5 C. R. Koester, Hebrews (New York: Doubleday, 2001), 380. It is worth noting, more broadly, that the New Testament never applies priestly language to Christian leaders as such except for Rom. 15: 16 (see Ch. 2 above). 6 Acts 20: 7 12 provides the only case where we can identify the person who presided and preached (at length!) at a Sunday Eucharist: Paul himself. On this passage see J. A. Fitzmyer, The Acts of the Apostles, 667 9.
Koester might have added that Hebrews does not specify whether these ‘leaders’ (no matter what they are called) presided at Christian worship and, above all, at the Eucharist. Nor does the letter clarify just how these leaders became leaders. Paul (1 Cor. 11: 23–6) shows that the Eucharist was the central act of Christian worship. Yet neither he nor anyone else in the New Testament identifies clearly those who presided at the Eucharist and how they came to perform that role.6 Paul and further witnesses use, however, some more particular terms than the very generic ‘leaders (hegoumenoi)’ when reporting leadership roles in established churches and how Christians were appointed to such roles. Admittedly, in his earliest letter Paul speaks vaguely of those who ‘preside (proistamenoi)’ in the Church (1 Thess. 5: 12). But, writing to the Philippians, Paul addresses ‘overseers (episcopoi)’ and their ‘helpers (diakonoi)’, terms that are often translated, somewhat anachronistically as ‘bishops’ and ‘deacons’ (Phil. 1: 1).7
7 In Rom. 16: 1 Paul names Phoebe as a ‘deacon/helper’. 8 On ‘prophets’, ‘teachers’, and other ministries in Paul’s letters, see J. D. G. Dunn, The Theology of Paul the Apostle (London: T. & T. Clark, 2003), 580 93.
But how they originated, what rites made them into ‘overseers’ and ‘helpers’, and what they did is left obscure. In another letter he notes that, within the whole Body of Christ, God has appointed apostles, prophets, teachers, workers of miracles, healers, helpers, administrators, and speakers in various ‘kinds of tongues’ (1 Cor. 12: 8–12, 28–30; see Rom. 12: 4–8).8 These eight ministries in 1 Corinthians 12: 28 become five in another list of ministries for building up the Body of Christ: ‘The gifts he [Christ] gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers’ (Eph. 4: 11). The list now includes the ‘evangelists’ or official messengers/preachers of the good news (see Rom. 10: 8–17). ‘Prophets’ are mentioned not only by Paul but also by Luke, who records details of their activity in the emerging Church (Acts 11: 27; 13: 1; 15: 32; 21: 10). At least for Paul, ‘prophets’ seem to have been something like inspired or gifted preachers. The Acts of the Apostles also reports ‘elders/presbyters’, who along with ‘the apostles’ lead the Jerusalem church under James (Acts 11: 30; 15: 2, 4, 6, 22–3; 16: 4). Used of authority figures in Judaism, ‘elders’ came to designate officials in Christian communities, without Luke or anyone else indicating how that happened. Early in Acts, Paul and Barnabas are said by Luke to have installed ‘elders’ in local churches (Acts 14: 23). Yet neither in the certainly authentic letters of Paul nor in the Deutero-Paulines does the apostle ever speak of ‘presbyters’ as such in the churches to which he writes, let alone install such persons. When Paul visits Jerusalem for the last time he meets ‘all the elders’ and James, but neither ‘apostles’ nor ‘the Twelve’ are mentioned (Acts 21: 18). Earlier, Acts 6: 1–6 has reported the appointment of seven to ‘serve (diakonein)’ in administering the Jerusalem church. One of them (Stephen), however, works wonders and acts as an outstanding speaker (6: 8–10) before being put on trial and martyred.
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