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ER 2219

Ambrosiaster commenting on Ephesians 4:11-12 explains how the organization of the Church looked like originally and how and why it changed into the contemporary one, the 370s or 380s.

Eph 4:11-12: "Et ipse dedit quosdam quidem apostolos, quosdam autem profetas, alios vero evangelistas, quosdam vero pastores et magistros. ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerii."

1. apostoli episcopi sunt; profetae vero explanatores sunt scripturarum. quamvis inter ipsa primordia fuerint profetae sicut Agabus et quattuor virgines profetantes, sicut continetur in Actis apostolorum, {sed} propter rudimenta fidei conmendanda; nunc autem interpretes profetae dicuntur. evangelistae diacones (diaconi) sunt, sicut fuit Filippus. quamquam non sint sacerdotes, evangelizare tamen possunt sine cathedra quemadmodum et Stefanus et Filippus memoratus. pastores possunt esse lectores, qui lectionibus saginent populum audientem, quia non in pane tantum vivet homo, sed in omni verbo dei.

2. magistri vero exorcistae sunt, quia in ecclesia ipsi conpescunt et verberant inquietos, sive hi qui lectionibus inbuendi infantes solebant inbuere, sicut mos Iudaeorum est, quorum traditio ad nos transitum fecit, quae per neglegentiam obsolevit. inter istos post episcopum plus esse intellegitur, qui propter reseratum occultum scripturarum sensum profetare dicitur, praesertim quia futurae spei verba depromit, qui ordo non potest esse presbyterii. nam in episcopo omnes ordines sunt, qui et (quia) primus sacerdos est, hoc est princeps sacerdotum, et profeta et evangelista et cetera ad implenda officia ecclesiae in ministerio fidelium.

3. tamen postquam omnibus locis ecclesiae sunt constitutae et officia ordinata, aliter conposita res est quam coeperat. primum enim omnes docebant et omnes baptizabant, quibuscumque diebus vel temporibus fuisset occasio. nec enim Filippus tempus quaesivit aut diem, quo eunuchum baptizaret, neque ieiunium interposuit neque Paulus et Sileas tempus distulerunt, quo optionem carceris baptizarent cum omnibus eius neque Petrus clericos habuit aut diem quaesivit, quando Cornelium cum omni domu sua (eius) baptizavit nec ipse, sed iussit fratribus, qui cum illo ierant ad Cornelium ab Ioppe; adhuc enim praeter septem diacones (diaconos) nullus fuerat ordinatus.

4. ut ergo cresceret plebs et multiplicaretur, omnibus inter initia concessum est et evangelizare et baptizare et scripturas in ecclesia explanare. at ubi autem omnia loca circumplexa est ecclesia, conventicula constituta sunt et rectores et cetera officia ecclesiis sunt ordinata, ut nullus de clero auderet, qui ordinatus non esset, praesumere officium, quod sciret non sibi creditum vel concessum. et coepit alio ordine et providentia ecclesia gubernari (gubernari ecclesia), quia, si omnes eadem possent, inrationabile esset et vulgaris res et vilissima videretur. hinc ergo est, unde nunc neque diaconi in populo praedicant neque ceteri vel laici baptizant neque quocumque die credentes tinguntur nisi aegri.

5. ideo non per omnia conveniunt scripta apostoli ordinationi, quae nunc in ecclesia est, quia haec inter ipsa primordia sunt scripta. nam et Timotheum presbyterum a se creatum episcopum vocat, quia primi presbyteri episcopi appellabantur, ut recedente eo sequens ei succederet. denique apud Aegyptum presbyteri consignant, si praesens non sit episcopus. sed quia coeperunt sequentes presbyteri indigni inveniri ad primatos tenendos, inmutata est ratio prospiciente consilio, ut non ordo, sed meritum crearet episcopum multorum sacerdotum iudicio constitutum, ne indignus temere usurparet et esset multis scandalum.

6. In lege nascebantur sacerdotes ex genere Aaron levitae. nunc enim omnes sunt ex genere (ex genere sunt) sacerdotali dicente Petro apostolo: quia sumus (estis), inquit, genus regale et sacerdotale; ideo que ex populo potest fieri sacerdos. In aedificationem corporis Christi. ecclesiae ordinationem ad conpaginationem humani generis in professionis unitate dicit conpositam, ut {diversi dignitate} in Christo omnes sint unum caput habentes Christum, hoc est auctorem vitae. ecclesiae ordinationem ad conpaginationem humani generis in professionis unitate dicit conpositam, ut {diversi dignitate} in Christo omnes sint unum caput habentes Christum, hoc est auctorem vitae.

(ed. Vogels 1969: 100)

Eph 4:11-12: "And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and other some evangelists, and other some pastors and doctors, For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry."

1. The apostles are bishops, while the prophets are those who explain the Scriptures. Although at the very beginning there were prophets like Agabus and four propheting virgins, as it is said in the Acts of Apostles, {but only} for recommending the rudiments of faith, now the interpreters are called prophets. The evangelists are deacons, as Philip was. Although they are not priests (sacerdotes), they can evangelize without a cathedra just as Stephen and aforementioned Philip did. The shephards can be readers, who nourish the listening people, because the man does not live only by bread but by every word of God [cf. Matt 4:4].

