Acts 20:28 is helpful. The word presbuteros occurs 72 times in the New Testament, and it has a range of meanings. And this is also the only verse in the new testament, where in some English versions, youll find the word. A substantial part of the ruling/oversight function is discharged through the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. (a) The biblical lists of qualifications for elders (e.g., 1 Tim 3:17) are mostly made up of virtues and attributes that are elsewhere demanded of all Christians. Are these words interchangeable, or are they uniquely distinct? And again, in the beginning years, in the infancy of the kingdom, when the word of God was first being revealed, before they had the written word at their fingertips, how on earth could anyone properly shepherd and teach a congregation of Christians, without first being equipped by God, with the knowledge of what to teach and of how to shepherd? Teach Us about Faith? 1 Peter 5:2 ). Among many Christians today, there is considerable confusion about the scriptural identifications and distinctions regarding pastors, bishops and elders. Following are the qualifications found in Paul's letters to Timothy and Titus: As you can see, it's an example position. To lead unbiblically puts the reputation of the role, and the church, at risk just as happened in the church at Ephesus. It literally means "overseer" or "superintendent" and was used in the first century as a designation for the leader of secular projects as well. The point is that the overseer should be quick to serve but careful to curb the desire to rule in an autocratic or dictatorial manner. But if all one means by the difference between a teaching elder and a ruling elder is a division of emphasis, one simultaneously does justice to 1 Timothy 5:17, and reflects the fact that one of the distinct labels for this office is overseer. They're simply different descriptions, for the same man, and for the same position. A pastor literally means "shepherd," a With no knowledge of Latin, one can look at Ezekiel 34:5 and pick out the word "pastor" because it is precisely the same as the English word, "pastor. And in the KJ Version, instead of using the word shepherd, it uses the phrase feed the church of God. He guards them and protects them. ; They oversee, and care for, a congregation of Christians. A shepherd of souls; one who has the spiritual over a company or body of Most English speakers affirm this understanding when they say something about apastorand his flock rather than ashepherdand his flock. In addition I have tried to show that elders are also called "pastors and teachers" ( Ephesians 4:11) and "bishops" or "overseers" ( Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:5, 7; 1 Timothy 3:1; Acts 20:17, 28 ). Elders Pastors David Huffstutler Do the titles elder , overseer, and shepherd refer to one and the same office? Thats where the word Episcopal comes from, as in the Episcopal church. Pastor, of course, simply means shepherd, and derives from the agricultural world of biblical times in which shepherds led, fed, healed, protected, and disciplined their flocks. Jesus gave to some, the ability to be shepherds and teachers, within the first century congregations. The words elder (sometimes translated "presbyter"), pastor (which may be translated "shepherd"), and overseer (sometimes translated "bishop") are used interchangeably in the New Testament. (1 Cor. (He supplies everything) He makes me lie down in green pastures. Second, they will give an account to God for their oversight of the flock (his flock cf. 1, [Crossway: 1998] Nov. 2): Feed (as a shepherd) Defend (as a shepherd) Guide (as a shepherd) Discipline (as a shepherd) Be mature (as an elder) Be respected (as an elder) Oversee (as an overseer) the bishop/elder/pastor, and the deacon, is by far the more common view among low churches, and, as everyone in the field knows, was nowhere better defended than by the Anglican J. And Im sure they should also see to it that other needs of the members are met; Whether those needs be spiritual, or material, or emotional or whatever they may be. He said, "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood" (CSB). You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup overflows. Seeing a need for a lower-level shepherd type leader in the church, a two-tear system separates some pastors from other pastors who are also elders. In a sense, pastors in the First Century submitted to the same Apostles as do the pastors of this century when we remember that the Apostles' ministry is the Cannon of New Testament Scripture and continues to serve us today. So heres what the bible says in Ephesians 4: 11 thru 13.. And He gave to some.. (that is speaking about Jesus Christ) And He gave to some to be apostles, and to some to be prophets, and to some to be evangelists, and to some to be shepherds and teachers; To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.. It is not for nothing that Scripture applies all three labels to the one office. It just so happens that the noun form of this word, "poimaine" is translated "shepherd" in every scriptural occurrence except one, Ephesians 4:11, where it is translated "pastor.". Words like. (Acts 20:17, 28 CSB). The ground of this view is often found in the famous dictum of Ignatius . becomes responsible for everything else, including leading the other pastors, maintaining accountability, casting a vision for the next stage of growth and outreach, running the internship program, and much more. When a dispute regarding circumcision arose (Acts 15), the Church took the matter to the Apostles and elders (Acts 15:6). We should not see churches with pastors who are also elders and other pastors who are not elders. The doctrinal statement, called the Baptist Faith & Message 2000, now says, "the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture." . Or could it be that these roles are stackable? But at . H. W. Beyer, TDNT, 2:608-22; L. Coenen, NIDNTT, 1:188-201; D. Deer, Biblical Translator30 (1979): 438-41; G. Knight, Presbyterion11 (1985): 1-12; G. E. Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament; T. Rohde, Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, 2:35; P. Toon, EDT, pp. And He gave to some to be apostles, and to some to be prophets, and to some to be evangelists, and to some to be shepherds and teachers; To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ., And God has appointed in the assembly, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers.., in this verse, would correlate with the words. There is no distinction in scripture between "elders" and "bishops" with regard to their position in the church. Pastor is the shepherd word. and "pastors" (Ephesians 4:11). After teaching about prayer and the roles of men and women in the church in chapter 2, he moves on to the leadership in chapter 3. Eventually, bishops weren't enough, and additional leadership roles were created for the Church. And then Jesus gave to some to be evangelists; (An evangelist was typically someone who travelled around from place to place, preaching the gospel. The second stream of thought had to do with the Apostles. To shepherd carries the idea of tending, caring for, feeding, protecting, and leading. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his names sake., For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned, to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls., Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. In the earliest congregations, the term elder was the most common name associated with a local church leader. Others than pastors teach in the NT, but it is a requirement of all pastors/elders/overseers that they be able to teach, whether to large groups, in small groups, or one-on-one. The Apostles had a role of leadership in the church. And a presbyter IS a Bishop. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned, to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:25), Now back to Psalm 23; Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Occasionally one observes a church where the senior pastor does most of the preaching to the entire congregation, while the executive pastor (overseer??) In 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9, the apostle Paul sets forth a number of characteristics that men must possess in order to be pastors, elders, overseers, shepherds. Do we understand the relationship between the Greek words,poumen,episkpos, andpresbuteros? Archbishop? 5:3 ESV). Photo by Maya Reagan on . Some translations, such as the KJV, render episkops as "office of a bishop." Many readers understand "bishop" to suggest a hierarchy in the church's leadership. These are men who are led by God to serve in a pastoral capacity. That means that these very same "elders" are also referred to as "bishops" in the same address by Paul. Graduating beyond pastor, one becomes an elder. Not prone to sinning. The reformers with baptistic theology sought the Scriptures and grew convicted of the local autonomy and governance of the church. Notice how Acts 20 refers to the same men as both elders, overseers, and shepherds. Only two or three generations after our Lord's charge to Peter to Shepherd Jesus' sheep, Church History shows us that some in the Church may have created a distinction between elder and overseer. Overseer, elder, and shepherd are the most frequently used terms in the Bible. 1915. Since the verb "to pastor/shepherd" is the task of the elder/overseer, it is easy to see why such a person could be called a "pastor . Paul "sent to Ephesus and called the elders [presbuteros] of the church to come to him . If the people are to see the pastor as a ruler (or leader), the pastor is to view himself as a servant. The imagery is possibly that of the leaders keeping awake at nights in their concern for God's people. In Titus 1:6-7 the same group is called both elders and overseers. As far as I can see, however, an elder is an elder/pastor/overseer, never less, and every elder/pastor/overseer must be able to teach (1 Tim 3:2). Pastor Chad Wagner 1 of 1 8-11-14 I. In Ephesians 4:11, Paul writes, "And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers" (CSB). Such a person must be faithful and trustworthy to be given so much responsibility. In 49:24, Jacob calls God the Mighty One of Jacob, the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel (CSB). It is used in reference to Jesus Christ in 1 Peter 2:25 and in other places of individuals who have a function of leadership in the church ( Acts 20:28 ; Php 1:1 ; 1 Tim 3:2 ; Titus 1:7 ). And so we use word shepherd, because shepherd is the English translation for the original Greek word in the new testament. Trustworthy is the saying. While in Ephesus, Acts 