There is a long history of looking back to the New Testament and other writings of the era for information on leadership positions and their titles. The Reformation took this study up in earnest when attempting to discover the proper hierarchy for the contemporary church. The results have been various. Variety is indeed what comes through in the sources. This table of leadership roles (more properly, of the terms given to them) in the early Christian writings has been compiled in an attempt to capture a sense of this variety.
I have already released A Table of Christological Titles and also A Table of Self-Identifications. These looked at some ways of referring to Jesus, some ways in which early Christian writers distinguished their group from other people, and where these are attested.
This table has a similar purpose. It is a way into the sources. It is also a way to organize a study of the sources so that the student can trace the development of an idea or relate it to other ideas also found in the same texts. Because of the layer of interpretation that takes place in making a table like this one, as well as the possibility of error, I encourage reference back to the sources if there is any question of how a particular entry in the table relates to the texts themselves.
This table and the previous one have each had over 1000 entries (spreadsheet cells), making the possibility of error all but certain at this point. Like the previous table, I have founded the New Testament results on a search of the BibleWorks software by lemma, but I have had to be satisfied with a search of English translations for the other texts pending further study, which might fix this obvious problem. I have also had to split this table into two to fit into the blog. You can download the spreadsheet from Google Docs if you want to work with the data in that form.
| Text? | Minister? | Elder? | Bishop? | Prophet? | Teacher? | Pastor? | Servant? |
| Clement of Alexandria | Minister | Elder | Bishop | Prophet (past) | Teacher (Jesus) | Pastor (Jesus) | Servant |
| Hippolytus of Rome | Minister | Elder | Bishop | Prophet (past) | Teacher (Jesus/other) | Pastor (Jesus) | Servant (Jesus) |
| Irenaeus of Lyons | Minister | Elder | Bishop | Prophet (past) | Teacher (Jesus/other) | Pastor (Jesus) | Servant |
| Origen | Minister (Jesus/past) | Elder | Bishop | Prophet (past) | Teacher | Pastor (Ephesians/Jesus) | Servant |
| Tertullian | Minister | Elder | Bishop | Prophet | Teacher | Pastor (Jesus) | Servant |
| Ignatius of Antioch | Minister | Elder | Bishop | Prophet (past) | Teacher | Pastor (God) | Servant |
| Acts of Peter | Minister | Elder | Bishop | Prophet (past) | Pastor (God) | Servant | |
| Acts of the Apostles | Elder | Bishop (1.20) | Prophet | Teacher (13.1) | Servant | ||
| Shepherd of Hermas | Minister | Elder | Bishop | Prophet | Teacher | Pastor (Angel) | Servant |
| 1 Clement | Minister | Elder | Bishop | Prophet (past) | Servant | ||
| Acts of Paul | Minister | Elder | Prophet (past) | Pastor | Servant | ||
| Gospel of Mark | Minister | Prophet | Teacher (Jesus) | Pastor (Jesus) | Servant | ||
| 1 Peter | Elder | Bishop (Jesus) | Prophet (past) | Pastor (Jesus / 2.25) | Servant (2.16) | ||
| Acts of John | Elder (other) | Prophet (past) | Teacher | Servant | |||
| Epistula Apostolorum | Minister | Prophet (past) | Pastor (Jesus) | Servant | |||
| Gospel of John | Minister (12.26) | Prophet | Teacher (Jesus) | Pastor (Jesus) | Servant (other / 15.15) | ||
| Gospel of Luke | Prophet | Teacher (Jesus) | Servant | ||||
