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He calls his faithful servant; "Appoint with yourself seventy elders, whom you yourself know are elders." From this it is shown that the appointment and the ordination does not make an elder someone who was not one before, but it reveals and makes him manifest. For it was precisely commanded to ordain those whom the one leading knows are already such. 2.257 The command in Joel, one of the Twelve Prophets, to "choose elders" who are already such has the same meaning, not with the election preceding, but following for the sake of revealing those who already possess virtue and its honors. Concerning those who have this honor, it is written in Proverbs: "The glory of elders is gray hair," that is, from wisdom, clearly. 2.258 To the elders thus mentioned are of equal honor and equal strength also according to the new covenant. For the Apostle, writing to Titus his disciple, in addition to other things, wrote this: "For this reason I left you in Crete, that you might set in order the things that are lacking, as I commanded you, and appoint elders in every city." And he speaks of the characteristics of those being promoted, of those being appointed to the ecclesiastical ranks: monogamy, the best upbringing of children, and being formed according to the other virtues, whom he also calls bishops by ancient custom, as we have also said in other places. 2.259 For example, in the Acts of the Apostles it is recorded that "Paul sent for the elders of the Church," to whom he also says: "the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the Church, which he obtained with his own blood," and so on. To those who have this rank, Peter, the chiefest of Christ's disciples, addresses in his epistle: "The elders who are among you I exhort." And what it is that he exhorts, let us see, but to shepherd the flock of Christ, not by constraint, but willingly, that, when the chief Shepherd is revealed, they may receive the unfading crown of glory. 2.260 The elders presented according to both covenants, being kings according to Abraham, according to what was said by those who recognized his preeminence: "You are a king from God among us," but also genuinely serving in a priestly manner the one who chose them, they bear the scepters of their twofold preeminence, sitting in the broad places of the city just described, each one holding his own staff, which is for a scepter and a corrective word. 2.261 For concerning reproofs that somehow strike the responsible, it is written by Paul: "What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love?" In agreement with these things, the divine scripture of the Proverbs also declares, in one place: "He who brings forth wisdom from his lips, strikes a heartless man with a rod"; and in another: "He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently." 2.262 Women also share in the honor of the elders, possessing precedence through faith and practical virtue. Describing such a way of life, Paul, speaking in Christ, writing to Timothy, says: "Honor widows who are truly widows," signifying such to be those who are deprived of all human things, having deeds that bring praises, having raised children as is proper, lavishly showing hospitality, having served the servants of God, having nourished the poor, and being adorned with all similar works of virtue. 2.263 And the apostolic teaching has this concerning these matters in the same syllables, beginning from this point: "Let a widow be enrolled who is not less than sixty years old, the wife of one husband, well attested for good works, if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality, if she has washed the feet of the saints, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has devoted herself to every good work." 2.264 And for the confirmation of the aforementioned virtues, there is a need for a mature age that also adorns the acquired virtues, having reached a number of mature years not

