the appeal must be to the word; for if even an angel from heaven preached any other gospel he was to be accursed. And it was well even in the early church, when evil doctrines were propagated, and often by those called bishops, for the saints to know that they were not bound to obey man merely because of any office he might be supposed to hold, but to obey God as revealed in His word; though surely then, as now, they were called upon to submit to any who watched for their souls, with a desire for their spiritual welfare.
In contrast to this, let Ammianus Marcellinus speak of the bishops of Rome in the fourth century: "It was no wonder to see those who were ambitious of human greatness, contending with so much heat and animosity for that dignity, because when they had obtained it, they were sure to be enriched by the offerings of the matrons; of appearing abroad in great splendor; of being admired for their costly coaches, sumptuous in their feasts, outdoing sovereign princes in the expenses of their tables." It was this worldly glory that led Prætextatus, a heathen, to declare, "Make me bishop of Rome, and I will be a Christian too!" Alas! how sadly had those fallen who should have been examples to the flock! How unlike the Lord Jesus, who had not where to lay His head, and who made Himself of no reputation!