The Holy Canons Apostolic Canon 80
Canon 80 The newly baptised not made bishops at once
Ἱεροὶ Κανόνες τῶν Ἁγίων καὶ Πανσέπτων Ἀποστόλων
The Apostolic Canons · compiled in Syria in the later fourth century · The Apostolic Canons on the map
It is not right that one who has come from a heathen life and been baptised, or from an evil manner of life, should be straightway promoted bishop; for it is unjust that one who has not yet given proof of himself should be a teacher of others; unless perhaps this comes about by divine grace.
Τὸν ἐξ ἐθνικοῦ βίου προσελθόντα, καὶ βαπτισθέντα, ἢ ἐκ φαύλης διαγωγῆς, οὐ δίκαιόν ἐστι πάραυτα προχειρίζεσθαι ἐπίσκοπον· ἄδικον γάρ, τὸν μηδέπω πεῖραν ἐπιδειξάμενον, ἑτέρων εἶναι διδάσκαλον· εἰ μή που κατὰ θείαν χάριν τοῦτο γένηται.
The Apostolic Canons, the canons
English: this site's translation of the Greek beside it. Greek: the text of the Pedalion, as transcribed at users.uoa.gr/~nektar and corrected here. About these texts.