| Gospel of Matthew | Minister (20.26) | Prophet | Teacher (Jesus) | Pastor (Jesus) | Servant | ||
| Hebrews | Elder (11.2) | Prophet (past) | Teacher (5.12) | Pastor (Jesus / 13.20) | |||
| Justin Martyr | Minister | Prophet (past) | Teacher | ||||
| Martyrdom of Polycarp | Bishop | Prophet | Teacher | Pastor (Jesus) | Servant | ||
| Paul – 1 Timothy | Minister | Elder | Bishop (3.1) | Teacher (2.7) | Servant | ||
| Paul – Ephesians | Minister | Prophet | Teacher (4.11) | Pastor (4.11) | Servant | ||
| Polycarp | Minister | Elder | Prophet (past) | Servant | |||
| Ascension of Isaiah | Elder | Prophet (past) | Pastor | Servant | |||
| Epistle of Barnabas | Prophet (past) | Teacher (other) | Pastor (Jesus) | Servant (Jesus) | |||
| Paul – 1 Corinthians | Minister (3.5) | Prophet | Teacher | Servant | |||
| Revelation | Elder | Prophet | Servant | ||||
| Theophilus of Antioch | Minister (Jesus) | Elder (past) | Prophet (past) | Teacher (other) | |||
| Didache | Minister | Bishop | Prophet | Teacher | |||
| James | Elder (5.14) | Prophet (past) | Teacher (3.1) | Servant (1.1) | |||
| Paul – Romans | Minister | Prophet (past) | Teacher (2.20) | Servant | |||
| Paul – Titus | Elder (1.5) | Bishop (1.7) | Prophet (past) | Servant | |||
| 2 Clement | Elder | Prophet (past) | Servant | ||||
| Acts of Andrew | Minister | Bishop | Servant | ||||
| Athenagoras of Athens | Prophet (past) | ||||||
| Coptic Apocalypse of Peter | Minister (other) | Bishop (other) | Prophet (past) | Servant | |||
| Gospel of Philip | Servant (Allegory) | ||||||
| Gospel of Thomas | Prophet | Pastor (parable) | Servant (parable) | ||||
| Melito of Sardis | Prophet (past) | Pastor (Jesus) | Servant (Jesus) | ||||
| Paul – 2 Timothy | Teacher | Servant | |||||
| Paul – Philippians | Minister (1.1) | Bishop (1.1) | Servant | ||||
| Tatian’s Address to the Greeks | Minister (Jesus) | Prophet (past) | Teacher (other) | ||||
| 2 Peter | Prophet (past) | Servant | |||||
| Acts of Peter and the Twelve | Servant | ||||||
| Apocryphon of James | Pastor (parable) | ||||||
| Apocryphon of John | Prophet (past) | Servant (Savior) | |||||
| Diognetus | Prophet (past) | Teacher | |||||
| First Apocalypse of James | Prophet (heaven) | Servant | |||||
| Letter of Peter to Philip | |||||||
| Odes of Solomon | Minister | Teacher | Servant | ||||
| Paul – 2 Corinthians | Minister | Servant (4.5) | |||||
| Paul – Colossians | Minister | Servant | |||||
| Testaments of the 12 Patriarchs | Minister | Prophet | |||||
| Aristides | |||||||
| Authoritative Teaching | Pastor (God) | ||||||
| Dialogue of the Savior | Teacher (Jesus) | ||||||
| Gospel of Truth | Teacher (Jesus) | Pastor (Jesus) | |||||
| Infancy Gospel of Thomas | Prophet (past) | ||||||
| Jude | Servant (1.1) | ||||||
| Paul – 1 Thessalonians | Prophet (past) | ||||||
| Paul – Galatians | Servant | ||||||
| Sibylline Oracles Book VIII | Elder | Pastor | |||||
| Sophia of Jesus Christ | |||||||
| 2 John | Elder (1.1) | ||||||
| 3 John | Elder (1.1) | ||||||
| Book of Thomas the Contender | Servant (Light) | ||||||
| Coptic Apocalypse of Paul | |||||||
| Gospel of Peter | |||||||
| Melchizedek | |||||||
| Paul – Philemon | Servant (1.16) | ||||||
| Treatise on the Resurrection | |||||||
| 1 John | |||||||
| Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth | |||||||
| Eugnostos the Blessed | |||||||
| Gospel of Mary | |||||||
| Infancy Gospel of James | |||||||
| Paul – 2 Thessalonians | |||||||
| Second Apocalypse of James | |||||||
| Trimorphic Protennoia |
This is the second part of the table.
