Earliest discernable "papal phase" of institutionalized Christianity | Accusations of corruption (1 gen 150 anni – 31 dic 249 anni)

Descrizione:

ca. 150 CE, Justin Martyr describes churches as being headed up by “president of the brethren”, who are assisted by deacons. He describes a Sunday ritual consisting of readings, exhortation, Eucharist, and prayers. Crucially for a writer said to be from Rome, there is no mention in Justin’s writing whatsoever of bishops, which echoes Ignatius’ singular lack of emphasis on the bishopric in his letter to Roman Christians.

A prophetic allusion to the centrality of the Roman church?: Fifth and Sixth Books of Ezra

Dionysius of Corinth claims that Roman believers under bishop Soter (ca. 167-174 CE) are following a long-standing tradition in subsidizing outlying Christian communities and believers “in the mines”.

Hegesippus provides a partial succession list of bishops in Rome: Anicetus -> Soter -> Eleutherus (ca. 155-174/189 CE).

Irenaeus advocates for the authority of the Roman church over all others. He is the first to provide a full succession list of Roman bishops proceeding from Peter and Paul’s supposed founding of the church at Rome: Linus (mentioned by “Paul” in 2 Timothy) -> Alacletus -> Clement (purported author of 1 Clement) -> Evaristus -> Alexander -> Sixtus -> Telephorus (martyred) -> Hyginus -> Pius -> Anicetus -> Sorer -> Eleutherius (current).

Hippolytus refers to “pastors” as “kings”; asserts that bishops have the God-given power to forgive sins, assign any lots, and loose bonds.

The Didascalia elevates the bishop to the standing of God Almighty amongst his church, citing synoptic passages to prop up their authority. Each church is imagined as its own self-sustaining body with the bishop at its head (no mention of a global authority from the Roman bishop). No one is to do anything without the bishop’s consent (shades of Ignatius), bishops are to distribute the common funds with no oversight, and all church functionaries are to be provided for in quantities exceeding that dispensed to widows. Widows and laymen are never to discourse concerning doctrine. Women may be appointed as deaconesses, as a concession to issues of propriety involving the female laity.

Clement of Alexandria briefly mentions “certain seats of churches” that have been “conspiring” to form a single “body or assemblage”. A consolidation of the proto-orthodox franchises? Multi-church councils?

Tertullian attests the apostolic authority of the church at Rome, the proto-orthodox claim that they have authority to forgive sins of any sort, and communal church activities such as fasting and councils to decide on questions of doctrine. Tertullian personally allowed for male laity to perform baptisms if no one of the leadership class was present.

The Apostolic Church Order retrojects the current proto-orthodox church hierarchy and zeal for doctrinal control onto the lips of Jesus and his disciples. It also sets down the process for creating a church in a new locale, specifying a lower limit of twelve men (presumably including families) and mandating a review of a newly appointed bishop by three men from existing, nearby churches.

Pseudo-Hippolytus and Pseudo-Caius give the succession of Roman bishops in their time as Victor -> Zephyrinus -> Callistus.

Authors of the mid- to late-second century make several accusations of corruption that attest a later stage of institutional development (the desire to seek office within the church; showing favor to the rich).

There is a fascinating outgrowth of conflicting lore over Peter and Paul’s involvement with the ancient churches of Corinth and Rome, and their ultimate fates, in a way that strongly suggests that the facts of the matter were unknown, and were being constructed after-the-fact for motivated purposes.
> Peter came to Rome to teach (but didn’t first establish the church there) (Acts of Peter).
> Peter baptized people in the Tiber river (Tertullian)
> Peter and Paul preached in Rome (Irenaeus, Tertullian).
> Peter and Paul met each other for the first time in Rome (Preaching of Paul).
> Peter and Paul both planted the church at Corinth, then both planted the church at Rome, before suffering martyrdom together (Dionysius of Corinth).
> Peter was crucified, Paul was beheaded (both in Rome, timing uncertain) (Tertullian)
> Peter was martyred (alone) in Rome by being crucified upside down (Acts of Peter). Nero was not involved, only one “Agrippa” (may be tangential evidence that Peter died in Jerusalem) (Acts of Peter).
> Paul was martyred in Rome by Nero, after preaching in Spain (Acts of Peter). The cause of the martyrdom (and Nero’s general persecution of Christians) were the miracles of Paul and nothing having to do with the Great Fire (Acts of Paul).

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