A recently saw a short book (128 pages) entitled Elders in Every City: The Origin and Role of the Ordained Ministry by Roger Beckwith. Beckwith is an ordained Anglican minister, and a friend of J. I. Packer, to whom he dedicated the book. Glancing through it, it seemed like it could be a brief but very helpful resource on the basic history and development of the office and role of eldership in the church, from its roots in the Apostolic era to the early church through the ages. Before getting it though, I wanted to see if anyone here knew anything about Roger Beckwith, or had read this or any other work of his.

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Chris


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Christopher Blum
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I can't say I've read the book, but I have read a couple of reviews. I think it could be edifying as it covers the origins of the Jewish presbyter office through the Apostolic Age. However, since the author is Anglican, I would be disclined to look for much that is good after he covers the Early Church. That's just my

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Andrew Myers
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Warrenton, VA USA
Editor, The Matthew Poole Project

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Roger Beckwith ranks among the top scholars of our day, particularly with rspect to the issue of the OT canon. He has written the book to read on the subject, The Old Testament Canon of the New Testament Church (Grand Rapids: Wm. B Eerdmans Publishing Company,1985). It is the most thorough and exhaustive treatment available today on the issue of the OT deuterocanonical/apocryphal works. He proves (I think) that the Reformers were right about this issue, and he takes his reader down many trails to prove it. Roman Catholic apologists do not like this work. Last time I checked, this important work is now out of print.

Hope this helps,
DTK

[Edited on 18-12-2004 by DTK]

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Augustine (354-430): Therefore what He [i.e., Christ] has deigned to speak to us, we ought to believe that He meant us to understand. But if we do not understand He, being asked, gives understanding, who gave His Word unasked. NPNF1: Vol. VII, Tractates on John, Tractate XXII, §1.