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, Chapter One
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, THE DI VINE E UCHARIST AND THE "CHURCH OFGOD"
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46 EUCHARIST, BISHOP, CHURCH Part One - Presuppositions 47
I
In consequence, the term "Church" in these ancient texts passages in which the term "Church" is used according to
normally describes the Church as a concrete reality in space. the categories given above." Thus whereas the Apostle uses
This observation should serve as our basis for tackling the "Church" in the singular in all cases where he refers to the Church
question, introduced by modern scholarship,' of whether the of a particular city, in cases where he is referring to geographical
idea of the "universal" or of the "local" Church came first in areas wider than the city he uses the term in the plural. The only
primitive ecclesiology.' possible explanation for this curiou s phenomenon is that for
But the pOint of altogether special importance is that it Paul, the term "Church" did not simply mean Christians in
was not just any assembly, but strictly speaking, the eucha- a genera l and theoretical sense, without regard to their eu-
ristic assembly that was called ekklesia of "Church." This is charistic gathering at the time when the Epistle was read.
clearly shown by a careful examination of the information Thus Corinth, as the recipient of the epistle at the eucharistic
we can glean from the most ancient texts we have, namely assembly, is called a "Church" by the Apostle. Achaea, by
I
Paul's Epistles. There are also other early Christian texts contrast, is not called a "Church," since it is not in eucharis-
which concur with these, and those will be discussed later. tic assembly at the time when the epistle was received. This
The Epistles of the Apostle Paul (apart from the so-called occurs in the case of every region wider than a city. Hence
Pastoral Epistles, which are personal in character' and there- , Paul speaks only of "Churches" and not of a "Church" in the
fore do not concern us directly), which are addressed to the singular in such regions.
Christians in various regions under the term "Church," pre- This is the explanation for that characteristic feature of
suppose certain specific circumstances in which the recipients the Pauline vocabulary, namely that we never encounter in
would be appraised of their contents. it "the Church of Macedonia" or "the Church of Achaea" or
These circumstances appear to be none other than the as- "the Church of Judea ." The Christians of these wider areas
sembly of the Eucharist. As H . Leitzmann has observed,1O
, did not differ from those of a city in any other particular
the greetings at the end of these Epistles show that they were way that would allow u s to interpret this linguistic phenom-
intended to be read at the time of the Eu charist, and for this I enon in some other way. They, too, were full m embers of the
reason they would be an excellent guide in reconstructing , Church just like those of Corinth. But because in these earli-
certain parts of the ancient liturgy. II So when Paul writes, for est times to which Paul's epistles belong, the word "Church"
example, "To the Church of God which is at Corinth,"!' this m eant principally, the faithful united in their eucharistic as-
"Church" is first and foremost the actual assembly of the sembly. It was natural that for Paul and his readers the Church
Corinthians gathered to perform the Eucharist. From certain , should be not in Achaea or some other area wider than the
observa tions on points which do not yet seem to have come city, but in Corinth, i.e. in a specific city, because it was there
to the attention of scholars, we may note the following phe- that the assembly took place during which his epistles would
nomenon: while in referring to Corinth Paul uses the term be read.
"Church," when he is talking about Achaea he uses the term Su ch an identification of the Church with the eucharistic
"saints." In other words, while he could most naturally have assembly, can be attested more clearly from a careful analy-
said: "To the Church of God which is in Corinth and Achaea," sis of the content of the First Epistle to the Corinthians and
or simply "which is in Achaea" (given tha t this would be particularly Chapter 11. In this chapter, the Apostle Paul gives
understood to include Corinth)," he makes a distinction be- ,
I the Corinthians practical directions relating to their assem-
tween Corinth and Achaea, placing the "Church" in Corinth. I blies for worship. A careful examination of the terminology
\
This might perhaps be pure coincidence with no esp ecial sig- u sed by the Apostle at this p oint leads u s to the following
nificance, if it were not corroborated by almost all the , observations:
48 EUCHARIST, B ISHOP, CHURCH Part One - Presuppositions 49
Althoug h, it is evident from the whole content of this chap- supper" (i.e. Divine Eucharist) and "Ihe Church" (ekklesia) or
ter that Paul is speaking here about the assembly to perform "the Church of God" mean the same thing.
the Divine Eucharist in Corinth, he nevertheless d escribes That the eucharistic assembly is identified with the very
this assembly as a "Church": "when you assemble as a Church I Church of God is also the conclusion that emerges from a
hear that there are divisions among you" (v. 18). Reading study of the term church in the household (kat' oikon ekklesia)
this phrase of the Apostle Paul's, the C hristians of Corinth contained in the passages belonging to group (d ) according
mig ht be expected to have asked, "What exactly does the to our classification. 16 The significance of the term church in
Apostle m ean when he talks about "coming together as a the household seems to be much greater than mig ht be su g-
Church"? Aren' t we a "Church" whenever we meet, and even gested by the number of passages in w hich it occurs. At a
w hen we do n' t come together in the sam e place?" This ques- time when the Church was gradu ally adopting a technical
tion, which seems so natural to twentieth-century Christians, terminology and did not yet have one fixed, no technical term
did not concern the C hristians of the Apostle Paul's time. could be universally applicable. I' Whereas, it seems that there
Indeed , from the passage it can be concluded quite na tura lly were many such terms in u se locally, either temporarily, or
that the term "Church " was not used in a theoretical sense for a long time until they became fully part of the world-
but to describe an actual meeting; and again not to d escribe wide vocabulary of Christianity.I' The term church in the
just any sort of m eeting, but the one that Paul had in mind household d id not survive in the vocabulary of the Church .
when he wrote the words quoted above - the assembly to The epistles of Paul seem to be the only sources in which it
perform the Divine Eucharist. Paul d oes not hesitate in the occurs. Two things, however, clearly demonstrate its impor-
slightest to call this assembly "the Church of God": to despise . tance. Firstly, this term has the appearance of a u sage alread y
the eucharistic assembly is to despise the very "Church of God" (v. established in the Pauline Churches at the time w hen Paul's
22). And going on to identify Eu charist and Church in a epistles were being written. The fact that he u ses the term
manner which is quite astonishing, he talks about the insti- without any variation and never goes on to explain it pre-
tution by Christ of the divine Supper, linking his reference supposes a familiarity w ith the term o n the part of those who
to the "Church of God " with the subject of the Eucharist by a were reading the epistles. This m eans that in the Pauline
simple explanatory "for," as if it were one and the same thing: Churches at least, this term had acquired currency as a tech-
"For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you" nical term. Aside from this, the importance of the term lies
(v. 23), namely the celebration of the Eucharist. This identifi- in its relationship with the term "Church" which finally pre-
cation of the eucharis tic assembly w ith the Church allows vailed. What sort of Church d oes the church in the household
Paul to use the expression "coming together in the same represent? Stud ents of history are u su ally familiar w ith the
place" (epi to auto) as a term having at once ecclesiological and , local Church and the Church "throughout the world." Does
eucharistic content. "When you come together in one place (epi to the church ill the household constitute a third type of Church
auto) it is not the Lord's supper that you eat" (v. 20), becau se, , for primitive Christianity? This question does n ot seem to
by the way you behave, "you d espise the Chu rch of God" (v. have been examined in d etail hitherto, so far as we know."
22). "So then, m y brethren, when you come together to eat, ,
One probable reason for this is the fact that the m eaning of
wait for one ano ther ... lest you come together to be con- the term is usually considered self-evident. But if we take
demned ... " (vv. 33-34). 15 Thus, in the thou ght of Paul and the ,
into account the Significance of this term for the history of
Churches which read his Epistles, the terms "coming together" the unity of the Church, determining its meaning throug h
,
or "coming together in the same place" (epi to auto), "the Lord's detailed stud y becomes a necessity.
,
50 EUCHARIST, BISHOP, CH URCH Part One - Pres uppositions 51
Many of the scholars who have been indirectly concerned fused with the house; otherwise it leads to "despising the
with this subject seem to identify the church in the household Church of God."
with the "Christian family" in general, which is presented Another example of this firm distinction between tile no-
as a special unity within the Pauline local Churches." In this tions of house and Church is taken from 1 Timotily 3:4-5.
case, church is used in the widest sense of "Christianity" or This passage talks about the family of the "bishop." No other
"Christian community" (Gemeinde). Thus for example Michel, "household" or Gemeinde in Familien could be more Chris-
exploring the meaning of the terms oikos and oikia in the New tian. Nevertheless, Paul not only refrains from calling it a
Testament,21 collects all the passages referring to the "church "church," but clearly distinguishes it from the "Church of
in the household" together with those referring to Christian God": "A bishop must be above reproach ... he must manage
families and gives them all the common title of Gemeinde in his own household (oikos! well, keeping his children submis-
Familien. This approach is in agreement with the older un- sive and respectful in every way; for if a man does not know
derstanding of church in the household, according to which how to manage his own household, how can he care for God's
this term denoted the groups of Christians who gathered church?" These two examples from the Epistles of Paul are
around strong personalities such as Philemon or Priscilla and sufficient for us to conclude that the distinction between the
Aquila and in which, so it was believed, the Church organi- notions of Christian family (oikos, oikia, Gemeinde in Familien)
zation and above all the bishop had their origin." . and of church was so sharp in the mind of the primitive
T)lis inclusion of the "church in the household" among Church that identifying the notion of the "Church" with that
the passages which refer to the Christian family in general is of the "Christian family" would not have been possible.
also continued by later works," with the exception of the But in that case, what led these two different notions, of
distinguished J. Jeremias, who studiously avoids using the house and of church, to be joined together to form one term?
passages which refer to the" church in the household" along- The crucial factor is obviously the celebration of the Divine
side those referring to Christian families generally." Eucharist. All ecclesial activities could be performed outside
But is it correct methodology to examine all these pas- Christian houses. We know, for example, that preaching took
sages together? Does the church in the household belong with place also in the synagogues. 26 And worship itself could in
the passages which refer to the Christian family in general? principle be performed in Jewish buildings, as we see from
The answer is negative if we take into account the strict divi- Acts 2:46. But there was one activity of the Church which
sion 5t Paul makes between the house/ household (oikia) or never took place outside Christian homes: the celebration of
Christian family and Church. Referring to the celebration of the Eucharist." That this was due to strong convictions on
the Divine Eucharist in Corinth and the social distinctions the part of the Church and was not fortuitous is shown by
which were being made in the course of it, he asks the mem- Acts 2:46: "And day by day, attending the temple together
bers of the Church of Corinth: "Do you not have houses and breaking bread at home (kat' oikon), they partook of food
(oikiai) to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the Church of with glad and generous hearts .... " In this passage, the con-
God and humiliate those who have nothing?" " Yet it is trast should be noted: prayer could take place also in the
known that at the time the epistle was written and for a long Temple, but the 'breaking of bread," that is the Eucharist,"
while afterwards, the Eucharist was celebrated in Christians' took place in the Christians' homes. [28a see also Acts 20:7.]
houses. So while house and Church are linked by the Eucha- If we now take into account the identification of eucharistic
rist in practice, they constitute two different realities in the ,
assembly and local Church found in Paul,29 the meaning of
faith of the Church. The Church of God should not be con- the term in question becomes clear. The terms house and
52 E UCHARIST, B ISHOP, CHURCH Part One - Presuppositions 53
church expressed two different realities: the former something heaven before the throne of God w ith the Church on earth
secular, and the latter a purely ecclesial reality. But w hen- worshipping before the Table of the Eucharist is such as to
ever the Eu charist was celebrated in the hou se of a Christian call to mind the connection between these two aspects of the
family, the Church of God was automa tically linked w ith that Church w hich only in Orthodoxy has been preserved in su ch
household. The connection of the Eucharist both with that house d epth.36 C hapters 4 and 5 of Revela tion, to w hich we shall
and with the Church of God gave rise to the church in the hOl/se- return later, m ake no sense w ithout the presupposition that
hold w hich took its name from the owner of the hou se.'" the eucharistic assembly incarnates on earth the very Church
Thus the phrase church in the household refers to the as- of God.
sembly of the faithful for the celebration of the Eucharist. 3l If From this is becomes clear that from the first appearance
this assembly was called a church, this was because the as- of the term ekklesia there w as a m ost p rofound connection,
sembly, epi to auto, for the celebration of the Eucharist w as even to the p oint of identity, between this term and the Eu-
also called a church (1 Cor. 11). In contrast with the other terms charist celebrated in each city. Each such Eucharist constituted
u sed for the Church, the term church in the household w as the the expression in space and time of the Church of God her-
most concrete expression of the Church, d enoting the assem- self.
bly of the faithful in a particular place in order to be united 2. The connection of the Eucharist with the original consciousness
in the body of Christ. In consequence, the church in the house- regarding the unity of the Church.
hold ':Vas not a third type of Church, different from the "local" The identification of the eucharis tic assembly w ith the
or the "universal," but the local Church herself or Church of C hurch of God herself in the use of the term chu rch would
God, breaking bread at the house of one of her members. make no sense if there did not exist in pa rallel a very pro-
So from an examination of the oldest texts of p rimitive fo und connection betw een the Divine Eucharis t and the
Christianity, the Epistles of Paul, it transpires tha t the eucha- primitive Church's consciousness regarding uni ty. This con-
ristic assembly was identified with the "Church of God" herself. If nection, w hich extends beyond the terminology used for the
we now examine those texts w hich are already seeing the Church into the early theology regarding the Church among
end of the Apostolic period, su ch as the Revelation of John, the first Christians, is brilliantly expressed by the "theolo-
we shall again have no difficulty in establishing the sam e gian of unity" par excellence," the Apostle Paul. Addressing
identification of the eucharistic assembly with the C hurch of the Corinthians, the Apostle w rites: "Judge for yourselves
God . Written characteristically "on the Lord's d ay,"32 which what I say. The cup of blessing w hich we bless, is it not a
is to say the day of the Eucharist par excellence," the Book of communion (koinon ia) in the blood of Christ? The bread
Revelation m oves w ithin the milieu and atmosphere of the w hich we break, is it not a communion in the bod y of Christ?