20:17 says that Paul had called together, "the elders of the church." The word pastor only appears in Ephesians 4:11. The office of overseer in the church is that of the pastor(s) and elders, who are the spiritual leaders or shepherds of the congregation (Acts 20:28). ", Keep in mind that the more appropriate English translation is not "pastor" but "shepherd." I dont know how many of you have actually spent much time around sheep, (My wife and I have actually spent a considerable amount of time around sheep) But sheep arent very good at providing anything for themselves. The roles of pastors, bishops etc today, have significant differences to the roles of which Paul and Peter speak. To these elders, Paul said God appointed them as overseers, thus making them both elders and overseers. One of five office gifts described in Ephesians 4:11. Its pretty much all got to be provided for them. 11 Powerful Podcasts to Help Grow Your Faith. This same word is also translated as an elder, pastor, or overseer, and all refer to the same role as the leader of a local church. The authors of the New Testament never used these terms as anything other than descriptions. I know you know it, but lets listen to it again; Psalm 23, A Psalm of David; The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. The overseer clearly is to direct, lead, guide, even rule ( Hebrews 13:7 Hebrews 13:17 ). As you read the verses which follow, note all of these descriptive terms apply to the same leadership role in the church. God has created us, to NEED Him! All of these words refer to the same role of the leader of a local church. The fact that Paul wrote these words to Timothy suggests that corrupt church leaders in Ephesus had soiled the reputation of the role of overseer. 82834 / Ph - 307-620-9218 - 307-684-7938 / And so he feeds the sheep. However, ten times, the word is used in reference to literal shepherds, out in the fields. Anyone who aspires to such an office desires something "noble" and good. Acts 15:13-21 ). He was on Paul's church planting team in Crete. We know these under-shepherds by various titles used interchangeably, including: pastors, overseers, bishops, and elders" (49). metaphoric description of one who cares for and leads a flock of God's by Wayne D. Turner In other words, it is difficult to warrant an absolute division of labor. In writing to a local congregation, the church at Philippi, Paul addresses himself to the bishops or overseers ( 1:1 ). As you can see, elder implies an older person who has gained the wisdom and life experience needed to carry out the important work of overseeing a church. Of course, the apostle Paul had been dead for about 50 years when Ignatius wrote his letters. Trouble begins when one or both reverse those role assignments. Now that we know from scripture that pastors, bishops and elders all refer to the same position within the local church, let's take a closer look at this New Testament local-church position. By pastor, the Bible means "elder" or "overseer." Here are lists of answers from various sources: D. A. Carson (For the Love of God, vol. 8:2)which sounds a tad less definitional.1 In any case, the argument that the New Testament documents recognize only two church offices, viz. No fault can be found in him that would disqualify him from office or open him to discipline by the body (cf. Well, they make sure that the congregation is well fed, with the pure word of God. There are solid biblical reasons to justify the assertion that overseer and elder refer to the same person. "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". The overseer is to be above reproach in his personal life. I dont think so. "Entry for 'OVERSEER'". Follow this link for a detailed study of these words in the Bible.). It is important to consider the relationship among the overseer or bishop (episkopos [ejpivskopo"]), the pastor (poimen ), and the elder (presbuteros [presbuvtero"]). The majority of the time (57 times) it is translated "elder" and means a position of leadership in the church, like a pastor or other member of church leadership. The opening verses of 1 Timothy 3 describe the qualifications of those who may serve as pastors. There is always the temptation to abuse authority. The book of Job is an obvious place to turn when a Christian suffers, but it is not easy to discern what God means to teach his people through this difficult book Themelios is a peer-reviewed international evangelical theological journal that expounds on the historic Christian faith. Required fields are marked *. In Acts 20:27-30 overseers are told to shepherd the flock of God, by declaring the whole counsel of the Word of God (v. 27). A Reply to Stephen Williams. He is one who "shepherds" (leads) the flock (local assembly of Believers) while taking responsibility for their pursuits in service ("bishop" = "overseer"). They determined that pastor, overseer, and elder were interchangeable terms, not different roles or different levels of authority. It is seen in the writings of Church Fathers like Clement, Polycarp, and Tertullian. A pastor is an elder (Act 20:17 c/w Act 20:28; 1Pe 5:1-2). Just a casual reading of the above passages show that these terms are not referring to different functions nor to different levels of leadership in a hierarchical chain of command. Like both Luke (Acts) and Paul (Titus), Peter also uses these same words