| Text? | Apostle? | Disciple? | Evangelist? | Witness? | Widow? | Priest? |
| Clement of Alexandria | Apostle (past) | Disciple | Evangelist (writer) | Witness (past) | Widow | Priest (Jesus) |
| Hippolytus of Rome | Apostle (past) | Disciple (past/other) | Evangelist (writer) | Witness (past) | Widow | Priest |
| Irenaeus of Lyons | Apostle (past) | Disciple (past/other) | Evangelist (writer) | Witness (past) | Widow | Priests (other), Priest (Jesus) |
| Origen | Apostle (past) | Disciple (past/other) | Evangelist (writer) | Witness (past) | Widow | Priest (Jesus) |
| Tertullian | Apostle (past) | Disciple | Evangelist (writer) | Witness (past) | Widow | Priest (Jesus) |
| Ignatius of Antioch | Apostle (past) | Disciple | Witness | Widow | Priests (unclear), Priest (Jesus) | |
| Acts of Peter | Apostle | Disciple | Witness | Widow | ||
| Acts of the Apostles | Apostle | Disciple | Evangelist (21.8) | Witness | Widow | Priest (Jerusalem / 6.7) |
| Shepherd of Hermas | Apostle (past) | Widow | ||||
| 1 Clement | Apostle (past) | Witness | Widow | |||
| Acts of Paul | Apostle | Disciple | Widow | |||
| Gospel of Mark | Apostle (6.30) | Disciple | Widow (12.40-43) | |||
| 1 Peter | Apostle (1.1) | Witness (5.1) | Priesthood (2.9) | |||
| Acts of John | Apostle | Disciple | Widow | |||
| Epistula Apostolorum | Apostle | Disciple | Priest (Jesus) | |||
| Gospel of John | Apostle (13.16) | Disciple | ||||
| Gospel of Luke | Apostle | Disciple | Witness (24.48) | Widow | ||
| Gospel of Matthew | Apostle (10.2) | Disciple | ||||
| Hebrews | Apostle (Jesus) | Witness (past / 12.1) | Priest (Jesus) | |||
| Justin Martyr | Apostle (past) | Disciple | Witness (past) | Widow | ||
| Martyrdom of Polycarp | Apostle | Disciple | ||||
| Paul – 1 Timothy | Apostle | Widow | ||||
| Paul – Ephesians | Apostle | Evangelist (4.11) | ||||
| Polycarp | Apostle (past) | Widow | Priest (Jesus) | |||
| Ascension of Isaiah | Apostle | Disciple | ||||
| Epistle of Barnabas | Apostle (past) | Widow | ||||
| Paul – 1 Corinthians | Apostle | Widow (7.8) | ||||
| Revelation | Apostle (heaven) | Witness | Priest (heaven) | |||
| Theophilus of Antioch | Witness (past) | Widow | ||||
| Didache | Apostle | |||||
| James | Widow (1.27) | |||||
| Paul – Romans | Apostle | |||||
| Paul – Titus | Apostle (1.1) | |||||
| 2 Clement | Apostle (writer) | |||||
| Acts of Andrew | Apostle | |||||
| Athenagoras of Athens | Apostle (past) | Disciple (other) | Witness (past) | |||
| Coptic Apocalypse of Peter | ||||||
| Gospel of Philip | Apostle | Disciple | Priest (Jesus) | |||
| Gospel of Thomas | Disciple | |||||
| Melito of Sardis | Apostle (past) | |||||
| Paul – 2 Timothy | Apostle | Evangelist (4.5) | ||||
| Paul – Philippians | Apostle (2.25) | |||||
| Tatian’s Address to the Greeks | Disciple | |||||
| 2 Peter | Apostle | |||||
| Acts of Peter and the Twelve | Apostle | Disciple | ||||
| Apocryphon of James | Disciple | Widow | ||||
| Apocryphon of John | Disciple | |||||
| Diognetus | Apostle (past) | |||||
| First Apocalypse of James | Disciple | |||||
| Letter of Peter to Philip | Apostle | Disciple | Witness | |||
| Odes of Solomon | ||||||
| Paul – 2 Corinthians | Apostle | |||||
| Paul – Colossians | Apostle (1.1) | |||||
| Testaments of the 12 Patriarchs | Witness | |||||
| Aristides | Disciple (past) | Widow | ||||
| Authoritative Teaching | Evangelist | |||||
| Dialogue of the Savior | Disciple | |||||
| Gospel of Truth | ||||||
| Infancy Gospel of Thomas | Disciple | |||||
| Jude | Apostle (1.17) | |||||
| Paul – 1 Thessalonians | Apostle (2.6) | |||||
| Paul – Galatians | Apostle | |||||
| Sibylline Oracles Book VIII | ||||||
| Sophia of Jesus Christ | Apostle (past) | Disciple | ||||
| 2 John | ||||||
| 3 John | ||||||
| Book of Thomas the Contender | ||||||
| Coptic Apocalypse of Paul | Apostle | |||||
| Gospel of Peter | Disciple | |||||
| Melchizedek | Disciple | |||||
| Paul – Philemon | ||||||
| Treatise on the Resurrection | Apostle (past) | |||||
| 1 John | ||||||
| Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth | ||||||
| Eugnostos the Blessed | ||||||
| Gospel of Mary | ||||||
| Infancy Gospel of James | ||||||
| Paul – 2 Thessalonians | ||||||
| Second Apocalypse of James | ||||||
| Trimorphic Protennoia |
I hope this is useful to anyone studying the different ways of referring to leaders in early Christianity.
What I think would be helpful for many is if the table format of this sort of information could be surpassed in a way so that the information is made more flexible and manipulable. What would be involved in entering this sort of data into a Topic Map or interface that plays with the options possible with “linked data”?
Topic maps: http://www.ontopia.net/topicmaps/materials/tao.html and its applied example at http://www.ontopia.net/operamap/index.jsp
This is the sort of database I would like to work on if and when I ever bring myself up to speed with the skills and the time — especially the time!
I have dreamed about this sort of thing. It would be really cool.