eucharistic assembly to such an extent that scholars study- Because there is one bread, we w ho are ma ny are one bod y,
ing it are faced w ith the problem of whether the Eu charist for we all partake of the one bread ."" In this highly signifi-
influenced this book or vice versa." However that may be, it cant passage, the dominant idea is tha t "the man y" form "one
should be considered that there is a t least a "mutual" influ- bod y" identified w ith the bread of the Eucharist. Since this
en ce b e tween the Book of Revela tion a nd eu ch a ris tic id ea was to have a decisive influence on the w hole fOllna-
worship" This book transports us from the Eucharist to the tion of the C hurch's unity, it is necessary to look at it in more
throne of God and from the Church on earth to the Church detail at this point w hile we are examining the presupposi-
in heaven in su ch a way that we think it is one and the sam e tions of this unity.
reality. Indeed , the mystical identification of the C hurch in
54 E UCHARIST, BISHOP, CHURCH Part One - Presuppositions 55
The connection of the Divine Eucharist with the conscious- Jesus Thy servant."so This fact is of particular significance
ness tha t the "m any" are united through it and in it into one given that, as a rule, liturgical texts preserve very an cient
body, and not just any body but the "body of Christ"39 - thus traditions. If indeed this is coupled w ith the existence of the
forming not "one thing" in the neuter but "one" in the mas- Servant of God tradition also in other very ancient hymns of
culine," the "one Lord" Himself" - is d eeply rooted right in worship, su ch as we m ost li kely find included in Paul's
the historical foundations of the Divine Eucharist and the Epistle to the Philippians (2:6-11 ),51 the connection between
Church alike. A careful examination of the texts referring to the Divin e Eucharist and the Servant tradition should be
the Last Supper with which the origin of the Eucharist coin- considered something very ancient in the mind of the Church.
cides his torically" shows convincingly tha t d espite their In this way the "many" of the Servant tradition, the "many"
many differences on various points," they all agree on the of the Last Supper and the "many" of Paul's epistles meet
connection of the Supper with the "many" or "you" (pl.), and are identified with each other through the synthesis
"for" or "in the place of" (anti or peri) whom the One offers achieved by the systematic thought of the great Apostle \
Himself." This relationship of the "many" with the "One"" when he writes, "". one bread, we who are many are one
who offers Himself for them connects the historical founda- body, for we all partake of the one bread."
tions of the Eucharist with the Judaeo-Christian tradition of But the connection of the Eucharist with the primitive
the servant of God or servant of the Lord" which again is Church's sense of the unity of the "many" in the "One" goes
c0'!11ected with Jesus Christ's understanding of Himself" and back to the historical foundation of the Church also by way
goes back to the p eople of Israel's consciousness of unity'" of another fundamental tradition, that of the Lord as "Son of
In this way, the connection of the Eucharist with the con- Man." This is especially true of the Johannine Churches,
sciousness that the "many" are united to the point of identity w hich, w hile not unaware of the connection of the Eucharist
with the One who offers himself on their behalf is shown to with the Servant of God tradition," nevertheless preferred,
be as ancient as Christianity itself. at least on the evidence of the Fourth Gospel, to connect it
This connection of the Divine Eucharist with a sense of with the "Son of Man" tradition. This tradition, w hich also
the unity of the "many" in the "One," effected through the goes back to Jesus' understanding of Himself" and through
tradition of the "Servant of God ," is a lready firmly estab- it to the Judaeo-Christian foundations of the Church," has
lished in the consciousness and life of the primitive Church justly been regarded as the source of the idea of the Church. 55
by the first century as shown by the oldest surviving liturgi- For interwoven with this tradition, we find the paradoxical
cal texts after the Last Supper. Thus in the most ancient relationship of the unity of the many in the one which can be
liturgical prayer of the Roman Church, which certainly goes seen more generally in the Judaeo-Christian consciousness56
right back to apostolic times and is preserved in 1 Clement taken to the point of identity."
(96 A.D.), we repeatedly read the phrase "of Jesus Thy Ser- This unity of the many in the "Son of Man" is first clearly
vant," clearly in connection with the hymns of the Servant linked with the Divine Eucharist in the Gospel of John. In
of God in the Book of Isaiah." The same thing can be seen the sixth chapter of this Gospel, which obviously refers to
even more clearly in the eucharistic prayer of the Didache, the Eucharist," the dominant figure is that of the "Son of
also very ancient, where we read : "We thank Thee, holy Fa, Man." It is He who gives "the food w hich endures to eternal
ther, for Thy holy Name which Thou hast caused to make its life."" In contrast with the m anna w hich God gave to Israel
dwelling in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and through Moses, this food is the "true bread," which as that
immortality which Thou hast made known to u s through "which carne down from heaven"'" is none other than the
56 E UCHARIST, B ISHOP, C HURCH Part One - Presuppositions 57
"Son of Man."61 Clearly, then, it is as "Son of Man" that the ence of the Church. This is especially true of the descriptions
Lord appears in His relationship with the Eucharist in the of the Church as "body of Christ," " hou se" or "building"
Fourth Gospel. Hence, communion in the Eucharist is de- (oikodome), and "bride of Christ."
scribed there as eating not simply the fl esh of the Lord, but The characterization of the Church as the "body of Christ,"
the flesh of the "Son of Man": "unless you eat the flesh of the which has provoked much discussion among modern schol-
Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you."" ars," canno t be unders tood apa rt from the eu charis tic
In this cap acity, as "Son of Man," Jesus appears in the Fourth
experience of the Church," which was most likely the source
Gospel not only as identified with the bread of the Eu charist of the use of this term." Neither the parallels to this term
("I am the bread of life")," but also as the reality w hich is par fo und in Rabbinic sources," nor Gnosticism,'; nor other ideas
excellence inclusive of the "many": "he who eats m y flesh and from the Hellenistic milieu" could have lent this term to the
drinks m y blood abides in me, and I in him ."" This abiding primitive Church, given that its content in the New Testa-
in the "Son of Man," though participation in the Eucharist is ment is sui generis, characterized by its emphasis not on the
underlined in chapters 13-17 of the same Gospel, which move idea of the "body," but on the accompanying genitive "of
within the eucharistic presuppositions of the Last Supper and Christ." In other words, it is no t first and forem ost the body
are so profoundly connected with the unity of the Church 's of Christians, but the body of Christ." This takes on its full
The insistent appeal, "Abide in me, and I in you"66 should meaning only within the context of the Judaeo-Christian tra-
no t be understood without reference both to the eu charistic ditio n with which, as we have seen, the Divine Eu charist was
presuppositions of this text, and to the Lord's property of connected from the beginning.
taking up the new Israel and including it within Himself'7 It is within this same tradition that the other ecclesiological
For all these reasons, the eucharistic character of the Fourth images, too, take on their full m eaning. Thus the character-
Gospel, which is increasingly being recognized," makes it a izatio n of the Church as a "building"" or "house"" does not
first class historical source for studying the presuppositions imply som ething inanimate, but an organism living and grow-
on which the formation of the Church's unity in the Divine ing"" to "mature manhood,"" "to the m easure of the stature
Eucharist is based. Corning as an indispensable complement of the fullness" of Chris!."" This is no t unrelated to the Di-
to those sources which inform u s about the mind of the vine Eucharist." In the spirit of the unity of the "many" in
Pauline Churches, it proves that despite being expressed in the One, we can also have a right understanding of the de-
ways different from those we encounter in Paul's Epistles," scription of the Church as "bride of Christ," through which
the consciou sness was the same througho ut the primitive the faithful are understood as "members of Christ"" in a man-
Church : through the Divine Eucharist the " many" - the new, ner analogous to the union of husband and wife "into one
true Israel, those who make up the Church - become a unity flesh ."'"
to the point of identity with Christ. These ecclesiological images, of course, require special
All this d emonstrates how incomprehensible the whole study which lies outside the scope and nature of the present
ecclesiology of ancient Christianity becomes w itho ut refer- work. But the point releva nt to the ver y close connection of
ence to the Divine Eucharist particularly in anything to do the Divine Eucharist with the primitive Church's conscious-
with the notion of the Church's unity. The principal images ness of unity, is this: that all these images become meaningless
used to depict and describe the Church in the New Testa- outside the ontological unity of the "many" in Chris!. Deeply
ment'o are based on the relationship of the "many" with the rooted, as we have seen, in the historical foundations of Chris-
"One," exactly as this is dictated by the eucharistic experi- tianity, this unity found its fullest expressio n through the
58 EUCHARIST, BISHOP, CHURCH
Divine Eucharist. The ancient Church was fully aware of this
when she declared, through the first theologian of her unity,
"we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the
one bread." Chapter Two
59
60 E UCHARIST, BISHOP, CHURCH Part One - Presuppositions 61
ship and especia lly in the Eucharist. As the one Lord, Christ Christ. This makes the Church a theocratic unity." But this
is also the one ruler, again recognized as such primarily in authority of Christ was not expressed except through the
the Eucharist." Precisely because of this position H e holds ministers of the Church; the law of which had a human as
in eucharistic worship, Christ concentrates in Himself all the well as a divine character. This was made possible mainly
forms of ministry that exist in the Church. He is par excel- because of the Divine Eucharist which identified heavenly
lence the minister," priest," Apostle," deacon," bishop," and worship with earthly and Christ with His Church in a man-
teacher,loo "in everything being preeminent."IOI ner that was mystical and real.
But here too, as has been remarked in another case/a) So thanks to the Eucharist and, therefore, chiefly in it, the
Christ is a great paradox in His relationship with the Church. various forms of ministry grew up in the primitive Church,
While He is worshipped in heaven, He is at the same time and these in turn gave rise to the various "orders" in the
present on earth and in the Eucharist,I03 thus transforming Church and produced her law as a strictly Christocentric re-
the heavenly state into an earthly and historical reality. Thus ality. All the ministries of Christ were reflected as historical
eucharistic worship on earth does not constitute a reality realities in the C hurch in a way that created order and, there-
parallel to that of heaven, but is the heavenly worship itself fore, "orders." In other words, while Christ was identified
(mystical identity). I'" In precisely the same way, the paradox with the whole Church which was His body, and, therefore,
of the relationship between Christ and the Church is also all the members of the Church were "sharers in Christ/ ' III
e)dended to the forms of ministry. The' fact that the minis- the powers or ministries of Christ were not expressed through
tries in the primitive Church were always understood in all these members, but through certain ones. Thus Christ was
humility as "ministries of service" (diakoniail 105 does not mean regarded as the "apostle," but this did not mean that in His
that they were devoid of authority.l06 In precisely the same Body all were apostles l12 C hrist was the "Teacher," but in
way as the heavenly worship was truly represented typo- the Church there were not "m any teachers."113 H e was the
logically in the Eucharist on earth so the authority of Christ deacon, but this property of His was expressed through a
was truly reflected in the ministers of the Church. The Church particular order which received a special charism for this.114
ministries, therefore, were not understood as existing in par- This held good for all the ministries of Christ which are mys-
allel with C hrist's authority,l07 but as expressing the very tically reflected in the Church. liS In the same way, the unity
authority of Christ. As the one Lord and ruler of the Church, of the Church came to be the unity of a body, but in diversity
Christ does not govern in parallel with an ecclesiastical ad- of charismata l16 which is equiva lent to a unity in law and hi-
minis tration on earth, but through it and in it. The ministries erarchy. '
that exist are antitypes and mys tical radiations of the very Thus, the Divine Eucharist through which C hrist was
authority of C hris t, the only minister par excellence. The rank united to the point of identity with the Church, making it
of Apostle, for example, was not understood in the primi- possible in this way for the charismata to be distributed , be-
tive Church as an authority existing in parallel with the came not only the source of ca nonical unity, but also the chief
authority of Christ, but as the very authority of Christ. 108 In a area in which it was expressed l17 As we know from the First
similar manner the bishop, as we shall see shortly,11l9 was Epistle to the Corinthians, the diversity of gifts was mani-
understood as occupying the "place of God" and as the "im- fested chiefly in the eucharistic assembly. But it was precisely
age of Christ." In this way, Christ remained the only minister there also that unity in ord er was manifested - the unity
and the only o ne holding authority in the Church. Ministers which Paul tries to reinforce still further by opposing the
had no authority except as images and representatives of individualism of the charismatics and making the charismata
62 EUCHARIST, BiSHOP, CHURCH Part One - Presuppositions 63
subordinate to the unity of the Church which for Paul meant nent structure of the Church's unity? Again, the information
unity in orderY' The frequently attempted separation be- available to us is severely limited by the nature of the sources.
tween spiritual gifts and order,1I9 even to the point of an The actual situation in the Church of that period is known to
antithesis such that order is seen as the destroyer of the spirit us only from the Apostles, and this prevents us from seeing
in the primitive Church,l 20 finds no basis in the sources of what exactly happened in the Apostles' absence. So what we
primitive Christianity. The division between charismatics and discover is only the minimum of the historical reality. A fact
non-charismatics, introduced by Harnack, founders on the which should make us wary of arguments from silence.!"
fact that the permanent ministers too received the gift of the From Paul's description of the eucharistic assembly in
Holy Spirit and were therefore considered charismatics. l2I Corinth, we learn that the Eucharist involved all the mem-
The act of ordination by which the permanent ministers were bers of the Church,'28 but within it there were those who gave
"appointed" was nothing other than a laying on of hands to their consent and confirmation through the" Amen." 129 So in
convey a special charism,122 one which remained permanently the Eucharist there was, on the one hand, the order of offerers
with the person ordained.123 Nor is there any serious basis in or leaders, and on the other, the order of respondents through
the sources for the idea, again introduced by Harnack, that the" Amen." Who exactly these leaders and respondents
the so-called "charismatics" took precedence in the early were, l Corinthians does not tell us. About a generation later
Church over the permanent ministers. Looked at in the light in the Church of Corinth, we learn that there were two or-
of the entire section of the Epistle concerning the eucharistic ders clearly distinguished from one another, the clergy and
assemblies in Corinth, the passage in 1 Cor. 12:28 on which the laity, and that - significantly enough - the substance of
Harnack bases his thesis, is evidence that Paul did not have these two orders is based on the place each of them occupied
in mind a hierarchy such that the "charismatics" were placed in the Eucharist. l3O When, in about the middle of the second
above the permanent ministers. On the contrary, his whole century, the eucharistic assembly in Rome is described by
purpose is to subordinate the charismatics to the "order" of Justin (and judging from 1 Clement which links Corinth and
the Church,'24 and this is why he places the gift of tongues, Rome, it cannot have differed from the practice in Corinth),
so dear to the Corinthians, right at the end of the list of gifts. the"Amen" attested in 1 Corinthians is placed in the mouth
The fact that Paul is not interested in that kind of order of of the order of laity.l3l So insofar as we can throw light on the
precedence is further evident from several passages where situation in Corinth around 55 A.D. through what we know
he places the so-called "charismatics" after the permanent from somewhat later sources,'32 the distinction between those
ministers who are regarded as "administrators."'25 The primi- who led the Eucharist and those who responded with the
/
tive eucharistic assemblies, in consequence, knew no "Amen" sprang from the structure of the Eucharist to ap-
antithesis between spirit and order, charism and hierarchy, pear clearly a short time later (1 Clement) as the fundamental
because hierarchy and order without a spiritual charism were canonical division of the Church herself into clergy and la-
inconceivable at that time. 126 ity.