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πιστὸν θεράποντα ἑαυτοῦ φησιν· «Κατάστησον μετὰ σεαυτοῦ ἑβδομήκοντα πρεσβυτέρους, οὓς αὐτὸς οἶδας ὅτι εἰσὶν πρεσβύτεροι.» Ἐξ οὗ παρίσταται ὅτι οὐχ ἡ κατάστασις καὶ ἡ χειροτονία ποιεῖ πρεσβύτερον τὸν οὐκ ὄντα πρότερον, ἀλλ' ἀναδείκνυσιν καὶ φανεροῖ. Ἀκριβῶς γὰρ προσετάγη χειροτονεῖσθαι οὓς οἶδεν ὁ προάγων ἤδη ὄντας τοιούτους. 2.257 Ἴσον δύναται καὶ τὸ ἐν Ἰωήλ, ἑνὶ τῶν ∆ώδεκα Προφητῶν, προσταττόμενον «ἐκλέξασθαι πρεσβυτέρους» τοὺς ἤδη ὄντας, οὐ προηγουμένης τῆς ἐκλογῆς, ἀλλ' ἐπιγινομένης ὑπὲρ ἀναδείξεως τῶν ἤδη τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ τὰ πρεσβεῖα αὐτῆς κεκτημένων. Περὶ τῶν ταύτην τὴν τιμὴν ἐχόντων, ἐν Παροιμίαις γέγραπται· «∆όξα πρεσβυτέρων πολιαί», αἱ ἐκ φρονήσεως δηλονότι. 2.258 Τοῖς οὕτω μνημονευθεῖσι πρεσβυτέροις ἰσότιμοι καὶ ἰσοσθενεῖς ὑπάρχουσι καὶ κατὰ τὴν καινὴν διαθήκην. Γράφων γοῦν ὁ Ἀπόστολος Τίτῳ τῷ ἑαυτοῦ μαθητῇ, πρὸς ἑτέροις καὶ τοῦτ' ἐχάραξεν· «Τούτου χάριν ἀπέλιπόν σε ἐν τῇ Κρήτῃ, ἵνα τὰ λείποντα ἐπιδιορθώσῃ, καθὼς διεταξάμην σοι, καὶ καταστήσῃς κατὰ πόλιν πρεσβυτέρους.» Λέγει δὲ τὰ χαρακτηρικὰ τῶν προαγομένων, τῶν εἰς τοὺς ἐκκλησιαστικοὺς βαθμοὺς ταττομένων· μονογαμίαν, ἐκτροφὴν τέκνων βελτίστην, καὶ κατὰ τὰς λοιπὰς ἀρετὰς πεποιωμένους, οὓς καὶ ἐπισκόπους καλεῖ ἀρχαίᾳ συνηθείᾳ, ὡς καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις εἰρήκαμεν. 2.259 Αὐτίκα γοῦν ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι τῶν Ἀποστόλων φέρεται ὡς «μετεκαλέσατο Παῦλος τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς Ἐκκλησίας», οἷς καί φησιν· «Ὑμᾶς ἔθετο τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα ἐπισκόπους ποιμαίνειν τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, ἣν περιεποιήσατο τῷ ἰδίῳ αἵματι», καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τοῖς τοῦτον τὸν βαθμὸν ἔχουσιν, ὁ κορυφαιότατος τῶν Χριστοῦ μαθητῶν Πέτρος προσφωνεῖ ἐν τῇ κατ' αὐτὸν ἐπιστολῇ· «Πρεσβυτέρους τοὺς ἐν ὑμῖν παρακαλῶ.» Τί δ' ἐστὶν ὃ παρακαλεῖ ἴδωμεν, ἢ ποιμαίνειν τὴν Χριστοῦ ἀγέλην, μὴ ἀναγκαστῶς, ἀλλ' ἑκουσίως, ἵνα, τοῦ ἀρχιποίμενος φανερωθέντος, κομίσωνται τὸν ἀμαράντινον τῆς δόξης στέφανον. 2.260 Οἱ ἀποδοθέντες κατὰ ἀμφοτέρας τὰς διαθήκας πρεσβύτεροι, βασιλεῖς κατὰ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ὄντες, κατὰ τὸ λεχθὲν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐγνωκότων τὴν ὑπεροχὴν αὐτοῦ· «Βασιλεὺς παρὰ Θεοῦ σὺ εἶ ἐν ἡμῖν», ἀλλὰ καὶ γνησίως θεραπεύοντες ἱερατικῶς τὸν ἐκλεξάμενον, τὰ σκῆπτρα φέρουσιν τῆς προσούσης διττῆς ὑπεροχῆς, καθήμενοι ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις τῆς ἔναγχος διαγραφείσης πόλεως, κατέχων ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ῥάβδον, οὖσαν πρὸς σκῆπτρον καὶ διορθωτικὸν λόγον. 2.261 Περὶ γὰρ τῶν ἐλέγχων παιόντων πως τοὺς ὑπευθύνους, γράφεται ὑπὸ Παύλου· «Τί θέλετε; ἐν ῥάβδῳ ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἢ ἐν ἀγάπῃ;» Σύμφωνα τούτοις καὶ θεία τῶν Παροιμιῶν γραφὴ διαγορεύει, ὅπου μέν· «Ὃς προσφέρει ἐκ χειλέων σοφίαν, ῥάβδῳ τύπτει ἄνδρα ἀκάρδιον»· ὅπου δέ· «Ὃς φείδεται τῆς βακτηρίας μισεῖ τὸν υἱὸν ἑαυτοῦ, ὁ δὲ ἀγαπῶν ἐπιμελῶς παιδεύει.» 2.262 Τῆς τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τιμῆς καὶ θήλειαι μετέχουσιν διὰ πίστιν καὶ πρακτικὴν ἀρετὴν πρεσβεῖα κεκτημέναι. Τὴν τοιαύτην διαγράφων ἀγωγήν, Τιμοθέῳ χαράττων ὁ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλῶν Παῦλός φησιν· «Τίμα χήρας τὰς ὄντως χήρας», τοιαύτας εἶναι σημαίνων τὰς πάντων τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων στερομένας, ἐχούσας πράξεις ἐπαίνους φερούσας, ἀναθρεψαμένας τέκνα ὡς δεῖ, δαψιλῶς φιλοξενούσας, ὑπερετησάσας Θεοῦ δούλοις, θρεψάσας πένητας, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς παραπλησίοις ἔργοις ἀρετῆς ἐγκαλλωπιζομένας. 2.263 Ἔχει δὲ περὶ τούτων αὐταῖς συλλαβαῖς ἡ ἀποστολικὴ διδασκαλία ἔνθεν ἀρχομένη· «Χήρα καταλεγέσθω μὴ ἔλαττον ἐτῶν ἑξήκοντα γεγονυῖα, ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς γυνή, ἐπὶ ἔργοις καλοῖς μαρτυρουμένη, εἰ ἐτεκνοφρόνησεν, εἰ ἐξενοδόχησεν, εἰ ἁγίων πόδας ἔνιψεν, εἰ θλιβομένοις ἐπήρκεσεν, εἰ παντὶ ἔργῳ καλῷ ἐπηκολούθησεν.» 2.264 Ὑπὲρ βεβαιώσεως δὲ τῶν μνημονευθεισῶν ἀρετῶν χρεία καὶ τελείας ἡλικίας συνεπικοσμούσης τὰς κτητὰς ἀρετάς, τελείων ἐτῶν ἀριθμὸν ἐσχηκυῖαν οὐκ