Let’s now trace the gradual development of the institute of those chosen by the people (the hierarchy). In apostolic times, in the church, besides apostles, prophets, teachers, there were many spirit-bearers, those who had the grace of the Holy Spirit. The whole church shone with spiritual gifts. There were many God’s people, from whom flowed rivers of living water (the Holy Spirit, which believers in Christ receive—see John 7:38-39). All the attention of the people (the catechumens) was focused on the spiritual. Presbyters (elders), bishops (overseers)—these ministries were mixed—were mostly from ordinary, non-spiritual people (the catechumens, that is, baptized with water, preparing for baptism with the Holy Spirit). According to their duties, until the end of the first century, they can be likened to our parish elders (stewards). At that time, few were interested in becoming a bishop. They zealously sought spiritual gifts, not the rank of a presbyter. Therefore, the apostle Paul, to create in the people the conviction that any church ministry is a good deed, writes: “This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work” (1 Tim. 3:1). However, the apostle immediately makes it clear that any member of the church can be chosen as a bishop, as long as he is, as we say nowadays, a decent person; no spiritual qualities are required: “But a bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, not given to wine, not violent (not a murderer), not greedy for money, not covetous, one who rules his own house well…” (1 Tim. 3).
And he further writes: “Let the elders (bishops) who rule well be counted worthy of double honor.” From which it can be concluded that even then there were those who ruled unworthily and they were also given honor, though not double. Naturally, such classification could not be applied to apostles, prophets, and teachers (that is, the spiritual, filled with the Holy Spirit), because if an apostle or teacher behaved unworthily, he was an enemy of the church: a false apostle, a false prophet, a false teacher. From church elders (presbyters or bishops), given their weaknesses and soulfulness, perfection could not always be demanded, this needs to be remembered to properly treat clergy after the apostolic time. Moreover, the apostle adds: “Especially those who labor in the word and doctrine” (1 Tim. 5:17). This addition clearly indicates that laboring in the word and teaching was not the duty of presbyters-bishops. Apparently, those among them who had the corresponding abilities or even gifts (like the first martyr Stephen) labored in this field. Probably, to raise the prestige of presbyters-bishops, the apostle writes: “Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses” (1 Tim. 5:19).
After all that has been said above, based on the characteristics of the apostle Paul regarding the qualities of presbyters, is it possible to consider that all the bishops (presbyters) of that time were assigned the title of pastors?! Certainly not! But how then to understand the words of the apostle Paul, with which he addressed the presbyters from Ephesus before his last journey to Jerusalem: “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God” (see Acts 20:28)? The explanation for this is found right there (verse 31). The apostle addresses his word not to ordinary presbyters (stewards, elders). In the Church, all the efforts of Christians (the spiritual) were directed at helping soulful people (catechumens) be reborn into spiritual ones, that is, to receive the Holy Spirit, to become Christians. And the apostle Paul says to the Ephesian presbyters: “For three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears” (that is, he diligently catechized: all together and each individually!!!). Naturally, he saw, as a result of diligent catechization, the spiritual fruit of his titanic tearful labors, and could call them, the Ephesian presbyters, pastors
(as an example of the birth of the soulful (catechumens) into the spiritual (into the rank of prophecy, the royal priesthood, anointed, consecrated by the Holy Spirit), we can cite the Optina Elders, where the elder gave birth to the disciple(s)-novice (catechumen) into the rank of the spiritual (Christians, elder-prophets); a whole tradition of eldership arose (a kind of prophetic school)—the disciples of the elders became elders; therefore the Optina elders could say not to any monk (since you have a long beard, were tonsured as a monk, have a mantle, schema, wear a cassock, a klobuk, even hold the rank of a presbyter or bishop—you are already an elder-spiritual father!? The reality is: there are many old men (with beards, tonsured two or three times), but few elders (pastors, spirit-bearers)!); only their disciples-novices could say: carry the ministry of elder-prophets, to which the Holy Spirit has anointed you; so, just as not every (only a few!!!) monk is an elder, not every (only a few!!!) presbyter-bishop is a pastor!!!). In the words of the apostolic reminder to the presbyters about their education, the mystery of true preparation for pastorship is revealed. This is not a simple science, but a secret birth of a new person, to which, in fact, the apostle Paul’s efforts were directed: “teaching with tears,” that is, with special heartfelt care, with extraordinary love; “night and day for three years” means that it was not only an explanation of the truth but above all a common life, a manifestation of the Truth in the Holy Spirit and Power, it was an influence on the disciples with all his being (of correct prayer, that is, Christian life; one cannot learn through words, only through common Eucharistic life with those who pray (Christians) in the Parish-Eucharist; one cannot learn to pray correctly from books, only under the guidance (and together with them) of those who know how to pray!), in which Christ truly (and not symbolically) lived (as the apostle himself testified: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me”); “teaching each one of you,” not all together, that is, communicating with each according to his heart-spiritual state, as the Holy Spirit always teaches: not in general words, but in the language of each (absolutely unique) member of the church (One elder said that the Lord reveals to the elder-prophet the innermost depths of the soul of each person who turns to him for advice, and the grace of the Holy Spirit gives understanding (insight) on how to direct the life of the one who asks for advice, to the Truth of Christ).