Sorry, but Im exceptionally busy at the moment and my Internet connection isnt all there. I'm missing some of the "action". You made the assertion in 4830
I should also point out this mistaken error:
You see, HD, prooftexting never provides you with a correct answer. It only confuses you.
No, what really confuses me is people telling me a priest is really a bishop but a bishop is not a priest.
It's practice for the advanced classes on the Trinity.
To clarify: those who finish smeniary schools are ordained deacons. Deacons are properly addressed as 'Father Deacon.' They are not priests.
Many, but not all, deacons are eleveated to full priesthood. Only a priest can serve the Divine Liturgy (aka Mass).
Some priests are elevated to bishops.Thus all bishops are priests, but not all priests are bishops.
A deacon cannot serve without the presence of a priest. A priest cannot serve without the permission of his bishop.
Thus, a deacon has no authoirty without a priest and a priest has no authoirty without a bishop. A bishop is the only an final authority in the Church.
When it comes to authority, all bishops are equal, just as all Apostles were equal.
For practical reasons, areas having many bishops become an admnistrative issue. Bishops appoint one of their peers to be the archbishop, representing many bishoprics, but not lording over them.
Several archibishops will appoint a patriarch (usually, but not always, national churches will have patriarchas ).
Again, presbuteros was the term the Greeks used to describe Jewish priests (Sanhendrin) who were, for all practical purposes, equal to bishops (Orthodox bishop's vestments come from Judaism, as does the liturgical worship).
At the time of +Paul, there were bishops and deacons. Since bishops could not serve liturgies in more than one place and more than once a day (the Catholic Church changed that after Vatican II I believe), and since the number of faithful was growing among Gentiles, a clear need developed for a 'bishop's deputy' which is what we know today as the priest (or ierei in Greek), a rank higher than a deacon and capable of serving the Eucharistic Liturgy, but not fully autonomous.
Anoyther way of looking at it is for instance doctors. medical students would be 'deacons.' Third and fourth-year medical school students are on wards and run around with interns and reisdents. However, they are not doctors yet although thye are allowed to perform many procedures under direct supervision of a doctor.
Among those who are considered 'doctors' are people who graduated medical school and received their medical license. They are your 'priests.'
Among these medical 'priests' you have interns and residents (doctors undergoing post-graduate specialty training) who work under a supervising attending physician (somone who already finished specialty training and can practice independently), i.e. the 'bishop.'