Apostolic Church Order

Greetings, sons and daughters, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. John and Matthew and Peter and Andrew and Philip and Simon and James and Nathanael and Thomas and Cephas and Bartholomew and Jude the son of James.

When we had gathered together at the command of our Lord Jesus Christ the Saviour, as he had appointed beforehand: 'You are about to be allotted the provinces, to reckon up the numbers of the places, the dignities of bishops, the seats of presbyters, the attendance of deacons, the discretion of readers, the blamelessness of widows, and whatever may be needed for the foundation of the church, so that, knowing the pattern of the heavenly things, they may guard themselves from every error, knowing that they will give account on the great day of judgment for what they heard and did not keep'; and he commanded us to send out the words into the whole inhabited world.

It seemed good to us, then, for the remembrance of the brotherhood and the admonition of each, as the Lord revealed according to the will of God through the Holy Spirit, to give you commands, calling the word to mind.

John said: 'Men, brothers, knowing that we shall give account for what has been appointed to us, let us not show partiality to one another; but if anyone seems to say something unprofitable, let him be contradicted.' And it seemed good to all that John should speak first.

John said: 'There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between the two ways. For the way of life is this: first, you shall love God who made you with all your heart, and you shall glorify him who redeemed you from death, which is the first commandment; second, you shall love your neighbour as yourself, which is the second commandment; on which the whole law hangs, and the prophets.'

Matthew said: 'Whatever you would not have done to you, do not do to another either.' 'Tell us the teaching of these words, brother Peter.'

Peter said: 'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit sexual immorality, you shall not corrupt boys, you shall not steal, you shall not practise magic, you shall not use sorcery, you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill one that is born, you shall not covet your neighbour's goods. You shall not swear falsely, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not speak evil nor bear a grudge; you shall not be double-minded nor double-tongued, for the double tongue is a snare of death. Your word shall not be empty or false. You shall not be covetous, nor rapacious, nor a hypocrite, nor malicious, nor arrogant; you shall not take evil counsel against your neighbour. You shall not hate any man, but some you shall reprove, on some you shall have mercy, for some you shall pray, and some you shall love more than your own life.'

Andrew said: 'My child, flee from every evil and from everything like it. Do not be prone to anger, for anger leads to murder; for wrath is a male demon. Do not be jealous, nor quarrelsome, nor hot-tempered; for from these murder is born.'

Philip said: 'My child, do not be lustful, for lust leads to sexual immorality and draws men to itself; for lust is a female demon; and the one with anger, the other with pleasure, destroys those who receive them. The way of an evil spirit is the sin of the soul; and when it has a small entry into a man, it widens it and leads that soul into all evils, and does not let the man see clearly and perceive the truth. Let your anger have a measure, and within a short interval rein it in and check it, so that it may not throw you into an evil deed. For anger and evil pleasure, remaining long and growing stronger, become demons; and when a man gives way to them, they swell in his soul and grow greater, and lead him away into unjust deeds, and mock him, and rejoice at the destruction of men.'

Simon said: 'Child, do not be foul-mouthed nor a lifter-up of the eyes; for from these come adulteries.'

James said: 'My child, do not be an augur, since it leads to idolatry; nor an enchanter, nor an astrologer, nor one who performs purifications; do not even wish to see or hear these things; for from all these idolatries are born.'

Nathanael said: 'Child, do not be a liar, since lying leads to theft; nor a lover of money, nor vainglorious; for from all these thefts are born. Child, do not be a grumbler, since it leads to blasphemy; nor self-willed, nor evil-minded; for from all these blasphemies are born. But be meek, since the meek shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Be long-suffering, merciful, a peacemaker, pure in heart from every evil, guileless and quiet, good, keeping and trembling at the words you have heard. You shall not exalt yourself, nor give your soul to the proud, but you shall live with the righteous and the humble. You shall accept the things that happen to you as good, knowing that apart from God nothing comes to pass.'

Thomas said: 'Child, the one who speaks to you the word of God, and becomes for you a cause of life, and gives you the seal in the Lord, you shall love as the apple of your eye, and remember him night and day; you shall honour him as the Lord; for where the Lord's nature is spoken of, there the Lord is. And you shall seek his face daily, and that of the rest of the saints, so that you may find rest in their words; for by cleaving to saints you shall be sanctified. And you shall honour him as far as you are able, from your sweat and from the labour of your hands. For if the Lord through him has counted you worthy to be given spiritual food and drink and eternal life, you ought much more to offer the perishable and temporary food. For the labourer is worthy of his wages, and you shall not muzzle an ox while it threshes, and no one plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit.'

Cephas said: 'You shall not make divisions, but shall reconcile those who quarrel. You shall judge justly; you shall not show partiality in reproving anyone for a transgression. For wealth has no power with the Lord; for rank does not give preference, nor does beauty profit, but there is equality of all with him. In your prayer do not be in two minds whether it will be or not. Do not be one who stretches out his hands to receive but draws them back from giving. If you have something through your hands, you shall give a ransom for your sins. You shall not hesitate to give, nor grumble when giving; for you will know who is the good repayer of the reward. You shall not turn away the needy, but shall share all things with your brother and shall not say that they are your own; for if you are sharers in what is immortal, how much more in what is perishable.'