to refer to the job of overseeing a congregation (flock) of Christians. Finally, the qualifications for the overseers in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and the elder in Titus 1:5-9 are basically identical. He must be temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, upright, holy, disciplined, loves what is good, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not overbearing, not quick-tempered, and not a lover of money. It is used to describe an older man or woman. B. Lightfoot in his commentary on Philippians. My interest at the moment is not whether there is one office (as Benjamin J. Merkle maintains)2 or two, but in the office which in the NT is covered by all three terms: bishop/overseer, elder/priest, and pastor. I know my own, and my own know me. And in verse 11, He had said; I am the Good Shepherd. General Editor. Now, since Acts 20:28 says that an Overseer (or elder) is to shepherd the congregation, (meaning to feed, and thus to teach) and since Ephesians 4:11 refers to some men in the congregation as Shepherds and Teachers, it would seem only logical that Ephesians 4:11 is referring to the position of an overseer, or an elder. What are these gifts for, and why is there no mention of overseers or elders? A previous post covered the detailed ground of a word study for the Greek words from which we generally derive the terms elder, overseer, and pastor. From a technical perspective, Acts 20 reinforces a doctrine about terminology used with regard to the pastoral ministry. This is dangerous territory. Now like I said earlier, this verse is the only verse in the new testament, that refers directly to any men in the church, as shepherds. The words presbyter and elder refer to the age, experience, and subsequently, the sound judgment of the man placed in that position; And the words Bishop and Overseer refer to the actual duty performed by those men. The one exception is that he be able to teach. How often do we hear arguments about the qualifications for elders and expectations for pastors that do not align? Remember that Paul called together the elders, not the overseers. In 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Paul lists the qualities of an overseer or an elder. Acts 20:18-38 contains Paul's address to these "elders" on that occasion. However, his model is the Lord Jesus; therefore he is a shepherd leader, a servant leader who sets a humble example for the flock to follow. (Transliterated and used in the nominative for ease to the reader. It doesnt simply mean that the Lord strengthens our spiritual life; And it doesnt simply mean that the Lord encourages us spiritually. especially those who labor in the word and doctrine" (1 Tim. But the context of passages such as 1 Timothy 3:810 suggests that the word deacon is not a terminus technicus, but can in the right context refer to a church-recognized office, even if in other passages it serves as a generic term for Christians. men of a Jewish community which governed and made the major decisions. God has placed them in this position and therefore they will answer to him. Although the questiontwo offices or threecontinues to be discussed from time to time, it rarely occupies center-stage in contemporary ecclesiastical discussion. So when you put all of these words together, we see that an elder (the word that we in the church are most familiar with) or a presbyter, as some people call it, refers to an older man, with experience and sound judgment, who has been selected (along with at least one or more other such men) to have the oversight, and the supervisory role, in a congregation of Christians. Based on that study, this post will use "elder" for the group of words related topresbuteros, "overseer" for the words related toepiskpos, and "pastor" for the words related topoimen. This article is from the book, What People Ask About the Church, authored and copyrighted by, a monthly or one-time tax-deductable donation. And he told them to pastor the flock. The word shepherd is used another seventeen times; Eighteen times total. (d) A number of helpful books and articles have been written of the how to variety: how to find and train elders, the importance of seeking out potential elders (e.g., 2 Tim 2:2), and the like. And this is also the only verse in the new testament, where in some English versions, youll find the word pastor used, instead of the word shepherd. He became pastor of a small church, and under his ministry it grew to almost 600 people. Thus, they pastor, feed, and tend. Your email address will not be published. The authority of accountability of the overseer is summarized in Hebrews 13:17. While numerous examples are available, Ezekiel 34 provides the best example. At the return of Christ, he will judge and reward the pastors (elders) according to their faithfulness in leading the church to accomplish the will of God (1 Pet . They got a good work started, but then Paul moved on, leaving Titus to put right what was left undone (Titus 1:5). And hes responsible for providing safety for the sheep. Each term helps to better describe the function of this role. And the word literally means.. amature man having seasoned judgment (and experience); Thus, an elder.. They all refer to the exact same office. sheep. Now theres one more word thats used in the bible in regards to the duty and role of an elder, and that word is shepherd. Do we know? When reading the various Scriptures that use the shepherd illustration for church leadership or use shepherding as a verb directed at the church leader, it is safe to say the Bible communicates the shepherd or pastor as a church leader (understanding that the flock is talking about the church). 