More particularly now on the question of the leaders of
2. The elevation the "president" of the Eucharist to "Bishop" of the the eucharistic assembly, the apostolic period is again ob-
Church. scured by the shadow of the Apostlesl 33 From what the book
What specific distinctions of "order" do we find, then, in of Acts tells us, we are obliged to accept that when the
the eucharistic assemblies of apostolic times? And how did Apostles were present at a eucharistic gathering, they led
they lead from the structure of the Eucharist to the perma- the Eucharist. l34 It seems that the same applied to the itiner-
64 EUCHARIST, BISHOP, CHURCH Part One - Presuppositions 65
ant "prophets," judging from what we are told by the charismatics such as the prophets, and b) by the Bishop, sur-
DidacheDs But, whenever the Apostles were absent, which rounded by the presbyters and deacons.
was most of the time, leadership of the Eucharist naturally Texts such as the Acts of the Apostles, 1 Clement and the
belonged to the permanent ministers. Here, again, there is Didache point in the former direction. In Acts (20:11), we read
an impenetrable historical problem, because the information that Paul celebrated the Divine Eucharist in Troas on the oc-
we have is sporadic. When the Twelve disappeared from the casion when the youth Eutychus accidentally fell from the
historical scene in a highly obscure manner, we find leader- third floor room where the Christians had gathered to "break
ship of the Church of Jerusalem in the hands of James and bread." Again, 1 Clement talks about a "ministry of the
the presbyters. ' 36 These presbyters may have existed in the apostles."'45 What was the nature of this ministry in which
Church of Jerusalem before James took over its leadership.137 the Apostles were succeeded by the presbyters of Corinth
Appearing there in parallel are the "deacons,"'38 an institu- who had been dismissed? Even though the term "ministers"
tion not unrelated to the common tables, with which the is used by Clement in a variety of ways,l46 as used here of the
Eucharist too was connected at that time. 139 Thus, the Church Apostles it has the specific meaning of offering the Gifts of
of Jerusalem was headed by the triad: James - the presbyters the Eucharist. The ministry of the Apostles which had been
- those who serve (diakonounies), I40 which probably replaced given to the dismissed presbyters was the offering of the Gifts;
the scheme: the Twelve (or the Apostles) - the presbyters - this is why it was considered "no small sin" to dismiss them
those who serve. This may have formed the model also for from it.147 It follows that the Apostles had the right among
the organization of the other Churches which received Chris- other things to offer the Divine Eucharist whenever they were
tianity from the mother Church of Jerusalem 1 41 As we can at any Church. It is possible, indeed, that each Church had a
know, today, thanks to the research of Professor G. special place at the table of the Divine Eucharist which would
Konidaris,' 42 this triad was the first linguistic form under be used by the Apostle whenever he visited; and that later,
which the Bishop appeared in history as a specific and com- once the apostolic generation was gone, this became not sim-
plete rank, initially known only by the personal name of the ply the exclusive locus of the Bishop, but also the most vital
office-holder and implicit within the collective term "the pres- symbol of his succession from the Apostles. 148 This probabil-
byters" whenever there was no reason to single him out. It ity stands, whether we accept the theory first put forward
follows that the office of Bishop exists even in the apostolic by C.H. Turner,!" according to which apostolic succession
period, overshadowed by the institution of the Apostles' 43 was understood in the early Church as meaning that the
and linked with the presbyters and deacons, either (more Bishop of a local Church traced his succession back, not to
rarely) through the scriptural expression "Bishops and dea- the Apostles in general, but specifically to the apostle and
cons,"l" or (more commonly) through the everyday the apostolic foundation of the local Church over which he
expression "the presbyters." presided - or whether we accept the opposite view upheld
That the Bishop, surrounded by the presbyters and dea- by A. Ehrhardt and other historians,!so according to which
cons, was from the beginning the leader of the Eucharist is the succession was seen as a succession from all the Apostles.
shown by the existing texts even though they do not pro- In either case, it does not alter the fact which interests us
vide us with clear evidence as to who exactly offered the here, that apostolic succession as an historical fact stemmed
Divine Eucharist. A careful examination of the sources leads from the Divine Eucharist, in the offering of which the Bish-
to the conclusion that the Divine Eucharist could be offered ops succeeded the Apostles. This becomes clear from
principally and par excellence a) by the Apostles or other studying 1 Clement where the meaning of succession from
66 EUCHARIST, BISHOP, CHURCH Part One - Presuppositions 67
the Apostles revolves exclusively around the ministry of "of- precisely because in the eucharistic assembly he occupied
fering the Gifts." A similar conclusion is to be drawn from that place, w hich the Apocalypse d escribes as "the throne of
studying the Didache. In this text, the Divine Eucharis t ap- God and of the Lamb" in the heavenly assembly, the image
pears as a ministry of the prophets too,l51 w!tich permits the of which the Apocalypse takes from the celebration of the
conclusion that charismatics generally were able to offer the Divine Eucharist in the Church .I" The very title of "Bishop "
Divine Eucharist when they were visiting a local Church . (episkopos) is u sed by Ignatius most p robably because, in keep-
Despite t!tis, however, two historical facts s hould be taken ing with !tis whole theology, the episkopos par excellence is God ,
into consideration before drawing m ore general conclusions. Whose p lace in the eucharistic assembly was now occupied
Firstly, it should be borne in mind that m any local Churches by the Bishop w ho presided over it. l55 Everything in the vi-
were not fo unded directly by the Apostles, but by mission- sion of the Apocalyp se revolves around the altar which is
aries w ho came from other Churches. As to the meaning of before the throne of God. Before it stands the multitude of
apostolic su ccession, this fact does not change things because the saved , and around the throne in a circle the twenty-four
by tracing his su ccession back to the apostolic foundations presbyters. The metaphor is plainly taken from the eucha-
of !tis Church, the Bishop would ultimately go back to the ristic assembly at w!tich the Bishop sat on !tis throne before
apostle of the Mother Church from w hich !tis own Church the altar w ith the presbyters in a circle around !timl" and the
had received Christianity. But as regards the unity of the lo- people in front of 1tim.157 T!tis was from the beginning the
cal C hurch and its rela tion to the p e rson offering the place the Bishop occupied as the one w ho offered the Divine
Eucharist, this fact is of particular importa nce as we shall Eucharis t, and for this reason the Church saw him as the
see. A second his torical fact which s hould be taken into con- image and type of God or of Christ. 158 The basis for this vivid
sideration here is that even in those Churches w !tich had been consciousness in the Church lay in the understanding of the
founded by one of the Apostles not all the charismatics were Di v ine Eu charis t as the Bod y o f C hris t in b o th the
connected permanently with the local Church. Furthermore, Christological and the ecclesiological sense.l59 In the Divine
w hich is more important, that at an early d ate the Ap ostles Eucharist, the Church w as m anifested in sp ace and time as
and charismatics started to disappear and be replaced in all the body of Christ, and also as a canonical unity. In this way
their minis tries by the p ermanent p asto rs of the local the unity of the Divine Eucharist beca me the font of the
C hurch .l52 In view of these facts, the Apostles and other Church's unity in the body of Christ, and also of her unity
charism atics cannot be regarded as figures connected p er- "in the Bishop."I60 How the unity of the Catholic Church was
manently with the offering of the Divine Eucharist in the local established and took shape on the basis of t!tis reality w ill be
Church and, therefore, capable of expressing her unity. This the subject of our enquiry in the chapter s w hich follow.
was the task and character of the p ermanent ministers of the q50
local Church and in particular the Bishop .
The task of the Bishop was from the beginning princi- To summarize the conclusions of the first part of t!tis study,
p ally liturgical cons is ting in the offering of the Divine we observe that the Divine Eucharist was from the begin-
Eucharist. T!tis is attested in very early texts. If we combine ning identified w ith the Church of God . Through this link
the information Ignatius gives us abou t the Bishop w ith the w ith the consciousness that in Christ the "man y" are united
image of the eu charis tic assembly tha t the author of the in the O ne, the Eucharist appeared as the !tighest expression
Apocalyp se has in mind (late first century), we see that the of the Church as body of Christ. Thus, in the earliest histori-
Bishop is described as "presiding in the place of God ,"153 cal d ocuments, Paul's Epistles, the eu charistic assembly is
68 EUCHARIST, BISHOP, CHURCH Notes to Part One 69
unreservedly identified with the Church of God which is in the consciousness recognition of which led the early Church to
a given city. Identification of the eucharis tic assembly with ecclesiological formulations of a purely theoretical character.
2 Rom. 16:1; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1; Col. 4:1 6; 1 Thes. 1:1;Acts 8:1
the "Church of God " led automatically to the coinciden ce o f
eu charistic unity with the basic canonical unity of the C hurch. and 11:22.
3 Gal. 1:2 and 22; 1 Thes. 2:14; 2 Cor. 8:1; 1 Cor. 16:19; Acts 15:41
The division of those taking part in the Eucharis t into those
and 16:5; Rom . 16:16; 1 Cor. 11 :16 and 14:33-34.
who led and those who responded with the" Amen " ap- 'Mt. 16:18 and 18:17; Acts 5: 11; 8:3; 9:31; 12:1; 12:5; 11 :26; 14:23;
peared already in the first century (1 Corinthians a nd 1 14:27; 15:3; 15:4; 15:22; 18:22; 20:17; 20:28; 1 Cor. 6:4; 10:32; 11 :18;
Clement) as a clear and now permane nt canonical divis ion 11 :22; 12:28; 14:4; 14:1 2; 14:19; 14:23; 14:28; 14:35; 15:9; Gal. 1:13 and
of the members of the Church into clergy and lai ty. At the Phil. 3:6.
same period the " president" of the eu charistic assembly, as 5 Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Philem. 2.
occupying the "throne of God" in the aitar, was elevated in 6 Acts 8:1-3. The same is tru e of most of the passages in cat-
the consciousness of the Church to the one who was seated egory (c). An exception could be made only for the passages Mt.
"in the place of God." In this way, the unity of the Church in 16:18; Acts 9:31; 20:28 (?); 1 Cor. 10:32 (?); and 12:28 (?) which are
also the only ones which ma y not have in view the Church as a
the Eucharis t a utomatically became a lso a unity in the
concrete local reality.
"Bishop.n
, 7 It should be stressed that the problem as it is posed tod ay
These general presuppositions of the first three genera- does not stem from the texts but is artificial given that the anti-
tions or so of C hristianity formed th e bas is for the further thetical scheme "localism vs. universalism" was alien to the mind
formation of the unity of the Church in the Divine Eucharist of th e primitive Church (see above, p . 21 ).
and the Bis hop. 8 The view that the "universal" Church precedes the "local" is
held by (among others) P. Bratsiotis, " The Apostle Pa ul and the
NOTES TO P ART O NE Unity ofthe Church" (in Greek), in f.E.TIt.S. (years 1957-58), 1959,
p. 154; R. Bultrnann, "The Transformation of the Idea of the Church
, The distinction between theoretical and practical ecdesiology in the History of Early Christianity," in Calladiall Journal of Theology
is intended here to underline the fact that the first theology con- 1 (1955),73-81; and A. Medebielle in Dictiollllaire de la Bible, Suppl.
ceming the Church did not develop as speculation about the idea Il, 1934, 660 and 668. The opposite view is taken by J. Y. Campbell,
or the concept of the Church, but initially appeared as an experi- "The Origin and Meaning of the Christian Use of the Word Ekklesia,"
ence of a reality; a state, in which Christians were continuously in Journal of Theological Studies 49 (1948), 130 f. and 138; K. Schmidt,
living. The conscious recognition of this sta te and the subseque nt "Ekklesia" in T. W.N.T. , lll, 503; and L. Cerfaux, La Theologie de
expression of the consciousness w hich had been created consti- rEglise... For a full bibliog raphy, see K. Stendahl, "Kirche .. ," col.
tuted the first theology of the Church, ex pressed through images 1303 f.
9 G. Konidaris, Oil the Supposed Differellce, p. 29.
which d escribed but did not define the reality which the Chris-
W Messe WId Herreumahl, 1926, p . 237.
tians lived . Thus, the theoretical theology of the Church did not
11 This reconstruction is attempted by Lietzmann (Ibid.)
precede the historical events and institutions of the Church's life.
On the contrary, the events and experiences of the Church, con- " 2Cor.1:l.
sciously recognized by her, led gradually to theoretical th eological On the boundaries of Achaea at this time see G. Konidaris,
13
formulations. This has particular Significance from the point of view Church History of Greece, i, 1954-60, pp. 44-47.
of method ology, especially for this stud y, which examines the unity 14 See above, notes 2 and 3.
of the Church, starting not from the theoretical teaching on unity " Cf. verse 29, where "coming together unto jud gem ent" is
m the sources, but from those events, institutions and experiences, clearly connected with being a communicant of the Eucharist.
