8/9/2019 W Walker Cyprian

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Williston Walker

A History Of The Christian Church (adapted from 1963 reprint), pp. 66-67

Cyprian was, in many ways, the intellectual heir of Tertullian, whom he called 

master. Born probably in Carthage, about 200, he spent all his life in that city. A man 

of wealth and education, he won distinction as a teacher of rhetoric. About 246 he 

was converted to the Christian faith, and two or three years later was chosen to the 

 bishopric of Carthage. Here he showed high executive ability, and much practical 

good sense and kindliness of spirit without the touch of genius that characterized 

Tertullian. The persecution of 250 he escaped by flight; but in that of 258 he stood 

 boldly forth and suffered as a martyr by beheading. Few leaders of the ancient church 

have been more highly regarded by subsequent ages.

In Cyprian s teaching the tendencies illustrated in the development of the "Catholic" 

Church received their full expression. The church is the one visible orthodox 

community of Christians. "There is one God, and Christ is one, and there is one church, and one chair (episcopate) founded upon the rock by the word of the Lord." 

i 

"Whoever he may be and whatever he may be, he who is not in the church of Christ is 

not a Christian." ii "He can no longer have God for his Father, who has not the church 

for his mother." iii "There is no salvation out of the church."  iv The church is based on 

the unity of its bishops, "whence ye ought to know that the bishop is in the church and 

the church in the bishop; and if any one be not with the bishop, that he is not in the 

church."v "The episcopate is one, each part of which is held by each one in its 

entirety."vi This last quotation has its bearing on a controversy still alive as to whether  

Cyprian regarded all bishops as equal sharers in a common episcopal authority, the 

 possession of each and of all; or held to the superiority of the bishop of Rome. He 

certainly quoted Matt.16:18, 19vii

. He looked upon Peter as the typical bishop. He referred to Rome as ''the chief church whence priestly unity takes its source."viii Rome 

was to him evidently the highest church in dignity; but Cyprian was not ready to 

admit a judicial authority over others in the Roman bishop, or to regard him as more 

than the first among equals.

Cyprian's significance as a witness to the full development of the doctrine that the 

Lord's Supper is a sacrifice offered by the priest to God will be considered later. His 

conception of the Christian life, like that of Tertullian, was ascetic. Martyrdom is 

 bringing forth fruit an hundredfold; voluntary celibacy, sixty foldix .

i Letters, 39 - 43:5

ii ibid., 51 - 55:24iii Unity of the Church, 6

iv 

Letters, 72 - 73:21

v  ibid., 68 - 66:8 (sic)

vi Unity of the Church, 5 ; Ayer, p. 242

vii e.g., Unity of the Church, 4

viii Letters, 54 - 59:14

ix  ibid., 76