While Christianity was conquering the world, the believers
in its doctrines were grouping themselves into communities or churches. Every
city had a congregation of Christian worshipers. [20] They met, not in
synagogues as did the Jews, but in private houses, where they sang hymns,
listened to readings from the Holy Scriptures, and partook of a sacrificial
meal in memory of the last supper of Jesus with his disciples. Certain officers
called presbyters, [21] or elders, were chosen to conduct the services and
instruct the converts. The chief presbyter received the name of
"overseer," or bishop. [22] Each church had also one or more deacons,
who visited the sick and relieved the wants of the poor. Every Christian
community thus formed a little brotherhood of earnest men and women, united by
common beliefs and common hopes.
[20] The meeting was called ecclesia from the Greek
word for "popular assembly." Hence comes our word
"ecclesiastical."
[21] Whence the word "priest."
[22] The word "bishop" comes from the Greek episkopos
and means, literally, an "overseer."