16 See above, note 5.
70 E UCHARIST, B ISHOP, CHURCH Notes to Part One 71
26 Acts 9:29; 13:14,45; 14:1; 17:1-2, 10, 17; 18:19; 19:8. 42 See M. Siotis, Divine Eucharist (in Greek), p. 50 f.
l7 In Acts 5:42 we find Temple and house linked : "And every 43 Histo rical and literary differences of a liturgical character be-
d ay in the temple and at home they did n ot cease teaching and tween these texts do not concern us here. On these see Lietzmann's
preaching Jesus as the Christ." But this linkage refers to preaching. work Messe etc. See also J. Betts, op. cit. p. 4 f. and especially D.
It should b e n oted that nowhere do w e find such a linkage in con- Moria tis, History of Christian Worship. Ancient Times (First to Fo urth
nection with the Eucharist; the exclusive place for which was the Century) (in Greek), 1964, p . 56 f.
Christian home. .. See Mk 14:24; Mt. 26:28; Lk 22:20 and 1 Cor. 11 :24.
28 That this refers to the Eucharist is agreed by most modern 45 ct. also H . Fries, "Die Eucharistie und die Einheit der Kirche,"
scholars. See e.g. A. Arnold, Der Ursprung des christlichen Abendmahl in Pro Mundi Vita. Festschrift zu m eucharistischen Weltkongress, 1960,
in Lichts der nellsten liturgiegeschichtlichen Forschung, 1932, p p. 43-47; p. 165f.
W. Goosens, W., Les origines de l'E ucharistie, 1931, pp. 170-174 andJ. 46 On this connection see J. Betz, "Eucharistie," in L.T.K., III,
Gewiess, D ie urapos tolische H ei/sve rkundig ung nach der 1959, col. 11 43.
Apostelgeschichte, 1939, 99.152-157. 47 The ide ntity of the Serva nt o f God is clearly applied by the
29 See above, p. 461. Lord to Himseli in Lk. 22:37 (= Is. 53:12), as also in all the passages
30 E.g. "the Church in your [Philemon's] household" (Philem . concerning the sufferings of Jesus, while the correspondence be-
1:2) or "the C hurch in their [Priscilla and Aquila's] household" tween the story of the Servant and the account of the Lord 's Passion
(Rom. 16:5). The houses from the first four centuries found in Rom e is amazing (Mt. 27:38 or Mk 15:27 or Lk. 23:32 f., 39 = Is. 53:9). The
by arch aeologists, wh ich had been turned into churches, bore the view of this passage by modern exegetes as a va ticinia ex eventu
72 EUCHARIST, BISHOP, CHURCH Notes to Part One 73
(e.g. R. Bultmann, Geschichte der synoptischen Tradition , 1951, p. 154 51 On the phrase "taking the form of a servant" as an allu sion to
and Theologie des N. T., I, 1953, p. 30), runs into insuperable difficul- the tradition concerning the Servant of God, see E. Lohmeyer,
ties, on w hich see O. Cullmann, Die Christologie des N.T. , 1957, p . Gottesknecht I1nd Davidsohn , 1945, p. 3 f. The same idea is also im -
63f. More generally on the significa nce, only recently recognized, plied in Rom. 5:19 through the prominence given to the relationship
of the figure of the Servant in the Gospels, see W Zimmerli - J. of the "one" with the "many": "by one mail's obedience many w ill
Jeremias, "?AI?," in T.WN.T. , V, 636 f.; H .W Wolff, Jesajia 53 im be made righteous." This is a clear reference to Is. 53:11 w here the
Urchristentum , 1950' ; and O. Cullmann, "ji'sus, serviteur de Dieu," Servant is presented as the one through w hom "many" are justi-
in Dieu vivan t 16 (1950), 17 I. fied.
48 The people of Israel appeared from th e beginning as a strong ;, When the Lord is likened to the "lamb, w ho takes away the
unity in the formation of w hich strong religious and ethnic figures sin of the world" in Jn 1:29 and 36 (d. also 19:36), this is a reference
such as Moses and David had been a con tributory factor. See V. to the Servant w ho, in Is. 53:7, is likened to a "sheep." The sa me
Vellas, Personalities of the O.T. (in Greek), I, 1957', pp. 58, 66, 70, 80f. characterization is also prevalent in the Book of Revelation which
121 etc. This unity was considered so profound and strong as to is now clearly linked with the Eucharist by the fact that Christ who
make the people of God one entity in it, relationship with its God. is offered is likened to a "lamb."
H ence, the repeated description of Israel in the OT through im- 53 The use of this title to denote the person of Jesus is so fre-
ages of living organisms such as the vine (Is. 5:1 f., H os. 10: 1-2, Jer. quent in the Gospels (the term appears 69 times), occurring
12:10, Ezek. 15:6), the cedar (Ezek. 17:22), the olive tree (Jer. 11:16), exclusively in the mou th of the Lord Himself, that many scholars
and indeed the son (Ex. 4:22-23, H os. 11:1, Is. 49:14 etc.) and wife of consider this attribute "Son of Man" to be the most authentic ex-
God (Jer. 31 :32, Masoretic text). It was w ithin the context of this pression of Jesus' understanding of Himself. (See e.g. J. Hering, Le
sense of orga nic unity that there arose the tradi ti on of the Servant royaume de Dieu et sa venue, 1952', p. 11 f. and S. Mowinckel, He that
o f Yahweh of which we get a clear picture in the Book of Isaiah, Cometh, 1956, p. 445 f. The rejection of the Christo logical sense of ,
40-55. The discussion of how this figure is to be interpreted be- the term on literary grounds originated with H . Lietzmann, in his
longs to others (see. V. Vellas, op. cit. p. 295 f.; P. Bratsiotis, The youthful work Der Menschensohn. Ein Beitrag zur neutestamentIichen
Prophet Isaiah (in Greek) 1956, p. 8 and N. Bratsiotis, The Position of Theologie, 1896, the reason being that the Aramaic term barnasha
the Individual in the O.T. (in Greek), !. Introduction, 1962). But re- means simply "man" (Menschenkind ); this view was later aban-
ga rdl ess of whether the individ ualis ti c or th e "collec tivist" doned by Lietzmann himself, but found a s upp orter in J.
interpretation of this paradoxical figure is correct, the re lationship Welthausen (Skizzen und Vorarbeiten, VI, 1899, p. 187; d. also P. Feine,
to the point of identity between the Servant and the "many" whose Theologie des N.T., 1934, pp. 57-70. Tod ay, so m e re ject the
sins he takes upon himself is a clear characteristic of this figure. C hristological sense of the term on the basis of textual criticism in
This is recognized today not only by Protestant theology but by those passages which refer to Jesus' activity on earth, "Son of Man"
Roman Catholic theology as well, as shown by J. de Fraine's work being thus seen as a property of Christ's future coming (see e.g. R.
Adam et son Lignnge: Etudes sur In "Personalil/i Corporative" dans la Bultmann, Geschichte... , 1958, pp. 124, 128, 163, 171 etc.; H.E. Todt,
Bible, 1959. This interpretation does not necessarily vitiate the in- Der Mel/schensohn in der synoptischell Oberlieferung, 1959, pp. 197-201
dividual charac teristics of the Servant, which are beyond doubt, and J. H ering, op. cit. p. 142). Some scholars are also dubious about
as V. Vellas proves (op. cit. p. 295 1.). the passages referring to the future coming of the "Son of Man."
49 1 Clem . 59:2-4. So P. Vie lhaue r, "Go ttesreich und Menschensohn in d e r
50 Didache 10:2. Ct. also 9:2: "We thank Thee, our Father, for the Verkundigung Jesu s', in Festschrift fiir G. Dehn , 1957, p. 51 f.; H.H.
holy vine of David thy servant (pais) , w hich Thou hast made known Conzelmann, in Zeitschrijt jlir Theologie urld Kirche, 54 (1957) 277 I.
to us through Jesus Thy servant." On the identification of both of and P. Winter in Theolog. Liternturzeitung 85 (1960), 745 I. H owever,
these passages as Eucharis tic texts see J.P. Audet, La Didach<!. In- the objections of these liberal commentators conflict w ith the idea
struction des Apotres, 1948, p. 407. Cf. also D. Moraitis, History of of a "hidden Messiah," who has an awareness of his identity as
Christian Worship (in Greek), p . 88. "Son of Man" but does not reveal it fully before his future coming
74 EUCHARIST, BISHOP, CHURCH Notes to Part Ol1e 75
(see E. Sjoberg, Der verborgene Menschensohn in den Evangelien , 1955, between the "Son of Man" and the idea of the identity of Christ
p. 120 f. Cf. E. Schweitzer, "Der Menschensohn," in Zeitschrift flir w ith the Church is the curious interchange between "I" and "we"
die net/test. Wissenschaft 50 (1959) 185-209). Besides, the Lord's iden- inJn 3:11-13: "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know,
tification of the "Son of Man" who w ill come in glory "on the clouds and bear w itness to what we have seen; but you d o not receive our
of heaven" w ith the humiliated Jesus on earth is clear in such pas- testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe,
sages as Mk 8:31; 10:45; Mt. 8:20 etc. On this identification see also how ca n you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has as-
A. Papageorgakopoulos, The Son of Man (in Greek), 1957, p.65 f. cended into heaven but he w ho descended from heaven, the Son of
54 The tradition probably goes back to the Book of Daniel (7:13 Man. " It should be noted that he re again the "Son of Man" is men-
f.). Cf. J. Coppens, "Le Fils d 'Homme Danielique
, et les Relectu res tioned. Cf. chara cteristically 1 In 1:1 f.
de Dan. 7, 13 dans les Apocryphes et les Ecrits du N.T.," in Eph- 65 Through their climax in C hrist's prayer for uni ty "that they
The Mystery of Ihe Church, 1960, p. 85 f. the diSciples are called to remain, comes precisely at the moment
56 This gave rise to the theory of "corporate personality," th e w hen He appeals to them, "Abide in me" Gn 15:1-5), cannot be
chief exponents of which were J. Pedersen, Israel: Its Life and Cul- seen as unrelated to the idea of Israel as the "vine" (see a bove). For
ture, 1926; H . Wheeler Robinson, The Hebrew Conception of Corpora te John, the Church, as comprising those w ho are "of the truth," is
Personality (Werden und Wesen des A.T. Wissenschaft), 1936, p . 49 the true Israel (d. e.H . Dodd, The Interpretalian of the Fa urlh Gospel,
f. anel A.R. Jolmson, The One and the Many in the Israelite Conception 1953, p. 246) w ith w hich the "Son of Man" is identified . This is
of God, 1942. An extension of this theory to the whole of the Bible indicated, for example, by the way John transfers the passage from
has been attempted more recently by both Protestant theologians Gen. 28:12 into his Gospel Gn 1:51) by replacing the word "Jacob"
(e.g. O. Culimann, Christus und die Zeit, p . 99 f.) and Roman Catho- with the phrase "the Son of Man" (d. e.H. Dodd, ibid.)
lics (e.g. de Fraine, op. cil.). On the O.T. , d. also N. Bratsiotis, op. 68 See S. Agouridis, "Time and Eternity," lac. cit. , 1lI, 1958, p. 114
and the "people of the saints" in Daniel 7:13-27. In the N.T., this pressing their consciousness regarding the Divine Eucharist from
sa me relationship is clearly presented in the depiction of the Judge- those familiar to the Johannine Churches is indicated also by the
ment (Mt. 25:31 -46) w here the "Son of Man" identifies Himself different terminology they used to d eSignate the Eucharist. Thus,
completely w ith the group of " the least of these m y brethren" (vv. for the Pauline Churches, the favored term is the "bod y," whereas,
40 and 45). Cf, w ith certain reservations, the interpretation of T.w. for the Joha nnine Church es, it is the "flesh" of Jesus Christ; per-
Manson, Ihe Teaching of Jesus, 1955, p. 265. haps on acco unt of John's battle aga inst Docetism, as was the case
58 See M. Siotis, Divine Eu charist (in Greek), p . 33 f. Cf. H . Fries, with Ignatius. See G.H .e. MacGregor, " The Eucharist in the Fourth
lac. cit., p . 170 f. Gospel," in New Testament Studies 9 (1963), 117. For both of these
59 In 6:27. terms see J. Jeremias, Die Abendmahlswarle Jesu, 1949', p. 103 f. In
60 In 6:51. the end the Pauline term "body of Christ" to denote the Eucharist
61 The principal characteriza tion of the "Son of Man" in the prevailed in the Church as is shown by the ancient phrase "The
Fourth Gospel is as "he who d escended from heaven." See In 3:13, Body of Christ" which accompanied the giving of Holy Commun-
w here the phrase "h e w ho d escended from heaven" is followed ion, and to which the communica nt answered "Amen" (see
by the explanatory phrase " the Son of Ma n." Hippolytus, Apast. Trad. , ed . Dix, p . 41; Aposl. Consl. VllI:13:15; and
62 In 6:53. Eusebius, fccl. Hist. VI:43:19).
63 In 6:48. 7U For a detailed analysis of these images see P. Minea r, Images of
M In 6:56. One indication of the connection in the Fourth Gospel the Church in the New Testament, 1960. Cf. also E. Mersch, Le corps
76 EUCHARIST, BISHOP, CHURCH Notes to Part One 77
mystique du Christ, I, p. 143 f. Kirche, p. 170 f. But w hether the word is given an active meaning
"S ee 'mter aI'/Os E . S
C h '
Wltzer, "??MA'"
.. In TWNT
I . . d ern
. . .; elUS (= the Church as complem ent of Christ), as favored by ancient ex-
"Die Kirche als Leib Christi in den Paulinischen Antilegomena," egetes including St John Chrysostom, or a passive meaning (= the
in Theolog. Literaturzeitung, (1961) 241-256.; D. Michel, Das Zeugnis Church is fulfilled through Christ), as favored by modern com-
des N.T. von der Gemeinde, 1941, p. 44 f.; J.AT Robinson, The Body, mentators, it still makes no sense without the idea of an ontological
1952; E. Best, One Body in Christ, 1955; R.P. Shedd, Man in Commu- interdependency between Christ and the Church.
nity, 1958, p. 161 f. ; R. Bultmann, "The Transformation of the Idea 83 Eph. 4:13. Cf. 1:23.
olthe Church ... ," in Canadian Journal af Theology, 1 (1955) 73-81; K. 84 This is clear at least in Hebrews 12:22-24 and 13:10, where the
Barth, Kirchliche Dagmatik, IV / 1,1963, p. 741.; P. Minear, op. cit.; J. allusion is certainly to the Eucharist as shown by the verb "to eat."
