Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 656

632

§ 99.

THE ORGANISM OF

Then coordination

object.

— the

Diaconia

of

[Div. Ill

Bible, Church,

Dogma and

—

taken in the sense of office is warranted by the fact that each of these four bears a supernatural last

character: the Bible, because the Church, because

because

Holy

it is

it

is

the fruit of inspiration;

the fruit of regeneration;

Dogma,

presents to us the result of the guidance of the

it

Spirit in the consciousness of the

Church

and the

;

Diaconia, because the offices are appointed by Christ, and as organs of the churchly organism each office derives

its

authority exclusively from Christ, the King of the Church.

Another name than that of Diaconia for office would be because "Diaconia" makes one think almost

preferable,

exclusively

Diaconia

of

is

the

the

Diaconate.

official

name

But we have no for

office

in

choice.

Christian

the

Church, clearly defined for us in the New Testament. For office the Greeks used the expressions to epjou, rj eVt/teXem, V ^PXVf V ^ci^TovpyLa, and for the office of judge to 8i/ca(TTrjpLov. But no one of these expressions could here be used. 'A^PXV could not be used, because the churchly office differs

from the magistratic office as a ministerial serwould not do, since the expression archeological departments would have occasioned a still greater misunderstanding. AetTovpyia of itself would have been no undesirable term, but the name of Liturgy is differently employed, and would have caused more difficulty than " Diaconia." Bein principle

vice

;

and

it

cause of their indefiniteness the other terms could not be con'

all. And thus it seemed by far the safest way to maintain the constant use of Scripture and to adopt again

sidered at

the

New

Testament expression

for the churchly office, viz.

Diaconia, notwithstanding the confusion a superficial view of 1

it

may

Tim.

It must indeed be conceded that in 12 and elsewhere, along with eViV/coTro?, the word appears as also indicative of a definite office but when

iii,

ScdKovo<;

occasion.

8,

the question

;

is

uses to indicate

raised as to office

what word the

New

Testament

without distinction of function, there

no doubt but that hiaKovia is the expressly indicated term. ii. 17, 30 the word Xenovpyia occurs, but not in an official sense. In verse 17 Paul speaks of the sacrifice and

is

In Phil.

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