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Philippians and Philemon - MR Vincent - 1906.pdf

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42 PHILIPPIANS [l. 1<br />

the non-Pauline authorship of the letters. Harnack's admission<br />

that older documents have been used in the composition of the<br />

Pastorals is an important concession, which makes against the<br />

theory of their testimony to a later stage of ecclesiastical poUty.<br />

According to our view of the case, therefore, the mention of<br />

bishops <strong>and</strong> deacons in the Philippian letter furnishes no exception<br />

to the statement that, within the circle of the acknowledged<br />

Pauline letters, there is no evidence of regularly constituted church<br />

officers representing distinct orders in the ministry. While the<br />

greeting to bishops <strong>and</strong> deacons is unique, it does not imply a<br />

polity differing substantially from that exhibited in i Cor. <strong>and</strong><br />

I Thess. It will be observed that the greeting is first to the<br />

church, <strong>and</strong> that the letter is addressed to the whole church.<br />

The special mention of the bishops <strong>and</strong> deacons by way of<br />

appendage is explained by the fact that the letter was called out<br />

by the pecuniary contribution of the Philippian church to Paul,<br />

of the collection <strong>and</strong> sending of which these functionaries would<br />

naturally have charge. It will also be noticed that the address<br />

assumes several,showing that the right of administration<br />

is possessed by no single one.<br />

At the same time, I think it must be granted with Harnack<br />

{Expositor, 3d ser. vol. v. p. 330) that while there cannot yet be<br />

any reference to an ecclesiastical authority over the church, the<br />

greeting of the Philippian letter implies a development of polity,<br />

in that the ministry has become divided into a higher <strong>and</strong> a lower<br />

ministry, <strong>and</strong> that its functionaries have obtained special designa-<br />

tions, so that the name haKovo

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