Schneider, Die Einheit der Kirche nach N.T., 1936, p. 60 f. For RC Cf. D. Stone, A History of the Doctrine of the Holy Eucharist, 1,1959, p.
views see inter alios T. 50iron, Die Kirche als der Leib Christi nach der 15, and perhaps also the relevant passages of 1 Peter.
Lehre des hi. Paulus, 1951, p. 9-32; H. Dieckmann Die Verfassung der "' 1 Cor. 6:15, 12:12, 12:27; Eph. 4:25, 5:30 etc.
Urkirche, dargestellt auf Grund de r Paulusbriefe und der 86 Eph. 5:29 f. Cf. also the whole of Paul's argumen t in 1 Cor.
Apostelgeschichte, 1923, p. 107 f.; F. Mussner, Christus, das All und die 6:15 f.
Kirche, 1955; L. Cerfaux, La Theologie ... , p. 150f; and J. Hamer, L' E.glise 87 Unity per se was not a characteristic exclusive to the Church.
est une communion, 1962, p. 50 f. For an Orthodox view in very gen- In the Roman Empire, the formation of "associations" was such a
eral terms, see V. Ioannidis, "The Unity," lac. cit. p. 178 f. widespread practice that there were special laws governing the
n Cf. c.T. C raig, The One Church in the Light of the N.T., 1951, p. affairs of the various organizations w hich were known by the term
21: "The identification of the Church with the Body of Christ can- collegia (see Tacitus, Annals 14.17; Pliny, Ad Traj. 34.97; Minucius
not be understood apart from the Eucharistic word 'This is my Felix, Octavius 8-9 and Origen, Against Celsus 1.1. C f. J.P. Waltzing,
I
bod y'." Cf. H. Schlier, Die Zeit der Kirche. Exegetische Aufsatze und Etude Historique sur les Corporations Professionels des Romains, I, pp. I
Vortrage, 1962 3, p. 246 f. and R. Schnackenburg, op. cit., p. 158 f. '11 3-129 and Th. Mommsen, Le droit penal romain, II, pp. 274-8). The
73 For details, see A.D.J. Rawlinson, "Corpus Christ," in love and mutual support which prevailed among the members of
Mysterium Christi (ed. G.A. Bell and A. Deissmann), 1930, p . 225 f. these collegia was extraordinary and was organized through a com-
" See L. Strack - P. Billerbeck, Komlnentar, III, p. 446 f. mon fund to which each would contribute m onthly (stips menstrua);
73 See e.g. R. Bultmann, "Th e Transformation ... ," ibid ., pp. 73-81. thus, the members would address each other as "brethren" (fratres ,
76 See e.g. V. Ioannidis, "The Unity," loco cit. p. 179, where the sodales, socii). Cf. EX. Kraus, "Fratemitas," in Realencyclopaedie der
source of the term is regarded as being the story told by the Ro- christl. Altertumer, I, 1880, p. 540). Apart from the pagans, the Jews
man Menenius Agrippa who was trying to emphasize to the who lived w ithin the Roman Empire came together in special com-
rebellious Roman plebeians that the citizens of a state are like the munities under their own ethnarch (d. E. Schurer, Geschichte des
m embers of a body. judischen Volkes, 1914, pp. 14,17). The brotherly love between them
77 This is in response primarily to the view set out in the preced- was strong, and was manifest especially in groups such as the
ing note. Essenes whose life was organized on principles of comm on prop-
" 1 Cor. 3:9; 14:5,12; 2 Cor. 12:19; Eph. 2:21, 4:12, 4:16. erty (d. L. Philippidis, History, p. 480 f.) To characterize the Church's
7'! 1 Tim. 3:15; Heb. 3:6; 1 Pet. 2:5. tmity as simply a "communion of love," therefore, does not satisfy
80 The notion of "building" (oikodomi!) here is n ot static. The the historian who sees the Church as a sui generis unity.
Church is "being built up," i.e. she "increases." Cf. 1 Cor. 14:4; 1 88 E.g. E. Hatch, The Organization of the Early Christian Churches,
Thes. 5: 11 ; 1 Pet. 2:5 in combination with 1 Cor. 3:6-7; Eph. 2:21, 1888, p. 26 f. and L. Duchesne, Histoire Ancienne de l'Eglise, I, 1906,
4:15-16; Col. 1:10,2:19; 1 Pet. 2:2. pp 381-87.
" 2 Cor. 11:2 and Eph. 4:13. 89 The connection of the Eucharist with the essence of the Church
82 The interpretation of the term pleroma presents difficulties for (see above, In troduction) should be especially stressed because it
w hich see E Mussner, op. cit. p. 46 f. Cf. also H. Schlier, Die Zeit der is precisely on this point that R. Sohm goes astray in his attempt to
78 E UCHARlSf, BISHOP, C HURCH Notes to Part One 79
connect the origin of Canon Law with the Eucharist., . the initial period ) in the organiza tion of the Church .... "
90 On this see H . Chira t, L' Assemblee Ch,,!tienne Ii r Age Apostohque \H Heb. 3:14. Thus, from the viewpoint of p articipa tion in the
(ser. Lex O ra nd i No. 10), 1949, passim and esp . p . 188 f. body of Christ, the C hurch, there is comp lete equality of her m em-
91 This is clear in the book of the Apocalypse (see above p . 51); bers irrespective of w hat order they belon g to. This is expressed
but also in Hebrew s, where w orship dominates, the "altar" of the par excellence in the Divine Eucharist in which from the beginning
Eucharist (see above p. 64, n . 83) is linked w ith "Mou n t Z ion and all orders of the Church had to participate. Ct. G . Dix, The Shape of
the city of the living God , the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innu- the Liturgy p . 195 f. and L Kotsonis, The Plnce of the LaihJ in Church
merable an gels, and to the festal gathering and assembly of the Organization (in Greek), 1956, p . 32 I.
firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to a judge who is God of 112 "Are all Apostles?," asks Paul (1 Cor. 12:29) .
all ... " (1 2:22 f.). 113 'They shall a ll be taught by God ," ind eed (jn 6:45); bu t not
92 Heb. 12:2, CoL 3:1, Eph . 1:2 a nd esp . Phil. 2:6-11 , w here we all are teach ers (1 Cor. 12:29 a nd jas 3:1) .
m ost likely h ave a hym n used in the worship of the primitive 114 Acts 6:1-6.
Church (ct. above, p. 56). L Karavidopoulos, The Christological Hymn 115 The sam e should be said of Christ's priesthood . He is the
in Phi/' 2:6-11 (in G reek), 1963. Priest (see n . 96 a bove) just as H e is the Apostle or the Teach er; and
OJ Eph. 4:5. the m embers of His Church, as constituting His body which is of-
94 Rev. 1:5. fered by the priests in the Eucharist, form a "priesthood " (it should
95 Heb . 8:2. be n oted that both 1 Pet. 2:5-9 and Rev. 5:10, w here a royal priest-
% Heb. 5:6; 8:4; 10:21; 2:17. hood is m entioned, occur within Eucharistic texts). But as not all
'" ljeb. 3:l. partake of His a postolic or other properties, so not all are able to
98 Rom. 15:8; Lk 22:77; ct. PhiL 2:7; M t 12:18; Acts 3:13, 4:27. partake of His priestly prop erty. A general priesthood would ha ve
99 1 Pet. 2:25; 5:4; Heb. 13:20. been as comprehensi ble to primitive Christianity as a general apos-
100 Mt 23:8; Jn 13:13. tali'ci ty or d iaconate etc.
101 CoL 1 :18. 110 Ct. j. Coison, op. cit. p .49 f.: " If all the faithful are m embers of
102 See above, p . 53 f., on the relation of the O ne to th e "Ma ny" the sam e Bod y in Jesu s Christ, not all of these m emb ers are identi-
united in Him. cal and n ot all h ave the sa m e fun cti on . The g ra ce of God is
103 Ct. the phrase in the Liturgy of St Joh n Chrysostom , "Who multiform, a nd the gifts of the Spirit variou s."
a rt enthroned on hig h w ith the Father, and invisibly present here 117 It is by no m eans accidental that althou gh the Church sepa-
with u s." rated from the Eucharist many sacraments w hich were once
104 This is es!,ecially evident in the Apocalyp se and in H ebrews, connected with it she never did this with the ordina tion of priests.
118
and also in Ignatius on w hom see be low. 1 Cor. 14:40.
10; G. Konidaris, On the Supposed Difference, p. 34 I. 119 This distinction was introduced by Harnack, Die Lehre der
1116 Cf. EM. Braun, Neues Licht auf die Kirche, p. 179. zwolf AposteL (Texte und Untersuchun gen, II, 1884, p p. 145-149),
107 As is the opinion of e.g. 8.0. Beicke, Glaube und Leben der perhaps u nder the influence of E. Hatch's work I7le Organization of
Urgemeinde, 1957, p. 25 I. the Early Chu rch ... , as O. Linton thinks, op . cit. p . 36 f. (ct. also E.
1118 Between the Apostle (lit. "sent one") and Christ the sender Foerster, R. Sohms Kritik des Kirchen rechtes, 1942, p . 51 f.). It was
there exists a m ystical relation ship . Christ Himself is working in subsequently establish ed in historiograph y by Lie tz mann a nd
and throu gh the Apostle: "H e wh o hears you h ears m e, and he
/ Heussi through their church histories.
wh o rejects you rejects m e" (Lk 10: 16. Ct. 1 Thes. 4:8). 120 See e.g. J. Klein, Grundlegung und Grellzen des Knnonisches
Developments in the Law of the Roman Catholic Church (in Greek), m O n the subject of ordina tion as the laying on of hands to
1961, p . 36: "The divine factor d ominates d uring this period (i.e. con vey a particular blessing see j. Behm, Die Handauflegung in
80 E UCHARIST, BISHOP, CHURCH Notes to Part One 81
Urchristentu," nach Venvendung, Herkunft und Bedeutung, 1911 ; j . ministrative functions superior to the bishops).
Coppens, L'lmposition des Mains et les Rites Connexes dans Ie N.T., 127 Many of the Protestant historians base their views on the
1925; M. Kaiser, Die Einheit der Kirchengewalt nach den Zeugnis des polity of th e primitive Church exclu sively on such arg uments from
N.T. und der Apostolischen Vater, 1956, p . 104 f. Cf. also M . Siotis, s ilen ce. So fo r exa mpl e, E. Schwe i zer, Gemeinde und
"Die klassische Wld die christliche Cheirotonie in ihrem Verhii ltnis/' Gemeindenordnung illl Neuen Testament, 1959, Sb; Sm and e lsewhere
in Theologia 20 (1 949), 21 (1950) and 22 (1951 ). Esp ecially fo r insta l- 12S Clearly all participated through hymns, speaking in tongues
lation in a specific minis try, ordination was commonplace in etc.
apostolic times. So, for example, in Acts 13:1-3 (d espite the d oubts 129
1 Cor. 14:16.
of j. Brosch, Charismen und Amter in der Urkirche, 1951 , p. 163 a nd 130 1 Clem ent 40:3-41:4 "For his own proper services are assigned
M. Kaiser, o p. cit. p . 38), A cts 6:6 and 14:23 (Cf M. Kaiser, o p . cit. p. to the high priest, and their own proper place is prescibed to the
94). Likewise in 1 Tim. 4:14 and 2 Tim . 1:6. The term "appoint" (Ti. priests, an d their own proper ministrations devolve on the Levites.
1:5) must also include or presuppose an act of ordination even The laym an is bo und by the la ws that pertain to laymen. Let every
though it has a special meaning (see. G. Konida ris, On the Supposed one of you, brethren, be well-pleasing to God in his own order,
Difference, p. 31. living in a ll good conscience, not going beyond the rule o f th e min-
123 Cf. H . Schlie r, in Glaube und Geschichte, Festschrift fUr F. istry prescribed to him ... "
Gogarten, 1948, p. 44 f. and G. Ko nidaris, op. cit. p. 31 131 justin, 1 Apol. 6S. Cf. P. Rouget, Amen. Acclamation dll peuple
'" See 1 Cor. 14:16 and 23 f. in combination with 14:40. sacerdotal, 1947.