Bartholomew said: 'We ask you, brothers, while there is still time and you have those for whom you may work among yourselves, not to fail in anything, if you have the means. For the day of the Lord is near, in which all things will perish together with the evil one; for the Lord will come, and his reward is with him. Be lawgivers to yourselves, be good counsellors to yourselves, taught by God; you shall keep what you have received, neither adding nor taking away.'

Peter said: 'Brothers, as for the rest of the admonitions, the Scriptures will teach them; but let us set in order what we were commanded.' All said: 'Let Peter speak.'

Peter said: 'If there are few men, and there is nowhere a number of those able to vote concerning a bishop, within twelve men, let them write to the neighbouring churches, where one happens to be firmly established, so that three chosen men may come from there and examine carefully the one who is worthy: whether he has a good report from the nations, whether he is without sin, whether a lover of the poor, whether temperate, not a drunkard, not sexually immoral, not covetous or abusive or partial, and the like. It is good that he be without a wife; but if not, the husband of one wife; sharing in education, able to interpret the Scriptures; but if he is unlettered, let him be meek; and let him abound in love toward all, lest the bishop be convicted about anything by the many.'

John said: 'The bishop who has been appointed, knowing the attentiveness and love of God of those with him, shall appoint two presbyters, whomever he approves.'

All objected: 'Not two, but three; for there are twenty-four elders, twelve on the right and twelve on the left.' John said: 'You have reminded us well, brothers. For those on the right receive the bowls from the archangels and present them to the Master; and those on the left are over the multitude of the angels. The presbyters, then, must be already advanced in years in the world, in some way abstaining from intercourse with women, generous toward the brotherhood, not showing partiality, fellow-initiates and fellow-defenders of the bishop, gathering the congregation together, eager for the shepherd. The presbyters on the right shall care for the bishops at the altar, so that they may give and receive honour in whatever is needed. The presbyters on the left shall care for the congregation, so that it may be orderly and undisturbed, having first learned in all submission. And if anyone, when admonished, answers insolently, those at the altar, acting together with one counsel, shall separate such a one as he deserves, so that the rest too may have fear, lest they show partiality to one, and the evil spread further like gangrene, and all be taken captive.'

James said: 'Let a reader be appointed after he has first been tested: not a babbler, not a drunkard nor a jester, of good character, obedient, well-disposed, the first to come to the Lord's-day assemblies, a good listener, able to recount, knowing that he does the work of an evangelist; for he who fills the ears of one who does not understand will be reckoned as written down before God.'

Matthew said: 'Let [three] deacons be appointed; it is written: By three every word of the Lord shall be established. Let them be tested in every service, well attested by the congregation, married once, rearing their children, temperate, gentle, quiet, not grumblers, not double-tongued, not prone to anger (for anger destroys a prudent man), not given to much wine, not easily provoked; good encouragers of hidden works, urging those of the brothers who have means to open their hands, and generous themselves, ready to share, honoured by the congregation with all honour, respect and fear; watching carefully over those who walk disorderly, admonishing some, exhorting others, rebuking others, but leaving altogether alone those who despise them, knowing that the contradictors, despisers and revilers have set themselves against Christ.'

Cephas said: 'Let three widows be appointed: two to persevere in prayer for all who are in trial, and for revelations about whatever may be needed; and one to attend the women who are tried by sicknesses, ready to serve, sober, reporting what is needed to the presbyters, not greedy for gain, not given to much wine, so that she may be able to keep sober for the night services, and for any other good work she may wish to do; for these are the first good treasures of the Lord.'

Andrew said: 'The deacons, workers of good works, shall go about everywhere night and day, neither despising the poor nor showing partiality to the rich; they shall recognize the one in distress and shall not pass him over in the collection; they shall urge those who are able to lay up treasure for good works, keeping in view the words of our Teacher: You saw me hungry and did not feed me. For those who have served well and blamelessly gain for themselves the place of a shepherd.'

Philip said: 'Let the layman be content with the things of laymen, submitting to those who attend at the altar. Let each please God in his own place, not quarrelling with one another about the appointed orders, each in that to which he was called by God. Let no one cut across another's course; for not even the angels carry out anything other than what has been appointed to them.'

Andrew said: 'It would be useful, brothers, to establish a ministry for women.'

Peter said: 'We have already arranged that; but concerning the offering of the body and the blood let us give exact instruction.'

John said: 'You have forgotten, brothers, that when the Teacher asked for the bread and the cup and blessed them, saying, This is my body and blood, he did not permit these women to stand with us.' Martha said: 'It was because of Mary, because he saw her smiling.' Mary said: 'I did not laugh any more; for he told us beforehand, when he was teaching, that the weak would be saved through the strong.'

Cephas said: 'You remember some things: that it is not fitting for women to pray standing upright, but sitting on the ground.'

James said: 'How then can we determine anything about a ministry for women, except a ministry that they may support the women in need?'

Philip said: 'This, brothers, concerning sharing: he who does a good work gains a good treasure for himself; for he who lays up treasure in the kingdom will be reckoned a worker written down before God.'

Peter said: 'These things, brothers, we ask of you, not as having authority over anyone to compel, but having a command from the Lord: keep the commandments, taking nothing away and adding nothing, in the name of our Lord, to whom be glory for ever. Amen.'