In a recent podcast, George Janko was keen that there was no hierarchy in the New Testament. And Cliff Knechtle said that the Bible doesn't say, but at the same time, says that anyone can baptize.
''Some Churches... I'll give mine as an example. My church is like... they have hmm... they have like... It's more of an Orthodox... They... they have like rankings where uh... you know, they have like a pope or a bishop... My theory is this: I feel like everybody wants a man to finish the job when I think that it should just be the Holy Spirit. So, I don't think it should be one man that's ordained to marry somebody or baptize somebody...'' (George Janko)
George thinks that human beings tend to put other human beings between us and God. Honestly, I like George. I love his sincerity. I truly do. I also appreciate the fact that he says that he's uncertain of his conclusions. I'm afraid though that these statements are causing confusion more than anything else.
The New Testament clearly demonstrates that there is a hierarchy and authority in the Church. This truth is especially evident when it is coupled with Church history as corroborative evidence. You can only truly understand Scripture through the life of the Church in the first centuries. Remember: the Church was first established by Christ and lived for decades till the entirety of the New Testament was written. And it was written by the leaders of the Church. Therefore, the truth of Christianity lived in the Church must be evident in both Scripture and Church history. If it is not, there's a problem.
Regarding hierarchy in Scripture, in John 20, Christ gives the Holy Spirit to the twelve, so they can remit and retain sins. 1 What does that mean other than the plain reality that Christ gave them this power? And He gave them a specific grace of the Holy Spirit to do so. It is not coincidental that these same disciples are the ones who are commended to go baptize in Matthew 28. This authority to baptize wasn't given to everyone, like in the Sermon on the Mount, for example. Where does it say in Scripture that anyone can baptize?
However, the twelve are not the only ones that can baptize. Some others did receive this authority through the Church herself. There's a succession that is passed down from one generation to the next. St. Paul himself had this authority as he baptized some families. He also had the power to excommunicate from the Church and to forgive. He did this so the person might be led to repentance.
1 In reference to John 20:23
That same St. Paul tells St. Timothy, who is historically the bishop of Ephesus, to stir up the gift given to him by the laying on of the hands of St. Paul. And he tells Timothy not to lay his hands on anyone hastily. This laying on of the hands is done for two reasons: or to give the Holy Spirit or for the presbytery, the priesthood. The latter is precisely why it has been given by St. Paul to St. Timothy. And this is seen because St. Paul tells Timothy how to select what are the suitable qualifications regarding the selection of bishops and deacons in that same epistle.
So, St. Paul ordained St. Timothy a bishop, and then asked St. Timothy not to ordain hastily. So, it's clear that there's a succession of the priesthood. This is also made apparent by Acts 14:23, where St. Paul is ordaining priests, as well as when the Church ordained the seven deacons who were already full of the Holy Spirit.
In addition, historically, some of the 72 apostles were ordained as well. Some were ordained as bishops and others as deacons. St. Philip, for instance, in the book of Acts, chapter 8, clearly had the authority to baptize the Samaritans, but not to give the Holy Spirit. Philip was a deacon, which is the first level of the priesthood in the Orthodox Church. And that is why he didn't give the Samaritans the Holy Spirit. They received the Holy Spirit by the hands of St. Peter and St. John who had this authority. Likewise, St. Ananias, who baptized St. Paul, was also one of the 72 apostles and he was a bishop and therefore was able to give the Holy Spirit to St. Paul. These are only some examples of the hierarchy and authority found in the New Testament.
In regards to Church history, the evidence is plenty. I will only share a few. St. Clement of Rome, 1 st century, who is direct disciple of St. Paul, demonstrates how St. Peter ordained a bishop, priests and deacons. St. Ignatius, 1 st and 2 nd century, demonstrates the authority given by God to the bishop by saying that he is presiding for God. St. Clement of Alexandria, 2 nd and 3 rd century, clearly articulates the hierarchy of the Church and how they should walk in the footsteps of the apostles. And finally, the scholar Origen, also 2 nd and 3 rd century, shows that the priesthood is Christ.