125 Thus in Romans 12:6 deacons are placed before teachers, and 132 In this case, this is not an arbitrary procedure from the view-
in Ephesians 4:11, pastors corne before teachers, etc. Besides, the point of historical method if on~ takes into account that the Roman
view that the charismatics formed a special order and organiza- Church was distinguished for its strict conservatism in the early
tion in th e primitive Church ca nnot be support ed from 1 centuries. Thus, o n the basis of 1 Clementwhich forms a link be-
Corinthians 12:28 on w hich Harnack and subsequent historiogra- tween th e Corinth we know from St Paul and the Rome known to
phy tried to base it. A simple comparison of the list of charisma tics Justin, we are justified in believing that the situa tion, rega rd ing
contained in this passage with the similar list in Romans 12:6-9 the Eucharistic assembly, did not change substantially during the
and the expla nations Paul gives in 1 Corin thians 14:6 is sufficient period of time covered by these tex ts
to d emonstrate that in 1 Corinthians 12:28, Paul is not in any way 133 G. Konidaris, On the Supposed Difference, p. 70 (note): "The
referrin g to the ad ministration of the Church in Corinth. Nothing presidents! presbyters! bishops w ho took the place of the Apostles
could justify Harnack's supposition that the "prophets" a nd "teach- probably did not dare to emphasize the sa m e name m ore strongly.
ers" in 1 Corinthians 12:28 constitute special "orders" of ministers They lived under the shadow of the n ame of the Apostles an d of
in the local Church more than the obviously groundless supposi- their authority."
tion that "he who contributes in liberality" and "he who d oes acts 134 See Acts 20:7-12, where Paul presides at the assembly the
of mercy with cheerfulness," who are numbered w ith the proph- purpose of w hich was to "break bread ."
ets and teachers in Romans 12:6-9, also formed specia l "ord ers" in 135 Didache 10:7: "A llow the prophe ts to give thanks as long as
the Church ! they wish ." It is probable that Acts 13:2, "W hile they [i.e. the pro ph-
126 The separation of administration from the charism of priest- ets a nd teachers] were worshipping [/eitourgollnton} the Lord," a lso
hood in su ch a way that a distin ction is created b e tw een implies a liturgical function for these charismatics, as J. Colson
"administrative" and "spiritual" spheres of competence is a prod- thinks, op. cit. p . 31.
u ct of Western sch olastic theology. This separation was accepted 136 Acts 21:18.
and enshrined by the Roman Catholic C hurch which can, thus, 137 This conclusion may be d educed from the fact that the pres-
entrust higher administrative responsibilities to church me mbers byters alread y appea r with the Apostles a t the Apostolic Council
of lower clerical rank (cardinals, for instance, may be deacons or (Acts 1S:2, 4, 6, 22, "Apostles a nd presbyters." The o rigin of the
even laymen, w ithout this preventing them from carrying out ad- presb yters is a n obscure historical proble m . On this see the theo-
82 E UCHARlST, B ISHOP, CHU RCH Notes to Pa rt One 83
ries of G. Dix, "Ministry in the Early Church," in The Apostolic Min- '51Didache 10:7.
istnj (ed. Kirk), 1946, p .233 f.; A.M. Farrer, ibid. p. 143 f.; Bornkamm, m This transfer of powers is attested by 1 Clement and the
in T. W.N.T., VI, p. 655 f. and W. Michaelis, Das Altestenamt, 1953, Didache.
pp. 35-39. The most probable view seems to be that of G. Dix, ac- 15' Ignatius, Magn. 6: 1.
cording to w hich presbyters go back to the Jewish tradition. '54 Rev. 4-5. In linking the Apocalypse wi th the Divine Eucha-
' 38 Acts 6:211; Phil. 1:1 and 1 Tim. 3:1. Their origin, in contrast to rist here, we are not m aking arbitary use of an apocalyptic text as
the presbyters and contrary to the view of G. Dix ("Ministry," p. an historica l Source. The Apocalypse was no t w ritte n w ithout rela-
232 f.) shou ld be sought in the Churches of Gentile origin, accord- tion to the Church life of its d ay and particula rly the Divine
ing to von Campenhausen, Kirchliches Amt und geist/iche Vol/lllacht, Eucharist. There is a w idespread tendency in modern scholarship
1953, p. 84.
to regard even the hymns of the Apocalypse (Rev. 4:11, 5:9-14 and
139 On th e close connection of the deacons with the Eucharist, 17 f.) as hymns fro m the Divine Eucharist. See e.g. F.J. Doelger, Sol
see G. Dix, op. cit. p. 245 f. It is noteworthy that a similar close Sa lutis. Gebel und Gesang im Christ/ichen Altertum. Rucksicht auf die
relation existed between deacons and bishops probably d eriving Ostung im Gebel und , Liturgie, 1925, p . 127 and C. Ruch, "La Messe
from the original position of the former as assistants to the Apostles d'apr"s la sainte Ecriture," in D.T. C., X, 858.
(see Acts 19:22, 13:5; Rom. 16:21; 2 Cor. 8:23 and Phil. 2:25), and the 15; Cf. W. Telfer, The Office of a Bishop, 1962, p. 93.
capacity of the latter as successors to the Apostles particularly in 15. For the term "presbyter" in the Apocalypse as meaning not
the Divine Eucharist. See below. angels but men, see P. Bratsiotis, The Apocalypse (in Greek), p . 11 9 f.
'40 G. Konidaris, op . cit. p . 26. an d esp. p. 122. The fact that the reference here is not to human
14' ibid. p. 42 f. beings in general or the faithful in their entirety, but to a particular
14' In his work On the Supposed Difference, etc. order, is shown by the clear distinction made between the "pres-
,,, M. Kaiser (op. cit. p. 174) is righ t in stressing that the absence byters" and the "saints" (= all members of the Church regardless
of the Bishop from the NT is connected with the presence and pres- of o rd er) in Rev. 5:8. There is thus no reason to reject the interpreta-
tige of the Apostles there. We should make clear, however, that tion accordi ng to w hich this passage has to d o w ith the institution
this absence relates only to the title of bishop and not to the insti- of presby ters and in particular their place in the Eucharistic as-
tution per se (d . G. Konidaris, op. cit. p. 13). The presence of the sembly, espeCially given that, as Professor P. Bratsio tis observes
Apostles meant that the Bishop became invisible in the sources, (ibid. p. 122), "this heavenly liturgy [in the Apocalypse] is a type
but not in practice. of th e ea rthly liturgy according to the O rthodox understanding."
144 Cf. G. Konidaris, On the Regional and Chronological Limits to Ignatius" phrase "the Bishop with the presby terium" (Smyrn. 8:1
the use of the term "Bishops and Deacons," 1960. and Eph. 20:2) most likely also takes its origin from the celebration
145 I Clem. 44:1-3. of the Divine Eucharist which Ignatius had in mind . This hypoth-
146 Elsewhere he speaks of Enoch and Noa h as "ministering" esis is supported by the fact that this phrase appears immediately
(9:2-4); and similarly of the an gels (34:5) and of the O.T. prophets after a reference to the Eucharist and as part of Ignatius' mo re gen-
as ministers of God's grace (8:1 ). eral effort to u nd erline its unity.
' 47 I Clem . 44:4. 157 This arrangement of the Eucharist is likewise presupposed
'48 Cf. G. Kon idaris, "Apostolic Succession " (in Greek), in by tex ts such as Justin's First Apology, 65 and 67; H ip polytus, Apost.
Threskevtiki kai Ethiki Enkyklopaedia, IV, 1964, col. 111 6. Trad. (Dix, 6 and 40f.) etc.
149 "Apostolic Succession: A. The original conception. B. The '58 The Johannine understanding of the Divine Eucharist was
problem of non-catholic orders," in Essays on the Early History of precisely theocentric: "My Father gives you the tru e bread from
the Church and the Ministry, H .B. Swete (ed.), 1918, p p. 93-214. heaven" Un 6:32). The Bishop who occupied the throne in the Al-
'so See A. Ehrhardt, The Apostolic Succession in the First Two Cen- tar was therefore seen as the living icon of God or of Christ (Ignatius,
turies of the Church, 1953 and F Dvom ik, The Idea of Apostolicity in Tral. 3:1 and Magn. 3:1). Anyone w ho does not obey the "visible"
Byzantium and the Legend of Saint Andrew, 1958, p. 39 f. bishop "seeks to mock the one w ho is invisible," i.e. God (Magn.
84 EUCHARIST, BISHOP, CHURCH
3:2). Cf. likewise the connection between the "unity of God" and
"unity in the episeope" which Ignati us makes in Polye. 8:3. The con-
ception that the Bishop is an "icon of Christ" was long preserved
(see Ps-Clement, Hom. 3:62 - Syria, fourth century).
159 See above, lntroduction.
"'" Ignatius, Magn . 6: "Be united with the Bishop." It is worthy
of particular note that Ignatius "does not hesitate to characterize
union with Christ as union with the Bishop" (K. Bonis, "St Ignatius
the Godbearer and His Views on the Church" (in Greek), in
Orthodoxos Skepsis 1 (1958),39. ,
PART II
FORMATION
Liturghia
1. Introducere
3. Materia liturgic
4. Venicul i vremelnicul
5. Aciunea dramatic9B
98. K. Holl subliniaz analogia dintre liturghia bizantin si drama antic (Die
Entstehung der Bilderwand in der Griechischen Kirche), Archiv flir Religionswiss., 1906,
5, XI, p. 365.
99. Teod. de Andida; P G. 140, 417.
264 ORTODOXIA
6. Euharistia
7 . Minunea euharistiei
Printele Serghie Bulgakov expune lmurit conceptia ortodox
despre sfnta mprtanie, in studiul su magistral: Dogma euharis-
tic. Dac la nunta de la Cana Galileii apa s-a transformat n vin,
aceasta nseamn c o materie din lumea aceasta a fcut loc alteia, dar
aceasta este o minune fizic, pentru c si vinul i apa sunt de aceeai
natur pmnteasc. Pinea si vinul euharistic devin, se metamor-
fozeaz ntr-o realitate care nu este din aceast lume: minunea este
metafizic. Antinomia euharistic rstignete raiunea noastr: ea
depete legea identittii fr s o desfiinteze, pentru c antinomia
reprezint identitatea a ceea ce este deosebit si deosebirea a ceea ce
este identic. n euharistie nu se efectueaz o transformare n limitele
acestei lumi, ci Mt::ta(3oA.rj, transsensus metafizic i coincidenta
114. Pregtirea darurilor Sfintei jertfe sau punerea inainte care precede Uturghia
propriu-zis.
115. Explic. de la Divine Liturgie, cap. 32; P.G. 150, 440 0-441 A.
116. Sfntul Ioan Hrisostom, In Epist. ad Hebr.; Horn. 17, P.G. 63, 131.
117. Sfntul Chirii al Ierusalimului: Catech. myst., P.G. 33, 115-118. Sfntul Ioan
Hrisostom: P.G. 61, 361.
270 ORTODOXIA
ori pe cei dintr-un neam cu noi"118 pentru c jertfa unic este "pentru
toi i pentru toate" (rugciunea liturgic). Aceasta este o adu-
cere-aminte (anamnez) nu a ideilor platonice, ci este evenimentul con-
cret al jertfei unice. Noi ni-l amintim prin prtie (actul euharistic este
redat n limba slavon prin "prtie"). "S faceti aceasta n amintirea
Mea" vorbete de Memoria dumnezeiasc, care face actul venic
prezent i vestete sfritul acestei lumi i Parusia: "Voi sunteti binecu-
vntatii Tatlui Meu". "Ziua Domnului", ziua euharistiei, este ziua
judecii i cea a nuntii Mielului (ndoita semnificatie a icoanei numit
Deisis). Hristos este totodat i jertf i jertfitor, cel care druiete i cel
ce primete: "Ale Tale, dintru ale Tale, ie ti aducem de toate i
pentru toate" (rugciunea dinaintea epiclezei). Plintatea este n aa
msur "nct nu putem s mergem mai departe i nici s adugm
ceva" 119, zice hotrt Nicolae Cabasila.
9. Epicleza
Rugciunea "pentru darurile ce s-au adus i s-au sfintit"
nmnuncheaz n cteva cuvinte ceea ce este esential n minunea
euharistic: "Ca lubitorul nostru de oameni, Dumnezeu, care le-a primit
pe ele n cel mai presus de ceruri al Su jertfelnic, intru miros de bun
mireasm duhovniceasc, s ne trimit nou darul Sfntului Duh".
Nicolae Cabasila ne nva c ritul cldurii (zeon) care se toarn n
potirll9bis nfieaz Cincizecimea euharistic120_ Cuvntul care
nsoete acest rit: "Cldura credintei plin de Duhul Sfnt" adeverete
epicleza urmtoare a anaforei.
n centrul oricrei Taine se afl lucrarea Cincizecimii ei proprii,
adic coborrea Duhului Sfnt. Astfel mrturisete credinta noastr
ortodox rolul Duhului Sfnt n iconomia mntuirii i a echilibrului trini-
tar. Hristos-Cuvntul pronun cuvintele de instituire, iar epicleza cere
Tatlui s trimit Duhul Sfnt, puterea sfinitoare, asupra darurilor i
asupra Bisericii 121_
Liturghia cretin a mprumutat riturile existente, astfel c
adunarea Cuvntului, prima parte a liturghiei vine din cultul sinagoga!
de smbt dimineata, cnd se citea Biblia, iar adunarea euharistic
corespunde cinei familiale de vineri seara sau mesei nfrtirii (Khavurah)
cu cupa binecuvntrii. Dup cin, dup multumire, avea loc o invo-
care, adic chiar epicleza care se referea la venirea eshatologic a pro-
fetului flie, la restaurarea imprtiei lui David, la reconstituirea templu-
lui i la ntrirea tuturor n credin. 'EKKATJcria (Biserica) are aceeai
rdcin cu verbul qahal in evreiete, dar n Noul Testament adunarea
lui Iahve se schimb n adunarea poporului lu! Dumnezeu unit in
Hristos. Adunarea este chemat de crainicii lmpratului ceresc.
Apostolii-episcopi (l<'fjpuKEc; - crainici) vestesc convocarea cu cuvntul
i credincioii se unesc n adunare ca s asculte predicarea (Kerygma) i
s consume euharistia. Astfel, subiectul i obiectul cultului liturgic este
10.Uturghial27
Schema liturgic
naintea Anaforei
1. Rugciunea pentru credincioi.
2. Heruvicul.
3. Rugciunea darurilor puse nainte.
4. Intrarea cea mare.
5. Rugciunile pentru morti ale darurilor puse inainte.
6. "S ne iubim unii pe altii".
7. Srutul pcii.
8. Crezul.
Anafora sau Canonul euharistic.
Se atrage luarea-aminte: "S stm bine, s stm cu fric".