157-58; R. S. Wallace, EDT, pp. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Overseers watch for the souls of those entrusted to them in the Lord. His name is Ignatius, and he was bishop in Antioch, the apostle Paul's home church. Can one be an overseer and not an elder or pastor? Shepherds and Teachers are in the same category. 28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. And maybe the most well-known example is the 23rd Psalm. Act 20:17 - And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. In substantial measure, this is how the Head of the church exercises his leadership of the church. . Furthermore, Paul told Titus to appoint elders in every town. "This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work" (1 Tim. In viewing New Testament patterns of service, a plurality of elder leadership is seen in the local church (as in Ephesus, Acts 20:17), especially obvious in the church at Jerusalem (Acts 15:2,6,22). They are all scriptural terms designated for those who lead believers in the local church. 4:1 NET). A spiritual superintendent or overseer in the Christian Church. First, imagine the situation in which Titus found himself. 3:1 CSB). That Greek word is "episkopos." It literally means "overseer" or "superintendent" and was used in the first century as a designation for the leader of secular projects as well. Moreover elders and deacons have distinct functions: elders . Giving the guidelines for who Titus was to look for, Paul says, "And elder" in verse 6 and then says, "As an overseer of God's household" in verse 7. Rather than looking to the role and meaning of leitourgosanddiakonos, these churches separate pastor from elder and overseer. Someone who has been put in charge of something. Likewise, pastor and shepherd are different words which mean the same thing. The New Testament authors use all of these words interchangeably. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. That verse is Ephesians 4, verse 11. Can one be an elder but not an overseer or pastor? Elder, Pastor, Bishop, Overseer, and Deacon - SMGolden.com EN English Deutsch Franais Espaol Portugus Italiano Romn Nederlands Latina Dansk Svenska Norsk Magyar Bahasa Indonesia Trke Suomi Latvian Lithuanian esk Unknown A lot of discussion revolves around the preaching and teaching responsibilities of this office. Episkopos(overseer) became bishop, while bothpresbuteros(elder) andpoimen(shepherd/pastor) were interchangeable with elder or pastor. Grammatical All rights reserved. Therefore those whose peculiar responsibility it is to teach the Scriptures are helping the church hear what God says. . Perhaps, but it is difficult to see that distinction in scripture. If there is a lack of obedience, it is of no advantage to the church. office. Remember that Paul called together the elders, not the overseers. The Bible uses Elder, Presbyter, Overseer, Bishop, Shepherd, Pastor interchangeably and they all refer to a single office in the church. Before the New Testament, shepherd was one of the words used to identify how God related to his people. It can mean someone who is elderly or someone of mature spirituality in the Jewish faith and the Christian faith. 3:1). An elder IS an overseer. Level two is the elder plus all the responsibilities and authority of the pastor. This same line of thinking happens today in some house-church planting models and some campus-model churches. He leads me beside still waters. He must not be a recent convert, and for good reason: he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. Indeed, there is no clear evidence for a monarchical episcopate being firmly established until the early decades of the second century. Indeed, if he shows no propensity for godly oversight, then no matter how good a teacher he may be, he is not qualified to be a pastor/teacher/overseer. adjective to describe what he does. Titus 1:7 (NASB) The Greek word for elder in verse 5 is presbuteros, and the Greek word for overseer in verse 7 is episkopos. Scholars are virtually unanimous that in the early church the presbuteros [presbuvtero"] and the episkopos [ejpivskopo"] were one and the same. Theyre simply different descriptions, for the same man, and for the same position. The inspired Word of God--written down by the Apostles as Scripture--still serves as a final authority over the elders and the Church. Proud member He writes, "Yet, as a gift to his flock, the Chief Shepherd appoints godly men as under-shepherds to tend the flock that he purchased with his blood (Acts 20:28). That leads us to the qualifications of a pastor/bishop/elder. The pastor/elder/overseer is to shepherd, direct, teach, and protect the flock of God entrusted to him with integrity and humility, looking to the Lord Jesus as the model for ministry. His life and reputation are of such a nature that he is not open to attack or censure. But it is worth pausing to reflect on why, when the chief ecclesiastical office is mentioned, overseer is one of the three terms used to describe it.

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