Presbyters and bishops in Irenaeus are the same
They’re the same people.
I am convinced that “presbyters” (presbyteroi) and “bishops” (episkopoi) in Irenaeus’s Against Heresies are the same persons. There is not a difference in rank between presbyter and bishop at all. In this post, I’m going to provide evidence in favor of this thesis.
Irenaeus implicitly equates bishops with presbyters as successors of the apostles and transmitters of the apostolic tradition.
“…when we refer them to that tradition which originates from the apostles, which is preserved by means of the succession of presbyters in the Churches, they object to tradition, saying that they themselves are wiser not merely than the presbyters, but even than the apostles…” (3.2.2)
“…we are in a position to reckon up those who were by the apostles instituted bishops in the Churches, and [to demonstrate] the succession of these men to our own times…” (3.3.1)
“…that tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; as also [by pointing out] the faith preached to men, which comes down to our time by means of the successions of the bishops.” (3.3.2)
“Polycarp also was not only instructed by apostles, and conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also, by apostles in Asia, appointed bishop of the Church in Smyrna…” (3.3.4)
“From all such persons, therefore, it behooves us to keep aloof, but to adhere to those who, as I have already observed, do hold the doctrine of the apostles, and who, together with the order of the presbyterate [presbyterii ordine], display sound speech and blameless conduct for the confirmation and correction of others.” (4.26.4)
“After this fashion also did a presbyter, a disciple of the apostles, reason with respect to the two testaments, proving that both were truly from one and the same God... And then shall every word also seem consistent to him, if he for his part diligently read the Scriptures in company with those who are presbyters in the Church, among whom is the apostolic doctrine, as I have pointed out.” (4.32.1)
“True knowledge is [that which consists in] the doctrine of the apostles, and the ancient constitution of the Church throughout all the world, and the distinctive manifestation of the body of Christ according to the successions of the bishops, by which they have handed down that Church which exists in every place, and has come even unto us, being guarded and preserved without any forging of Scriptures…” (4.33.8)
Irenaeus explicitly equates presbyters with bishops.
“Wherefore it is incumbent to obey the presbyters who are in the Church* — those who, as I have shown, possess the succession from the apostles; those who, together with the succession to the episcopate [cum successione episcopatus]†, have received the certain gift of truth, according to the good pleasure of the Father.” (4.26.2)
* This is a needlessly weak argument if the rank of presbyter is lower than that of bishop.
† Interpreting the phrase as an objective genitive.
“Such presbyters does the Church nourish, of whom also the prophet says: ‘I will give your rulers in peace, and your bishops in righteousness.’” (4.26.5)
“Now all these [heretics] are of much later date than the bishops to whom the apostles committed the Churches; which fact I have in the third book taken all pains to demonstrate… Those, therefore, who desert the preaching of the Church, call in question the knowledge of the holy presbyters, not taking into consideration of how much greater consequence is a religious man, even in a private station, than a blasphemous and impudent sophist.” (5.20.1–2)
Irenaeus asserts that the presbyter has the chief seat. This would not be true if the rank of bishop were higher than that of presbyter.
“Those, however, who are believed to be presbyters by many, but serve their own lusts, and, do not place the fear of God supreme in their hearts, but conduct themselves with contempt towards others, and are puffed up with the pride of holding the chief seat, and work evil deeds in secret…” (4.26.3)
When Irenaeus recounts specific purportedly apostolic traditions, he always says it comes from a presbyter. If he thought that the bishop was of a higher rank than the presbyter and thus more authoritative, he would have appealed to bishops, not to presbyters.
