Presbyters in Early Christianity and Its Contexts

The contributors to this volume examine the identity and roles of presbyters in early Christianity in the 1st and 2nd centuries. They explore biblical, Jewish, and Greco-Roman contexts and trace the development from age-related authority to formal leadership.

English summary: This is the third book in a series of volumes on leadership in the Early Church after Deacons and Diakonia in Early Christianity (WUNT II/479; 2018) and Deacons and Diakonia in Late Antiquity (WUNT II/606; 2024). The contributors to this volume offer an extensive investigation into the identity and function of presbyters in early Christianity, with particular attention to the first and second centuries CE. They examine the term p?esss?te??? in its linguistic, religious, and cultural contexts. Instead of a single interpretive framework, they seek to generate a multifaceted account grounded in detailed readings of primary sources. The authors first explore the Old Testament background, focusing on the zaqenim and their renderings in the Septuagint. Then, they consider presbuteroi within late Jewish literature, Hellenistic writings, and inscriptions. Thirdly, they investigate New Testament usage and the implications for early Christian community structures and finally turn to second- and early third-century Christian texts, tracing the discussion through to Tertullian. All contributions are guided by a shared set of questions regarding identity, role, plurality, gender, social setting, remuneration, and related leadership terminology. The methodological breadth is intentional: philological analysis is combined with historical and cultural approaches. In the concluding reflection, Frances Young connects the ancient figure of the presbyter with broader themes of wisdom, guidance, and pastoral responsibility. Together, the contributors illuminate the complexity of early Christian leadership and provide a nuanced understanding of presbyterial authority in its formative stages. German description: Dies ist der dritte Band einer Reihe uber Leitungsfunktionen in der fruhen Kirche nach “Diakone und Diakonie im fruhen Christentum” (WUNT II/479; 2018) und “Diakone und Diakonie in der Spatantike” (WUNT II/606; 2024). Die Beitrager dieses Bandes bieten eine umfassende Untersuchung der Identitat und Funktion von Presbytern im fruhen Christentum, mit besonderem Augenmerk auf das erste und zweite Jahrhundert n. Chr. Sie untersuchen den Begriff p?esss?te??? in seinem sprachlichen, religiosen und kulturellen Kontext. Anstelle eines einzigen Interpretationsrahmens versucht sie, eine facettenreiche Darstellung zu erstellen, die auf einer detaillierten Lekture der Primarquellen basiert. Die Autoren untersuchen zunachst den alttestamentlichen Hintergrund und konzentrieren sich dabei auf die zaqenim und ihre Wiedergabe in der Septuaginta. Anschliessend betrachten sie die p?esss?te??? in der spaten judischen Literatur, in hellenistischen Schriften und Inschriften. Drittens untersuchen sie die Verwendung im Neuen Testament und die Auswirkungen auf die Strukturen der fruhen christlichen Gemeinschaften und wenden sich schliesslich christlichen Texten aus dem zweiten und fruhen dritten Jahrhundert zu, wobei sie die Diskussion bis zu Tertullian verfolgen. Alle Beitrage orientieren sich an einer Reihe gemeinsamer Fragen zu Identitat, Rolle, Pluralitat, Geschlecht, sozialem Umfeld, Vergutung und verwandten Begriffen der Leiterschaft. Die methodische Breite ist beabsichtigt: Philologische Analyse wird mit historischen und kulturellen Ansatzen kombiniert. In der abschliessenden Reflexion verbindet Frances Young die antike Figur des Presbyters mit weiter gefassten Themen wie Weisheit, Fuhrung und pastoraler Verantwortung. Gemeinsam beleuchten die Beitrager die Komplexitat der fruhchristlichen Fuhrung und vermitteln ein differenziertes Verstandnis der presbyteralen Autoritat in ihrer Entstehungsphase.

