BISHOP. The word is given in the English Version of the Bible as a translation of the Greek word episkopos (Philippians i. 1; I. Timothy iii. 2; I. Peter ii. 25). In Acts i. 20 episkope is translated " bishopric," but not, of course, in a technical sense. It has long been a matter of controversy whether " bishop " is used in the New Testament in the sense in which it was used later in the Christian Church. The word episkopos was taken over from the Greeks, among whom it denoted an " over seer " or a " superintendent " (cp. episkope, visitation, oversight ; and then office or charge generally). It seems to have been used particularly of the finance officers of Greek guilds. And it was just this kind of duty that the Christian episkopos was called upon to perform—the administration of the common fund of a kind of benevo lent society. On the other hand, the word had already been adopted in the Greek translation of the Old Testa ment to represent the Hebrew pd6; Id, which denotes an " overseer " in a more general sense (Judges ix. 28; Nehemiah xi. 9, 14, 22; II. Kings xi. 15). An earlier title for the officials of the early Christian Church was presbyteros, Presbyter or Elder (Acts xi. 30; xv.); and when episkopos first came into use the two terms seem to have been regarded as equivalent (Acts xx. 28; Philip pians 1. 1; I. Timothy v. 17; Titus i. 5, 7: T. Peter v. 1, 2). Moreover, these two terms seem to have other equivalents, such as proistdmenoi, " presidents " (I. Thessalonians v. 12; Romans xii. 8), hegolimenoi, " rulers " (Hebrews xiii. 7, 17), and poinidnes, " shep herds" (Ephesians iv. 11). The question is : Did one of the Presbyters of a collegium come gradually in New Testament times to be elevated above the rest. It has been ably contended that this did happen, and that the government of the apostolic Church became monarchial. The power exercised by Diotrephes (III. John i. 9), it has been pointed out, seems to have exceeded that of ordinary presbyters. But Diotrephes is rebuked for desiring to exercise this power, so that it seems to have been a kind of usurpation; and in the time of Hernias and Irenaeus, bishops and elders or presbyters seem still to be placed upon the same level (Hermas. Vision ii. 4, iii. 9; Simili tudes iii. 27; Irenaens, Adv. Haeres. iii. 3). Local con ditions were not, however, the same everywhere. By the middle of the second century the monarchical episco pate was well established; and in Rome and elsewhere the development may have been more rapid than in other places (cp. Ignatius, Epistle to the Romans, ii., ix.;
Epistle to Polycarp iv., vi.). In any case, it is difficult to prove that the monarchical episcopate is of apostolic origin. That it was, on the other band, a natural and pre-ordained development is a legitimate contention. The Roman Catholic Church, however, insists on the apostolic origin of episcopacy. The Council of Trent says : " If anyone deny that there is in the Chnrch a hierarchy instituted by divine ordinance, which consists of bishops, presbyters, and ministers, let him be ana thema "; and " if anyone affirm that bishops are not superior to presbyters, or that they have not the power of confirming or ordaining, or that the power which they have is common to presbyters also, let him be anathema." It is claimed by Roman Catholics (though not by them alone) that " St. James the Less was beyond reasonable doubt bishop of Jerusalem ": that St. Paul having given Titus power to ordain presbyters, and Timothy directions as to receiving accusations against presbyters, these two were clearly " ecclesiastical officers superior to the clergy of the second order "; and that the Angels of the Churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation (i. 20) " answer to the idea of diocesan bishops and to nothing else." In the third century, according to Cyprian (Ep. lxviii.), bishops were chosen " by the vote of all the faithful and by the judgment of the bishops," and they were so elected in the West until the eleventh century. Bishops were then elected by the cathedral chapter. At first the election had to be confirmed by the metropolitan. The right of confirmation afterwards passed to the Pope, and in course of time in some cases the election itself. In Catholic Germany and Switzerland the right of elec tion now belongs to the cathedral chapters; in France, Portugal. Spain, Naples and Sicily, Sardinia, Austria, and Bavaria to the Sovereign. In England the Pope chooses the Roman Catholic bishops. In the Church of England royal letters patent are sent to the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral telling them to make a certain choice. In Protestant Germany the title Bishop has been dropped in favour of General-Superintendent. See D. Schenkel, Bibel-Lexikon; Encycl. Bibl.; Chambers' Encycl.; Cath. Diet.; Prot. Dict.