A. Marea Rugciune euharistic
1. Cu vrednicie i cu dreptate este ... (dignum et justum est).
2. Sanctus (Sfnt, Sfnt, Sfnt ... ).
3. Comemorarea Cinei.
B. Sfinirea darurilor.
1. Cuvintele lnstituirii sfintei euharistii.
2. Oferirea trupului i sngelui, cntarea "Pe Tine Te ludm ...
3. Epicleza sau chemarea Duhului Sfnt.
Proscomidia 130.
Pregtirea pinii i vinului, adic proscomidierea sau protezis-ul,
este ea nsi o mic dram realist foarte dens care reproduce jertfa
Mielului, dndu-ne astfel o scurt schem a jertfei care se va svri n
timpulliturghiei.
Preotul ia pinea pregtit i face. cu copia, de trei ori semnul
crucii deasupra ei, apoi o nfige in dreapta i taie zicnd: "Ca o oaie
spre junghiere s-a adus" (Isaia 53, 7). Taie i n partea stng, zicnd:
"Ca un miel fr de pat, naintea celui ce-l tunde pe dnsul, aa nu
i-a deschis gura sa" (Isaia 53, 7).
Dup alte dou tieri, preotul scoate aceast parte din prescur,
de acum numit "Agnet", i zice: "Cci viaa Lui s-a ridicat de pe
pmnt". Pune, apoi, Agnetul rsturnat pe disc, ceea ce simbolizeaz
kenoza (- smerirea). Diaconul zice: "Junghie, Doamne" (Stpne).
Atunci, preotul taie adnc, n form de cruce, zicnd: "Junghie-se
Mielul lui Dumnezeu, cel ce ridic pcatele lumii, pentru mntuirea i
viaa de veci a lumii". Apoi ntoarce prticica i diaconul zice:
"Strpunge, Doamne!" Preotul strpunge cu copia pinea, n partea
dreapt de sus a agnetului, citnd: "Iar unul din soldai cu sulita a
strpuns coasta Lui i ndat a ieit snge i ap" (Ioan 19, 34).
Liturghia catehumenilor.
Cnd ncepe actul al doilea al liturghiei, diaconul st inaintea sfin-
telor ui i zice: "Binecuvinteaz, Stpne". Preotul intoneaz doxolo-
gia-binecuvntare: "Binecuvntat este mpria Tatlui, a Fiului i a
Sfntului Duh"; aceast binecuvntare ne duce in mpria Sfintei
Treimi. Diaconul invoc aceast ordine suprem care se numete
RUGACIUNEA BISERICR 277
Shalom; adic ornduirea pcii, i aduce, din partea adunrii
cretinilor, rugciunea ei comun: "Cu pace, Domnului s ne
rugm" .... Ev dp'!lVTJ, de unde vine i numele de irenika, dat acestor
rugciuni.
Corul cnt psalmii 102 i 145, numiti "reprezentat.:d" 1:a 'tU7ttK:
i care istorisesc ateptarea poporului Vechiului Legmnt dirijat
ctre mntuirea fgduit. Aceast parte se isprvete cu cntareal31
solemn adresat mntuirii nsi, Fiului unic: Unule nscut ... , care
mrturisete esenta credintei cretine formulat n dogma de la sinodul
din Calcedon. Apoi se cnt FericiriJel32 care ne aduc aminte de
caUtile sufletului ce vieuiete sub har.
Ua altarului se deschide cum se deschide mpria lui Dumnezeu
la venirea lui Iisus: aceasta este Intrarea mic (vohodul mic). Preotul
iese cu evanghelia pe care o ine n mod solemn n dreptul frunii, fiind
precedat de o lumnare aprins. Este reprezentarea ritualizat a lui
Hristos vestind cuvntul Su i fiind precedat de Ioan Boteztorul,
"flacra luminoas i strlucitoare" (Ioan 5, 35).
"Rugciunea intrrii" i pomenete pe ngerii care slujesc n cer
llturghia etern i care acum se unesc cu credincioii ca s slujeasc
mpreun: "Stpne Doamne, Dumnezeul nostru, Cel ce ai aezat n
ceruri cetele i otile ngerilor i ale arhanghelilor spre slujba slavei
Tale, f ca mpreun cu intrarea noastr s fie intrarea sfintilor ngeri.
care slujesc mpreun cu noi i mpreun slvesc iubirea Ta. C Tie se
cuvine toat mrirea i nchinciunea". Ultimul cuvnt accentueaz
destul de puternic nelesul ritual: nchinciunea, deoarece prin intrarea
rea mic i cea mare se arat cum cele cereti ntreptrund cele
pmnteti. ngerii slujesc in ceruri liturghia etern i particip la
hturghia credincioilor care este, n realitate, o ptrundere n timp a
nchinrii continue, condiie normal a oricrei fpturi. Este i tema
1conografic foarte dezvoltat, tema "dumnezeietii liturghii", care l
inftieaz pe Hristos n veminte arhiereti la altar, nconjurat de
ingeri coliturghisitori i mbrcati ca preoi i diaconi.
"Binecuvntat este intrarea Sfinilor Ti", zice preotul. Prin
.H.:easta el cheam la nchinarea lui Dumnezeu toate puterile de sfinire
,,le Hisericii. Sfintii i toi credincioii, n virtutea faptului c sunt prtai la
,fintenia lui Dumnezeu, precum i toti ngerii, toti mpreun n adunare
liturgic (sinax liturgic) se nchin. Astfel, Dumnezeu cel sfnt, ascuns
' hidr n taina strlucirii Sale ca ntr-un nor, este adorat de toate puterile
propriei Sale sfintenii, "care lumineaz peste fata sfintilor Si".
Liturghia credincioilor.
Intrarea cea mare (Vohodul cel Mare) sau ieirea cu sfintele daruri
este punerea in scena liturgic a intrrii lui Hristos n Ierusalim.
Credincioii ngenuncheati nchipuiesc cortegiul lui Hristos-mpratul,
preot i jertf, care Se arat El insui n mijlocul credincioilor. Aceasta
este toat tema iconografic a dumnezeietli liturghli.
Cntarea din Smbta cea Mare ne arat mai bine mretia intrrii:
"S tac tot trupul omenesc i s stea cu fric i cu cutremur i nimic
pmntesc ntru sine s nu gndeasc. Fiindc mpratul mpratilor i
Domnul domnilor, Hristos Dumnezeul nostru vine s Se junghie i s
Se dea mncare credincioilor. naintea Lui merg cetele ngereti, cu
toate inceptoriile i stpniile, heruvimii cei cu ochi multi i serafimii
cei cu cte ase aripi, fetele acoperindu-i, i cntnd cntarea: Aliluia,
Aliluia, Aliluia.
Cnd preotii i diaconii intr in altar, preotul implor cu
rugciunea tlharului cel bun de pe cruce: "Pomenete-m, Doamne,
ntru mprtia Ta". Apoi aaz potirul pe masa sfntului altar i zice:
"Iosif cel cu bun chip, de pe lemn lund prea curat trupul Tu, cu
giulgiu curat infurndu-1 i cu miresme, in mormnt nou ingropn-
du-1, 1-a pus" ...
Este Patima i moartea Sa. Cu Aerul (acopermntul cel mare)
sunt acoperite darurile, iar miresmele sunt amintite de tmiere. Ua
altarului se inchide aa cwn s-a nchis ua mormntului. Acesta este
momentul punerii nainte a cinstitelor daruri i al canonului euharistic.
Din nou este tras perdeaua, ca mpins de suflul vietii atotbiruitoare,
aa cum ua se va deschide totdeauna la suflul credintei celei de viat
fctoare, iar ingerul cu sabia de foc se deprteaz de arborele vietii.
Aceast deschidere din cer marcheaz apropierea nfricotoarei taine
i cheam sufletul s se deschid ca, dndu-se n intregime, s-L
primeasc pe Dumnezeu in intregime. Rugciunea punerii-inainte a
cinstitelor daruri anticipeaz epicleza: "S Se slluiasc Duhul cel bun
al harului Tu peste noi i peste aceste daruri puse nainte i peste tot
poporul Tu". Iar cuvntul diaconului rsun in linitea reculegerii: "S
ne iubim unii pe altii, ca intr-un gnd s mrturisim credinta noastr".
Omul particip la tainele vietii dumnezeieti 135, numai dac este
nrdcinat in iubirea i in unitatea aceleai credinte cu toti sfintii;
nwnai iubirea poate cunoate Iubirea, Soborul dumnezeiesc, Treimea
Sfnt. De aceea, din srutul pcii, care pecetluiete actul suprem i
cel mai uimitor al unitii n Hristos, se nalt cntarea Crezului care ne
vestete coborrea acestei Iubiri, care se druiete, care ptimete i
135. Liturghia ne nvat cu trie c euharistia este sfritul care ncoroneaz uni
latea prealabil i indispensabil pe care o exprimi! mrturisirea i mprtirea in aceeai
i unic credinta: Crezu/ i Amin-ul final spus de tot poporul credincios.
RUGCIUNEA BISERICII 281
care mntuiete. Cuvintele care insotesc srutul pcii exprim perfect
acest inteles: "Hristos n mijlocul nostru ... Biserica s-a fcut un singur
trup, iar srutarea noastr este garania acestei uniri, dumnia a fost
izgonit, iar iubirea a ptruns peste tot". Vzutul i nevzutul Bisericii
se ntreptrund i schimb chiar firea lucrurilor. n timpul cntrii
Crezului, liturghisitorul mic uor Aerul deasupra potirului i discului,
simbolul coborrii Sfntului Duh.
''S stm bine, s stm cu fric, s lum aminte sfnta Jertf n
pace s o aducem", cnt diaconul. Cel mai sfnt moment se apropie:
"Sursum corda! Sus s avem inimile!" - "Avem ctre Domnul". ndat
ce s-a lepdat de toate grijile cele lumeti, cretinul, cu inima uoar,
este cu adevrat liber i poate acum s se nalte. "S multumim
Domnului!", ndeamn preotul. Corul rspunde acestui ndemn la laud
i mulumire, numit "euharistie" - 'EuxaptcrtTjcrroJ.LEV tGJ Kupiro - prin
aceast multumire care este mai mult dect o recunotin, care devine
nchinare, contemplare, nlare i izbucnete ca o adevrat euharistie
(multumire) trinitar: "Cu vrednicie i cu dreptate este a ne nchina
Tatlui i Fiului i Sfntului Duh, Treimii celei de o fiint i
nedesprite". Jertfa coninut n singurul act al lui Hristos este ntreit.
Rugciunea Anaforei unete toate nsuirile lui Dumnezeu cu
recunotinta noastr i se termin cu Sanctus: Sfnt, Sfnt, Sfnt,
Domnul Savaot". Euharistia ngerilor, n liturghia sinagogal se sfrea
cu "Binecuvntat fie mrirea Domnului n lcaul ederii Sale"
(!ezechiel 3, 12). Uturghia a schimbat acest cuvnt cu "Binecuvntat
este cel ce vine ntru numele Domnului" (Ps. 117). Dup exil, rabinii
nvau c acolo unde sunt doi sau trei adunati ca s citeasc Biblia,
slava - echinah se afl in mijlocul lor. Hristos Se refer la acest dicton
i numai n sensul acesta trebuie s nelegem: "Acolo unde s-au adunat
doi sau trei n numele Meu, Eu sunt n mijlocul lor". echinah, tainica
prezent a Dumnezeului nostru ntreit, umple Biserica.
Jertfa este vestit prin comemorarea, anamneza care urmeaz
ndat dup cuvintele de instituire a cinei sfinte: "Acesta este trupul
Meu ... , Acesta este sngele Meu". Dup pomenirea marilor taine:
Patima, moartea, nvierea, nlarea, parusia, preotul pronun formula
oferirii: "Ale Tale dintru ale Tale, ie i aducem de toate i pentru
toate".
n liturghia siriac a Sfntului Iacob, cuvintele preotului arat
marea ncordare a sufletului: "Ct este de mrit acest ceas i ce temut
este aceast clip, fratilor! Cci Duhul Sfnt de viat fctor, cobornd
din nlimile cerului i odihnindu-Se peste aceast euharistie, o
sfinete ... Temeti-v deci, rugai-v ca pacea s fie cu voi cu toti, iar
282 ORTODOXIA
7. Paris. I968.
8. Neuchatel $i Paris. 1959.
9. Paris-Tournai. 1966 .Eucharistie. Mystere de J"Eglise". in La Pensee
Orthodoxe. nr.13. Paris. 1968, p.53-69.
10.The importance of the doctrine of the Trinity for Church life and
Theology". in .The Orthodox Ethos. Oxford. 1964 . Pneumatologie orthodoxe.
in Le Saint Esprit. Geneva. 1963. La pneumatologie ecchi:siologique au service
de I" unite de J"Eglise". in Jstina. 1967. nr.3-4,.
II. &desiologie eucharistique et primaute. 1961, nr. 33. &c/esiologie ortho-
doxe et dialogue oecumenique, 1963. nr. 42. Vets un dialogue avec le catholi-
dsme, 1964. nr. 45. Le renouveau de l'tglise. 1964. nr. 48. l/ecdesiologie ortho-
doxe comme ecclesiologie de communion,l968. nr. 61.
12. in St. Vladimir's Seminary Quarterly.
I3. De ex: Orthodoxie et Catholicite. Paris. 1965.
EUHARISTIA, PLENITUDINE A BISERICII 467
TAINA CUVANTULUI
BISERICA iN ANAMNEZA
BISERICA iN RUGACIUNE
20. Capit. 37, trad. franceza in Sources chretiennes, nr. 4 bis, Paris, 1968,
p. 226-229 $i nota Ia Pr. S. Salaville, La Pentecote eucharistique, p. 334-336.
EUHARISTIA, PLENITUDINE A BISERICII 485
Ite, missa est din liturghia latina sau Cu pace sa ie$im din
liturghiile bizantine, aceasta concluzie comuna a liturghiilor
noastre, nu este deceit vestirea sfarsitului primei etape a Euha-
ristiei. in acel moment are Joe nu ie$irea din Biserica, ci intrarea
Bisericii in lume; aceasta trimitere, aceasta imprastiere a cre-
dinciosilor este necesara; Biserica nu poate sa ramana canto-
nata si inchisa si ferecata in sine. Slujba duminicala trebuie sa
se incheie si sa se continue de-a lungul saptamanii. in acest
sens, nu putem intelege Euharistia duminicala fara rugaciunea
Iauntrica si fara Euharistia dinlauntrul credinciosilor din timpul
saptamaniL de Ia locul si din timpul muncii lor, al vocatiei lor,
al familiei lor.
