The Origin And Establishment Of Christian Episcopacy From The 1st To The 3rd Century

As the core organizational form of Christian institution, episcopacy plays an important role in the development of Christian church for a long time. The Christian church was established in the early 1st century. It suffered from attack and persecution of Roman Empire during the period of its expansion and mission to the gentiles, and the primitive Christian ministry appeared as well. This article aims at discussing the origin and formation of episcopacy from the 1st to 3rd century, and exploring influence that the establishment of episcopacy has on church through the general development of early church.This article is divided into three chapters. The first chapter discusses the general situation of Christian church in the 1st century. The primitive church expended to gentiles from the center Jerusalem. Facing with Roman conquest, the persecution of Judaism and the demand of its administration, the early leaders of church appointed positions such as presbyters, deacons and overseers. The presbyters and overseers led local churches instead of apostles with assistant of deacons. The establishment of Christian ministry did not have unified standard because of the dispersion of church in the 1st century.The second chapter mainly discusses the process that episcopacy gradually established within the reform of internal belief and external situation of church. While Roman Empire declined, its persecution to Christians became particularly severe. Furthermore, the interior of church faced with the threat of Gnosticism, Montanism and Novatianists. Under this circumstance, bishops strengthened their leadership and constructed the theory of apostolic succession which centered on bishops. This behavior promotes the authority of bishops. There had been obvious boundary between clergy and laity and Christian church became to be an Institutional organization.The third chapter mainly illustrates concrete operational form of episcopacy. Holy orders had formed since the 2nd century, and its core are three orders of bishop, presbyter and deacon that headed by the bishop. The cultivation, appointment and ordination of bishops had been standardized and immobilized. The regions of dioceses were in accordance with provinces in Roman Empire and parishes were divided under the dioceses. Rural church attached to urban church. The position of Roman diocese rose in the late 2nd century and became the center of Christian church with political influence.The epilogue involves episcopacy in macroscopic social context of Roman Empire. It analyzes the impact that episcopacy made on the interactive relationship between the church and government.