Andrew P.C.
Puritan Board Junior
So, I'm doing research, and one of the secondary sources I am using is Jaroslav Pelikan's The Christian Tradition. I am currently in volume one, and dealing with the idea of the means of grace in the early church. He talks about Hippolytus praying in the Apostolic Tradition for the bishop to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to absolve the sins of people. Here is the direct quote from The Apostolic Tradition :
Was this the standard idea of what bishops (presbyters) could do? Thoughts?
Grant, Father who knows the heart,
to your servant whom you chose for the episcopate, that he will feed your holy flock,
that he will wear your high priesthood without reproach,
serving night and day, incessantly making your face favorable,
and offering the gifts of your holy church;
in the spirit of high priesthood having the power to forgive sins according to your command; (Apostolic Tradition, Chapter 3, Verses 4 and 5)
Was this the standard idea of what bishops (presbyters) could do? Thoughts?