2. The teachers are exorcists because in the church they hold in check and chastise the restless or they are these who having been themselves taught to read now teach children to read according to the custom of the Jews whose tradition had been passed to us though it became obsolete by negligence. Among these, it is understood that after the bishops the greater is the one who is said to prophesy on the concealed and obscure meaning of the Scriptures, especially that as he brings forth the words of future hope, which cannot be the order of the presbyters. Because all orders are in the bishop: because the priest is first, that is, he is the first of the priests, then the prophet, the evangelist, and other ministries fulfilled in the Church in the service of the faithful.

3. But when the churches were established in all places and offices were set in order, the thing was arranged differently than it was at the beginning. Because initially all taught and all baptized in all days and seasons when they had an occasion. Philip did not wait for a proper day or season to baptized the eunuch [Acts 8:38] and he did not order fasting, neither Paul and Silas delayed the moment in which they baptized a prison guard with all his people [Acts 16:33]. Peter did not have deacons and he did not wait for a day in which he will baptize Cornelius and his whole house [Acts 10:48]. And he did not do it himself but ordered it to be done by the brothers who came with him to Cornelius from Jaffa. Because up to this time no one else was ordained except the seven deacons.

4. In order that the people of God become more numerous and multiply, at the beginning it was allowed to everyone to evangelize, baptize and explain Scriptures in the church. But when the Church embraced all the places, the conventicles has been created, the rectors and other offices have been established so that no one from the clergy who was not ordained to do that usurp duties which were not entrusted or allowed to him. and the Church began to be ruled by other order and care, because, if all could do everything, it would be irrational and would seem vulgar and vile. For that reason, the deacons do not preach to the people, the remaining lay men do not baptize, and the believers are not immersed on whatever day, except of the sick.

5. The writings of the Apostle do not agree entirely with the hierarchy which is now in the Church, because they were written at the very beginning. He even calls Timothy, whom he himself made a presbyter, the bishop, because first presbyters were being called bishops becuase when a bishop passed away, a presbyter succeeded him. In Egypt, presbyters even do confirm if the bishop is absent. But because the presbyters who followed begun to be found unworthy to hold primacies, upon some reflection the rule was changed: a merit, not a rank, should made one a bishop by a judgement of many priests so that no one unworthy usurp daringly [the office] and scandalize many.

6. In the Law, the priests were born from the generation of Aaron, the levite. But now everybody is from the priestly generation as Peter the Apostle says that we are [you are] a kingly and priestly generation. For that reason, a person from the people can become a priest for the edification of Christ's body. He says that the governance of the Church has been established for uniting mankind in the community of professed faith so that all {those who differ in dignity} be one in Christ and have Christ, that is the author of life, as their head. He says that the governance of the Church has been established for uniting mankind in the community of professed faith so that all {those who differ in dignity} be one in Christ and have Christ, that is the author of life, as their head.

(trans. M. Szada)

Place of event:

Region

Rome

City

Rome

About the source:

Author: Ambrosiaster
Title: Commentary to the Letters of Paul
Origin: Rome (Rome)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

"Ambrosiaster" is a name given in the scholarship (probably since the 17th-century edition of the Maurines) to the author of the Commentaries to the Letters of Paul which where attributed to Bishop Ambrose of Milan throughout the Middle Ages. Some proposed to identify Ambrosiaster with one of the known authors but none of these identifications is supported by compelling evidence. From the remarks scattered in the Commentaries we can deduce that he lived in Rome during the pontificate of Pope Damasus (366-384). As he sometimes speaks disapprovingly about the Roman deacons, it is possible that he was himself a presbyter (Hunter 2017). The Commentaries follow a Latin translation of the Pauline epistles common in Italy before the Vulgate revision. The Commentaries survived in the several revisions. Their editor Vogels distinguishes three recensions in the commentary to the Romans, alpha, beta and gamma, and two recensions, alpha and gamma, for the remaining letters. The text given here takes into account both revisions.

Also the Quaestiones Veteris and Novi Testamenti, transmitted under the name of Augustine, are now unanimously attributed to Ambrosiaster.

Edition:

H.I. Vogels ed., Ambrosiaster, Commentarius in xiii Epistulas Paulinas, Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Lationorum 81, Wien 1966–9

Bibliography:

D.G. Hunter, "The Significance of Ambrosiaster," Journal of Early Christian Studies 17 (2009), 1-26

D.G. Hunter, "Rivalry between Presbyters and Deacons in the Roman Church: Three Notes on Ambrosiaster, Jerome, and The Boasting of the Roman Deacons," Vigiliae Christianae 71 (2017), 495–510

S. Lunn-Rockliffe, Ambrosiaster's Political Theology, Oxford 2007

A. Merkt, "Wer war der Ambrosiaster?" Wissenschaft und Weisheit 59 (1996) 19-33

A. Polliastri, "Ambrosiaster", in: Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity, ed. A. Di Berardino, Downers Grove 2013

Categories:

Further ecclesiastical career - Bishop

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

Impediments or requisits for the office - Improper/Immoral behaviour

Ritual activity - Anointment

Ecclesiastical administration - Election of Church authorities

Equal prerogatives of presbyters and bishops

Theoretical considerations - On priesthood

Theoretical considerations - On church hierarchy

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER2219, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=2219