Introduction - Bart J. Koet/Edwina Murphy/Murray J. Smith: 1. Presbyters, Not Priests: The Early Church and Its Contexts Old Testament Katherine Davis: 2. Zaqenim in the Torah - Gregory Goswell: 3. Zaqenim in the Former Prophets, Chronicles, and Ezra-Nehemiah - Archibald L. H. M. van Wieringen: 4. Zaqenim in the Latter Prophets - Susan Docherty: 5. Presbuteroi in the Septuagint Jewish and Greco-Roman Background Albert Hogeterp: 6. Zaqenim in the Qumran Text - Lydia Gore-Jones: 7. Sages as Elders in 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch - Gregory E. Sterling: 8. When the Younger is the Older: Presbuteros in Philo of Alexandria - Lyn M. Kidson: 9. Elders in Documentary Sources - Arco den Heijer: 10. Presbuteroi in Greek and Roman Prose Literature from the Turn of the Eras - Michael P. Theophilos: 11. Presbuteroi in Light of Numismatic Inscriptional Evidence New Testament Gudrun Guttenberger: 12. Presbuteroi in the Gospel of Mark - Bart J. Koet: 13. Presbuteroi in the Writings of Flavius Josephus and in Luke-Acts: Acts 20:17-35 Revisited - Murray J. Smith: 14. Presbuteroi in Paul's Letters to Timothy and Titus: God's Stewards, Entrusted with the Gospel for the Church and its Mission - Benjamin L. Merkle: 15. Presbuteroi in the Catholic Epistles - Hanna Roose: 16. Presbuteroi in the Book of Revelation: A Window into John's Ecclesiology and Eschatology Early Church L. L. Welborn: 17. Presbyters in First Clement - Allen Brent: 18. Presbuteroi in Ignatius - Paul F. Bradshaw: 19. Presbyters in the Apostolic Tradition - Stephen C. Carlson: 20. The Presbuteroi in Papias - Mark Grundeken: 21. Presbuteroi in the Shepherd of Hermas - Charles E. Hill: 22. Presbyters in Justin and Irenaeus - Annewies van den Hoek: 23. Presbuteroi in Clement of Alexandria Conclusion - Frances M. Young: 24. Presbyters: Now and Then ~GER~Introduction - Bart J. Koet/Edwina Murphy/Murray J. Smith: 1. Presbyters, Not Priests: The Early Church and Its Contexts Old Testament Katherine Davis: 2. Zaqenim in the Torah - Gregory Goswell: 3. Zaqenim in the Former Prophets, Chronicles, and Ezra-Nehemiah - Archibald L. H. M. van Wieringen: 4. Zaqenim in the Latter Prophets - Susan Docherty: 5. Presbuteroi in the Septuagint Jewish and Greco-Roman Background Albert Hogeterp: 6. Zaqenim in the Qumran Text - Lydia Gore-Jones: 7. Sages as Elders in 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch - Gregory E. Sterling: 8. When the Younger is the Older: Presbuteros in Philo of Alexandria - Lyn M. Kidson: 9. Elders in Documentary Sources - Arco den Heijer: 10. Presbuteroi in Greek and Roman Prose Literature from the Turn of the Eras - Michael P. Theophilos: 11. Presbuteroi in Light of Numismatic Inscriptional Evidence New Testament Gudrun Guttenberger: 12. Presbuteroi in the Gospel of Mark - Bart J. Koet: 13. Presbuteroi in the Writings of Flavius Josephus and in Luke-Acts: Acts 20:17-35 Revisited - Murray J. Smith: 14. Presbuteroi in Paul's Letters to Timothy and Titus: God's Stewards, Entrusted with the Gospel for the Church and its Mission - Benjamin L. Merkle: 15. Presbuteroi in the Catholic Epistles - Hanna Roose: 16. Presbuteroi in the Book of Revelation: A Window into John's Ecclesiology and Eschatology Early Church L. L. Welborn: 17. Presbyters in First Clement - Allen Brent: 18. Presbuteroi in Ignatius - Paul F. Bradshaw: 19. Presbyters in the Apostolic Tradition - Stephen C. Carlson: 20. The Presbuteroi in Papias - Mark Grundeken: 21. Presbuteroi in the Shepherd of Hermas - Charles E. Hill: 22. Presbyters in Justin and Irenaeus - Annewies van den Hoek: 23. Presbuteroi in Clement of Alexandria Conclusion - Frances M. Young: 24. Presbyters: Now and Then,

Introduction - Bart J. Koet/Edwina Murphy/Murray J. Smith: 1. Presbyters, Not Priests: The Early Church and Its Contexts
Old Testament
Katherine Davis: 2. Zaqenim in the Torah - Gregory Goswell: 3. Zaqenim in the Former Prophets, Chronicles, and Ezra-Nehemiah - Archibald L. H. M. van Wieringen: 4. Zaqenim in the Latter Prophets - Susan Docherty: 5. Presbuteroi in the Septuagint
Jewish and Greco-Roman Background
Albert Hogeterp: 6. Zaqenim in the Qumran Texts - Lydia Gore-Jones: 7. Sages as Elders in 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch - Gregory E. Sterling: 8. When the Younger is the Older: Presbuteros in Philo of Alexandria - Lyn M. Kidson: 9. Elders in Documentary Sources - Arco den Heijer: 10. Presbuteroi in Greek and Roman Prose Literature from the Turn of the Eras - Michael P. Theophilos: 11. Presbuteroi in Light of Numismatic Inscriptional Evidence
New Testament
Gudrun Guttenberger: 12. Presbuteroi in the Gospel of Mark - Bart J. Koet: 13. Presbuteroi in the Writings of Flavius Josephus and in Luke-Acts: Acts 20:17-35 Revisited - Murray J. Smith: 14. Presbuteroi in Paul's Letters to Timothy and Titus: God's Stewards, Entrusted with the Gospel for the Church and its Mission - Benjamin L. Merkle: 15. Presbuteroi in the Catholic Epistles - Hanna Roose: 16. Presbuteroi in the Book of Revelation: A Window into John's Ecclesiology and Eschatology
Early Church
L. L. Welborn: 17. Presbyters in First Clement - Allen Brent: 18. Presbuteroi in Ignatius - Paul F. Bradshaw: 19. Presbyters in the Apostolic Tradition - Stephen C. Carlson: 20. The Presbuteroi in Papias - Mark Grundeken: 21. Presbuteroi in the Shepherd of Hermas - Charles E. Hill: 22. Presbyters in Justin and Irenaeus - Annewies van den Hoek: 23. Presbuteroi in Clement of Alexandria - Anni Maria Laato: 24. Presbyters in Tertullian and the Passio Sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis
Conclusion - Frances M. Young: Presbyters: Now and Then

Bart J. Koet (Herausgegeben von)
Born 1955; 1989 PhD (University for Theology and Pastoral, Heerlen, NL); emeritus ordinary professor New Testament; emeritus, extra ordinary professor Early Christian Literature; Chairman Conventus Studiosorum Novi Testamenti (NL and Belgium).
Edwina Murphy (Herausgegeben von)
Born 1970; 2016 PhD (Macquarie University); Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Australian University of Theology
Murray J. Smith (Herausgegeben von)
Born 1977; 2023 PhD at Macquarie University; Lecturer in Biblical Theology and Exegesis, Christ College, Australian University of Theology.

• Edited by Bart J. Koet
• Edited by Edwina Murphy
• Edited by Murray J. Smith