Re: How does the mythical Jesus thing hang together?
Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2018 6:07 pm
to hakeem,
According to my extensive study on the Ignatian letters (http://historical-jesus.info/ignatius.html), the title & function of city-wide bishop among orthodox Christians started around 130 CE., at least in Asia minor.
Cordially, Bernard
"Bishops" (root: episkopos) in 1 Clement does not mean city-wide (with surroundings) bishop, but just overseers. Notice the plural in 1 Clement 42:4 & 5. Could Corinth have several city-wide catholic/orthodox) bishops then? See also that the word "bishops" is closely associated with the lowly deacons. Same meaning in Philippians 1:1. Also in Acts 20:28 where "bishops" means the elders/presbyters of the Christians of Ephesus (20:17).The internal evidence in the so-called 1 Clement places the writing at least no earlier than the last quarter of the 2nd century. The letter contains anachronisms. One such anachronism is the title of "bishops".
According to my extensive study on the Ignatian letters (http://historical-jesus.info/ignatius.html), the title & function of city-wide bishop among orthodox Christians started around 130 CE., at least in Asia minor.
That's no surprise, because then "bishop" had started to be understood as city-wide bishop and could not be used for leader of a congregation. Apparently in Rome, in the times of Justin, the leader/overseer of a congregation was called "president".Christian and non-Christian sources of the 2nd century state that the leader of the Church was called the President.
Cordially, Bernard