—Nice try! ‘diakonos’ when used for a male is always translated “minister” yet, when used for a female, it’s always translated “deaconess.” Now, why is that?
Diakonos is used in Rom 16:1 when St Paul refers to Phebe. Nothing conclusive however can be drawn from this use of the term for it means “in the ministry * of the Church”, without implying any official status. With specific reference to to Rom 16:1, the use of minister here is a Latinization of English, since the Latin word used in St Jerome’s Latin Vulgate is ‘ministerio’.
However where Deacon is used in Phil 1:1, 1 Tim 3;8 and 1 Tim 3:12, the DRB, RSV, NRSV, NAB, JB, NJB, CCB all retain the use Deacon and not minister. This goes the same for the NIV, ESV, KJV, NKJV, AB, ASV. This follows the use of Diaconis/Diaconos/Diacones found in the Latin Vulgate.
In any case there can be no question that before the middle of the fourth century women were permitted to exercise certain definite functions in the Church and were known by the special name of diakonoi or diakonissai. Whether or not they were ordained clergy is another matter.
—Wrong again - back to history class. Use different sources this time. The ordination rites used were EXACTLY the same for males and females. I will not argue that it’s quite probable that the majority of female diakonos ministered to other women - but not exclusively.
Cite your source then.
In the Apostolic Constitutions, there exists an ‘ordination’ of deaconesses. This was similiar to the ordination of Deacons but not exactly the same. There is a more strongly worded outpouring of the Holy Spirit, for the ordination of Deacons “fill him with the spirit and with power as thou didst fill Stephen the martyr and follower of the sufferings of thy Christ”. Furthermore prayer is made that he “may be counted worthy of a higher standing” a clause which not improbably has reference to the possibility of advance to a higher ecclesiastical dignity as priest or bishop, no such praise being used in the case of the deaconess.
Tthere were no doubt influences at work at one time or another which tended to exaggerate the position of women-helpers. This tendency has found expression in certain documents which have come down to us and of which it is difficult to gauge the value. Still there is no more reason to attach importance to these pretensions than there is to regard seriously the spasmodic attempts ofcertain deacons to exceed their powers and to claim, for example, authority to consecrate. The voice of the Church made itself heard in conciliar decrees and the abuse in the end was repressed without difficulty. The 19th Canon of the Council of Nicaea and the 11th of the Council of Laodicea lays down that deaconesses are to be accounted as lay persons and that they receive no ordination.
First Council of Nicaea, Canon 19: “…We refer to deaconesses who have been granted this status, for they do not receive any imposition of hands, so that they are in all respects to be numbered among the laity.” (AD 325)
Synod/Council of Laodicea, Canon 11: "“PRESBYTIDES, as they are called, or female presidents, are not to be appointed in the Church.” (AD 364)
—Sorry, but I’m not buying this. “In Christ there is no male or female.” there’s plenty of tombs for “episcopas” and “presbyterias” as well. Too many for the well-worn argument that they were, “Wives of bishops and priests.”
So we are talking about the Episcopate, Presbyeterate or Diaconate now?
And yet Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God. He is fully human and divine and is male. The Blessed Viring Mary who in bodily form was assumed into heaven and crowned as Queen of Heaven and hailed as Queen in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by many other titles, also still remains as female. And since the faith does not contradict itself, your use of this concept is simply flawed. The reference to “In Christ there is no male or female” more accurately refers to the fact that Christ is the Bridegroom and the Church is his bride, and the fact that God is masculine and relative to that everything else is femine.
It is also a fact that when the married clergy was still prevalent, the wives of Priest and Bishops were granted the use of the title of Presbyteria and Episcopa. Yet as with 3 of the Symbolum Apostolorum, Symbolum Nicaenum, Professio fidei Tridentina, all of which are official Creeds of the Church, Apostolic succession is referenced to. So to claim the existance of female Bishops in the Early one in the very fist place has to find, a line of Apostolic Succession where there was in fact a female Bishop as principle consecrator or co-consecrator.*