J. J. von Allmen deosebeste in Euharistie doua momente
fundamentale, Liturghia si Euharistia24: 1) Liturghia care inseamna
trimiterea, explozia, imprastierea, dar o imprastiere providen-
tiala, sacramentala a Bisericii in lume, asemenea ,aluatului
care dospeste framantatura", asemenea sani in bucate; 2) Euha-
ristia, cand Biserica se aduna, cand se unifica in locul acelui
necesar si unic ,Jata catre fata" nu numai ai insuluL ci si ai
comunitatiL cu Domnul sau, intru Duhul Sfant. J. J. von
Allmen se foloseste de imaginea inimiL a sistolei si diastolei:
sistola, adunarea, afluxul de sange Ia inima, iar diastola,
trimiterea, innoirea celulelor trupului, prin sangele, el insusi
regenerat de suflarea dumnezeiasca.
Cred ca toate acestea sunt de o mare importanta: aceasta
notiune a dimensiunii misionare a Bisericii, pornind de Ia adu-
narea euharistica, de Ia ea si prin ea, intr-un ritm perpetuu,
mereu innoit, este cea in care ar trebui sa intelegem taina Bise-
ricii, cresterea si maturizarea, marturia si chiar suferinta sa, din
Euharistie in Euharistie, pana in imparatia lui Dumnezeu.
self. H e was in the world, and the world was made by him,
and the world knew him not (Jn 1:10). If we think seri
ouslyabout the real meaning, th e real scope of these
wordswe know that as Christians and insofar as we are
Christians we are, first of all, witnesses of that end; end of
all natural joy; end of all satisfaction of man with th e world
and with himself; end, indeed, of life itself as a reasonable
and reasonably organized pursuit of happiness. Christians
did not have to wait for the modern proponents of existen
tialist anxiety, despair and absurdity to be aware of all this.
And although in the course of their long history Christians
have much too often forgotten th e meaning of th e cross,
and enjoyed life as if nothing had happened, although
each one of us too often takes tim e off wc know that in
the world in which Christ died, natural life has been
brought to its end.
2
And yet, from its very beginning Christianity has been the
proclamation of joy, of th e only possible joy on earth. It
rendered impossible all joy we usually think of as possible.
B ut within this impossibility, at th e very bottom of this
darkness, it announced and conveyed a new all-embracing
joy, and with this joy it transformed the End into a Begin
ning. W ith o u t the proclamation of this joy Christianity is
incomprehensible. It is only as joy th at the C hurch was
victorious in the world and it lost the world when it lost
the joy, when it ceased to be a witness of it. O f all accusa
TH E EUCHAKIST 27
3
T he liturgy of the Eucharist is best understood as a journey
or procession. I t is the journey of the C hurch into the
dimension of the kingdom. W c use this word dimension
because it seems the best way to indicate the m anner of our
30 SACRAMENTS AND ORTHODOXY
4
T h e O rthodox liturgy begins with th e solemn doxology:
Blessed is the Kingdom of th e Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages on ages. From
the beginning the destination is announced: the journey is
TH E EUCHARIST 33
those who are to m eet the risen Lord and to enter with
him into the bridal chamber. A nd it is this joy of expec
tation and this expectation of joy th at are expressed in
singing and ritual, in vestments and in censing, in that
whole beauty" of the liturgy, which has so often been
denounced as unnecessary and even sinful.
Unnecessary it is, indeed, for we are beyond th e cate
gories of the necessary/ Beauty is never necessary/
"functional" or useful." And when, expecting someone
whom we love, wc p u t a beautiful tablecloth on the table
and decorate it with candles and flowers, we do all this not
out of necessity, but out of love. And the C hurch is love,
expectation and joy. I t is heaven on earth, according to our
Orthodox tradition; it is the joy of recovered childhood,
th at free, unconditioned and disinterested joy which alone
is capable of transforming the world. In our adult, serious
piety we aslc for definitions and justifications, and they arc
rooted in fear. Fear of corruption, deviation, "pagan influ
ences," w hat not. B ut "he that feareth is n ot made perfcct
in love" (1 Jn 4:18). As long as Christians will love the
Kingdom of God, and not only discuss it, they will "re
present it and signify it, in art and beauty. And the cele
brant of the sacrament of joy will appear in a beautiful
chasuble, because h e is vested in the glory of th e Kingdom,
bccause even in the form of man G od appears in glory. In
the Eucharist we are standing in the presence of Christ, and
like Moses before God, we are to be covered with his glory.
Christ himself wore an unsewn garment which the soldiers
at the cross did not divide: it had not been bought in the
TH E EUCHARIST 35
5
T he next act of the liturgy is th e entrance: the coming of
th e celebrant to the altar. It has been given all possible
symbolical explanations, b u t it is n ot a symbol. I t is the
very movement of the C hurch as passage from the old into
the new, from this world into the world to come and,
as such, it is the essential movement of the liturgical jour
ney. In this world there is no altar and the temple has
1 R om ano G u ard in i, T h e C h u rch a n d th e C atholic, a n d t/ie
S p irit o f th e Liturgy, N e w Y o rk 1950, 180-181.
36 SACRAMENTS AND ORTHODOXY
6
Now, for the first time since the eucharistic journey began,
th e celebrant turns back and faces the people. U p to this
m om ent he was the one who led the C hurch in its ascen
sion, b u t now the movem ent has reached its goal. And the
priest whose liturgy, whose unique function and obedience
in the C hurch is to re-present, to make present the priest
hood of Christ himself, says to th e people: Peace be with
you." In C hrist man returns to God and in Christ God
comes to man. As the new Adam, as th e perfect man he
leads us to God; as G od incarnate he reveals the Father to
us and reconciles us with God. H e is our peace the recon
ciliation with God, divine forgiveness, communion. And
the peace that the priest announces and bestows upon us is
th e peace C hrist has established between God and his
world and into which we, the Church, have entered.
I t is within this peacewhich passcth all understand
ing that now begins the liturgy of th e W ord. W estern
38 SACRAMENTS AND ORTHODOXY
7
Bread and wine: to understand their initial and eternal
meaning in the Eucharist, wc m ust forget for a time the
endless controversies which little by little transformed
them into "elements of an almost abstract theological
speculation. It is indeed one of th e main defects of sacra
m ental theology that instead of following the order of the
eucharistic journey with its progressive revelation of mean
ing, theologians applied to th e Eucharist a set of abstract
questions in order to squeeze it into their own intellectual
framework. In this approach w hat virtually disappeared from
the sphere of theological interest and investigation was lit
urgy itself and w hat remained were isolated moments,
"formulas and conditions of validity. W h a t disappeared
was the Eucharist as one organic, all-embracing and all
transforming act of the whole C hurch and what remained
were: essential and "nonesscntial parts, "elements,
"consecration, etc. Thus, for example, to explain and de
fine the meaning of the Eucharist th e way certain theology
does it, there is no need for the word "eucharist ; it be
comes irrelevant. And yet for th e early Fathers it was the
key word giving unity and meaning to all the "elements of
40 SACRAMENTS AND ORTHODOXY
8
T h e bread and wine are now on th e altar, covered, hidden
as our "life is hid with C hrist in G od" (C ol 3:3). There
lies, hidden in God, the totality of life, which Christ has
brought back to God. And the celebrant says: L et us love
one another that in one accord we may confess.. . . " There
TH E EUCHARIST 43
9
Let us lift up our hearts, says the celebrant, and the peo
ple answer: W e have lifted them up to the Lord. T he
Eucharist is an anaphora, the lifting up of our offering,
and, of ourselves. It is the asccnsion of th e Church to
heaven. B ut what do I care about heaven, says St. John
Chrysostom, when I myself have become heaven. . .
T h e Eucharist has so often been explained with reference
to the gifts alone: W h a t happens to bread and wine, and
why, and when does it happen! B ut we m ust understand
th a t w hat happens to bread and wine, happens bccause
something has, first of all, happened to us, to th e Church.
I t is because we have constituted the Church, and this
means we have followed C hrist in his asccnsion; bccause he
44 SACRAMENTS AND ORTHODOXY
10
W hen man stands before the throne of G od, when he has
fulfilled all that God has given him to fulfill, when all sins
are forgiven, all joy restored, then there is nothing else for
him to do b u t to give thanks. Eucharist (thanksgiving) is
the state of perfect man. Eucharist is the life of paradise.
Eucharist is the only full and real response of man to G ods
creation, redemption and gift of heaven. B ut this pcrfcct
man who stands before G od is Christ. In him alone all that
G od has given man was fulfilled and brought back to
heaven, l i e alone is the perfect Eucharistic Being. H e is the
Eucharist of the world. In and through this Eucharist the
whole creation becomes w hat it always was to be and yet
failed to be.
It is fitting and right to give thanks/' answers th e con
gregation, expressing in these words th at unconditional
TH E EUCHARIST 45
11
And thus the preface fulfills itself in the Sanctus the Holy,
Holy, Holy of the eternal doxology, which is th e secret
essence of all that exists: "Heaven and earth are full of
Thy glory." W e had to ascend to heaven in C hrist to see
and to understand the creation in its real being as glorifica
tion of G od, as that response to divine love in which alone
creation becomes what G od wants it to be: thanksgiving,
eucharist, adoration. I t is herein the heavenly dimension
of the Church, with "thousands of Archangels and myriads
of Angels, with the Cherubim and Seraphim . . . who soar
aloft, borne on their pinions . . th at we can finally
express ourself, and this expression is:
Holy, Holy, Holy,
Lord of Sabaoth.
Heaven and earth are full of thy glory.
I-Iosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He that cometh in the Nam e of the Lord.
This is th e ultim ate purpose of all th a t exists, the end,
th e goal and the fulfillment, because this is the beginning,
the principle of Creation.
12
B ut as we stand before God, remember all th at he has done
for us, and ofFer to him our thanksgiving for all his benefits,
we inescapably discover that th e content of all this thanks
giving and remembrance is Christ. All remembrance is ulti
48 SACRAMENTS AND ORTHODOXY
13
Up to this point the Eucharist was our ascension in Christ,
our entrance in him into the "world to come. And now, in
this eucharistic offering in C hrist of all things to the O ne
to whom they belong and in whom alone they really exist
now this movement of ascension has reached its end. W e
are at the paschal table of the Kingdom. W h a t we have
offered our food, our life, ourselves, and the whole world
we offered in C hrist and as C hrist because he himself has
assumed our life and is our life. And now all this is given
back to us as the gift of new life and therefore necessarily
as food.
50 SACRAMENTS AND ORTHODOXY
M
It is the Holy Spirit who manifests the bread as the body
and the wine as the blood of Christ.1 T h e Orthodox
C hurch has always insisted that the transformation (metab-
ole) of the eucharistic elements is performed by the
epiclesis th e invocation of the Holy Spiritand n ot by
th e words of institution. This doctrine, however, was often
misunderstood by the O rthodox themselves. Its point is not
to replace one causality th e words of institution by
another, a different "formula. I t is to reveal the eschato-
logical charactcr of the sacrament. T h e Holy Spirit comes
on the last and great day of Pentecost. H e manifests the
world to come. He inaugurates the Kingdom. H e always
takes us beyond T o be in the Spirit means to be in heaven,
for the Kingdom of G od is joy and peace in the Holy
Spirit. And thus in the Eucharist it is he who seals and
1 See the Liturgy of St. Basil: 4*. . . and manifest this bread as in
very truth the precious Body . . . this chalice as in very truth the
precious Blood. . .
THE EUCHARIST 53
15
B ut before we can partake of th e heavenly food there re
mains one last, essential and necessary act: the intercession.
T o be in Christ means to be like him , to make ours th e very
movement of his life. And as he ever liveth to make inter
cession for all "that come unto G od by him (H eb 7:25),
so we cannot help accepting his intercession as our own.
T h e Church is not a society for escapecorporately or in
dividually from this world to taste of the mystical bliss of
eternity. Com m union is not a mystical experience : we
drink of the chalice of Christ, and he gave himself for the
life of the world. T h e bread on the paten and th e wine in
th e chalice are to rem ind us of th e incarnation of the Son
of God, of the cross and death. And thus it is th e very joy
of the Kingdom that makes us remember the world and
pray for i t I t is the very com m union with th e Holy Spirit
th at enables us to love the world with the love of Christ.
T he Eucharist is the sacrament of unity and the mom ent of
truth: here we see the world in Christ, as it really is, and not
from our particular and therefore lim ited and partial points
of view. Intercession begins here, in the glory of the mes
sianic banquet, and this is the only true beginning for the
C hurchs mission. I t is when, having pu t aside all earthly
54 SACRAMENTS AND ORTHODOXY
16
And now the time has come for us to return into the world.
"L et us depart in peace, says the celebrant as he leaves the
altar, and this is the last com m andm ent of th e liturgy. W e
T H E EUCHARIST 55
m ust not stay on M ount Tabor, although we know th at it
is good for us to be there. W e are sent back. B ut now'"we
have seen the true Light, we have partaken of the Holy
Spirit. And it is as witnesses of this Light, as witnesses of
th e Spirit, that we m ust go forth and begin the never-
ending mission of the Church, Eucharist was the end of the
journey, the end of time. And now it is again th e beginning,
and things th at were impossible are again revealed to us as
possible. T h e tim e of the world has become the tim e of the
Church, the tim e of salvation and redemption. And God
has made us competent, as Paul Claudel has said; compe
te n t to be his witnesses, to fulfill what he has done and is
ever doing. This is the meaning of the Eucharist; this is why
the mission of the Church begins in the liturgy of ascen
sion, for it alone makes possible the liturgy of mission.
3 T he T im e of M is s io n