G.A. Jacob (#8): Ecclesiastical Polity in the New Testament (92ff.)

In this text, Rev. Jacob refers to Bishop Lightfoot and his commentary on Philippians. Bishop Lightfoot holds a 2-office view of the New Testament, and Rev. Jacob traces three stages of church governance. First, there are Ignatius's 2 offices, but morphing into 3 offices given the heresies of the day, the influence of imperial persecution, and the smallness of bishoprics. Second, there is the expansion of the Church with widening duties, but still Presbyterial. Finally, there is Cyprian’s exalted view of the Bishop as a vice-gerent of Christ on earth. According to admissions made in the 1990s Yahoo chat group, Shifty Sutton loves Cyprian, before those in the know smoked him out. Rev. Jacob also retails Augustine’s comment that there were 500 bishops in northern Africa and 400 bishoprics in Asia Minor, indicating that the bishoprics were small and many, not large and regional.