“As I have heard from a certain presbyter, who had heard it from those who had seen the apostles… The Scripture has thus sufficiently reproved him, as the presbyter remarked, in order that no flesh may glory in the sight of the Lord… We ought not, therefore, as that presbyter remarks, to be puffed up, nor be severe upon those of old time, but ought ourselves to fear…” (4.27.1–2)
“…as also the presbyter remarked: For if God had not accorded this in the typical exodus, no one could now be saved in our true exodus…” (4.30.1)
“When recounting certain matters of this kind respecting them of old time, the presbyter [before mentioned] was in the habit of instructing us…” (4.31.1)
“After this fashion also did a presbyter, a disciple of the apostles, reason with respect to the two testaments, proving that both were truly from one and the same God…” (4.32.1)
“Those, therefore, who desert the preaching of the Church, call in question the knowledge of the holy presbyters, not taking into consideration of how much greater consequence is a religious man, even in a private station, than a blasphemous and impudent sophist.” (5.20.2)
“And as the presbyters say, Then those who are deemed worthy of an abode in heaven shall go there, others shall enjoy the delights of paradise, and others shall possess the splendour of the city; for everywhere the Saviour shall be seen according as they who see Him shall be worthy.” (5.36.1)
“The presbyters, the disciples of the apostles, affirm that this is the gradation and arrangement of those who are saved, and that they advance through steps of this nature…” (5.36.2)
Persons named in other places as “bishops” are called “presbyters” in the Fragments of Irenaeus. This implies not only that bishops are presbyters, but also that presbyters are bishops.
“These opinions, Florinus, that I may speak in mild terms, are not of sound doctrine; these opinions are not consonant to the Church, and involve their votaries in the utmost impiety; these opinions, even the heretics beyond the Church’s pale have never ventured to broach; these opinions, those presbyters who preceded us, and who were conversant with the apostles, did not hand down to thee… And I can bear witness before God, that if that blessed and apostolical presbyter [Polycarp] had heard any such thing, he would have cried out, and stopped his ears, exclaiming as he was wont to do: “O good God, for what times hast Thou reserved me, that I should endure these things?’” (Fragment 2)
“And the presbyters preceding Soter in the government of the Church which thou dost now rule—I mean, Anicetus and Pius, Hyginus and Telesphorus, and Sixtus—did neither themselves observe it [after that fashion], nor permit those with them to do so…. On the contrary, those presbyters who preceded thee, and who did not observe [this custom], sent the Eucharist to those of other dioceses who did observe it… For neither could Anicetus persuade Polycarp to forego the observance [in his own way], inasmuch as these things had been always [so] observed by John the disciple of our Lord, and by other apostles with whom he had been conversant; nor, on the other hand, could Polycarp succeed in persuading Anicetus to keep [the observance in his way], for he maintained that he was bound to adhere to the usage of the presbyters who preceded him.” (Fragment 3)
There is thus significant evidence that “bishops” and “presbyters” in Irenaeus are the same persons. There is however one passage where “bishops” and “presbyters” are both used in the same sentence:
“But that Paul taught with simplicity what he knew, not only to those who were [employed] with him, but to those that heard him, he does himself make manifest. For when the bishops and presbyters who came from Ephesus and the other cities adjoining had assembled in Miletus, since he was himself hastening to Jerusalem to observe Pentecost, after testifying many things to them, and declaring what must happen to him at Jerusalem…” (3.14.2)
Irenaeus is referring to Acts 17:17–38. This passage implicitly equates presbyters with bishops, as can be seen below:
From Miletus he sent a message to Ephesus, asking the elders (presbyterous) of the church to meet him… “Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers (episkopous), to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son.” (vv. 17, 28)
When Irenaeus says that Paul spoke to the “the bishops and presbyters assembled in Miletus,” he means to use both terms to describe the same group persons equally.
For all these reasons, then, it seems to me undeniable that “presbyters” and “bishops” are the same persons for Irenaeus. A bishop is a presbyter and a presbyter is a bishop. If there were a difference in rank between presbyter and bishop for Irenaeus, then he would not use the words in these ways that we can observe.
Why does Irenaeus use different words for the same persons? I don’t know. That’s a question for another post.