May 31,2006 11:47
【初代教父】革利免（Clement of Rome）論監督與執事職分
第一世紀晚期，哥林多教會的年輕基督徒正試著排擠教會內的舊領導權，這樣他們就可以接手領導。羅馬教會的領袖革利免認為這在教會生活裡是一件可恥之事，遂要他們立即停止，並打消此念。
第一世紀晚期，哥林多教會的年輕基督徒正試著排擠教會內的舊領導權，這樣他們就可以接手領導。羅馬教會的領袖革利免認為這在教會生活裡是一件可恥之事，遂要他們立即停止，並打消此念。
革利免在寫給哥林多教會的《革利免壹書》，第四十章5節，對於監督的職分諄諄教誨如下：
「就此而言，合乎體統的事奉已經交付於大祭司，妥切恰當的職務也已被指派給祭司，各樣合宜的事工都是根據《利未記》來分派。一般信徒則受制於有關平信徒的規定，或稱為平信徒規範。」
同一卷書信的第四十二章又寫道：「使徒們從主耶穌基督為我們領受了福音；耶穌，他是基督，乃奉神差遣而來。所以也可以說，基督是從神而來，使徒則是從基督而來。兩者因此都是出於神的旨意，各按其序。……所以，使徒承受了他們的等級後，又藉著我們的主耶穌基督的復活得到完全的保證，並且對神的道滿有信心，他們憑著這份聖靈所賜的堅決確信， 開始傳講神國已近的福音。正是如此，他們於城鄕各地傳道，任命了他們的初熟果子。使徒們藉由聖靈試驗過那些人後，就指派他們的初熟果子來擔任監督或執事，此乃為著將來的信徒所立。這不算是什麼新奇之事，因為在許多年前就確實有過關於監督和執事的記載，聖經在某處是這麼說的：『我要以和平為你的官長，以公義為你的監督。』」（註：《以賽亞書》第六十章）。
「同樣地，我們的使徒們透過我們的主耶穌基督早已了然於心，在監督的職分上將會有所衝突。正因為如此，他們既已有此先見之明，就採取了任命監督或執事之方式。然後，他們給了這些職分一個永久的特性。那就是，萬一他們去世的話，其他被認可的人必須繼承他們的職務。」
原文：
"For to the high priest, the proper services have been given and to the priest, the proper office has been assigned, and upon the Levites the proper ministries have been imposed. The layman is bound by the laymen's rules, or the layman's code as it is sometimes translated.”
"The apostles received the gospel for us from the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus, the Christ, was sent forth from God. So then, Christ is from God and the apostles are from Christ. Both therefore came out of the will of God in good order……. Having therefore received their orders, and being fully assured by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and full of faith in the word of God, they went forth with the firm assurance, that the Holy Spirit gives, preaching the good news that the Kingdom of God was about to come. So, preaching both in the country and in towns they appointed their first fruits. They appointed their first fruits when they had tested them by the Spirit to be bishops and deacons (episkapoi and diakanoi) for future believers. This was no new thing for indeed something had been written about bishops and deacons many years ago; for somewhere thus says the Scripture: 'I will appoint their bishops in righteousness and their deacons in faith'" - Referring evidently to Isaiah 60.
"Our apostles, likewise, knew through our Lord Jesus Christ that there would be strife over the office of the bishop. For this reason, therefore, having received completed foreknowledge they appointed the bishops and the deacons. And afterward they gave the offices a permanent character. That is, if they should die, other approved men should succeed to their ministry".
(Quoted from 1 Clement 42 ; in Holmes, ed. The Apostolic Fathers)
（圖片：Icon of Saint Clement I, from Wikipedia）
版主評註：
革利免致哥林多教會的書信中指出了至少兩種教會職分，亦即監督與執事，的發展結構，而且在此例中表明了，他們是被任命來擔任此一職分，而且當那些特定領袖去世後，他們被指派去繼續那些職分。他提到了某種的繼任（「使徒統緒」Apostolic succession），然而，這段話有大量不同的解讀方式，端視教會內的政體而定。
