LEADERSHIP

SECTION FIVE

ELDER - BISHOP - PASTOR TERMS

To What do These Terms Apply, What Do They Mean?

Introduction:
The New Testament uses several terms to describe leaders in the church.
This study will examine these terms and the context in which they are used.
The main focus of this study, however, will be on Elders, Bishops, and Pastors in an effort to identify from the descriptive terms used to name them just what their ministry in the church is.

Elder - Bishop - Pastor
Two passages in the New Testament indicate that the three descriptive terms, elder, bishop, and pastor refer to the same persons and not to three different persons or "offices."
Before we look at these terms we need to be reminded that the terms elder, bishop, and pastor do not refer to a position or office.
The are descriptive terms defining the ministry provided by these persons.
That three or more terms or names are sued to define them is not unusual!
A person may be a husband, father, grandfather, minister, African American, or US citizen.
The same person is intended, only the different descriptive terms explain different aspects of the same person.

A brief look at the terms:
Elder - Greek presbuteros - presbuteros, elder - an older person, mature, dignified, respected
Bishop - Greek episkopos - episkopos - overseer - one who cares for, one who guards
Pastor/Shepherd - Greek poimhn - poimen - shepherd, pastor - one who cares for the flock, feeds the flock, protects the flock

Acts 20:17-28
Now to the first of the two texts that refer to the elders as bishops (overseers) or pastors (shepherds).:
Acts 20:17-28, but in particular vs 17 and 28.

¹⁷ And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. ¹⁸ And when they came to him, he said to them:...²⁸Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers (bishops), to care for (pastor or shepherd) the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son.

Notice that in this text:
1) Paul calls the elder of Ephesus to meet him at Miletus
2) He encourages to take heed to themselves and the flock (poimnion - poimnion, a shepherding
     term - the term for shepherd is similar poimhn - poimen)
3) He refers to them as overseers (episkopos - episkopos, bishop or overseer - note that the term for
     overseer is the same as bishop)
4) He instructs them to care for the church of God (care for is from poimainw - poimaino, shepherd,
     care for)

In Acts 20:17 we find all three terms, elder, bishop/overseer, and pastor/shepherd referring to the same persons.
They are merely three descriptive terms defining what these "ministers" do (we use the term in the normal sense of servants, not the "official" term of minister/preacher).

1 Pet 5:1-3
The second text that uses all three terms in the same context to refer to elders is 1 Pet 5:1-3.

¹ So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is to be revealed. ²Tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by constraint but willingly, not for shameful gain but eagerly, ³not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock.

Here Peter speaks to the elders of the church, Peter being an apostle and fellow elder.
note that he speaks to them as:
1) Elders - presbuteroi - plural of presbuteros - presbuteros
2) He encourages them to tend the flock - poimanate from poimainw - poimaino, shepherd, and
poimnion - poimnion, flock
3) He refers to the flock as your charge. Your charge is participle derived from episkopos -
episkopos, bishop, overseer, one who cares for.

In 1 Pet 5:1-3 Peter uses all three terms we have been examining to describe the elders and what they are to do.
As elders they are to tend (shepherd) the flock which God has placed in their care, charge, oversight, care.

ELDER
We will now examine the term elder and notice that this descriptive term indicates or describes the kind of ministry or service the elder provided for the church.
Elder derives from the Greek presbuteros - presbuteros, elder - an older person.
The difficulty arises from determining how old and elder should be!
We have no age indication from Scripture as to the ideal age for an elder.
However, in the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are from the same time period as the life of Christ, that an elder should be at least 30 years old!
It becomes apparent that elder does not simply mean an old person!
So how did a community determine who could be an elder and who could not be one?

From what the elders did in ancient communities we learn that an elder was a person of dignity, maturity, and wisdom, who could represent the values of the community, and care for the community.

This helps us understand what kind of person an elder should be and what they do:
1) The elder is someone chosen by a community (church) to serve as a role model, example (1Pet
     5:3).
2) The elder is a person of dignity who represents the values of he community (church).
3) The elder is a person of wisdom - wisdom comes out of personal experience in living, not simply
     knowledge, although knowledge of the values of the community is essential. Wisdom does no
     simply come with age, although some age is necessary.
4) Maturity is essential in an elder. Maturity, likewise, is not simply grounded in age, although again,
     some age is necessary. Maturity is a balanced attitude toward life and the values of the
     community. Maturity derives from wisdom and practical experience in life.

So, what then does the term elder describe?
What ministry (what the person does) is implied in the term elder?

The Elder provides an example of dignity for the community.
The Elder provides wisdom and maturity for the life of the community.
The Elder represents the values of the community.
The Elder provides wise, mature, dignified leadership for the community.

BISHOP
In many Protestant churches, or Free Bible Churches, the term Bishop has been replaced by Overseer.
The reason for this is to distance themselves from other church organizations who favor the term Bishop:
Churches that favor the term Bishop include:

	The Roman Catholic Church
	The Episcopal Church or Church of England
	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
	Some High Church Methodist Churches
	Some Lutheran Churches

Bishops in these communities usually are bishops over Synods, Wards, Diocese, or communities larger than local churches.
In the New Testament bishops are found in local churches, not Synods, Wards, or Diocese.
In the New Testament bishops served in local congregations.

The term Bishop derives from the Greek episkopos - episkopos - overseer - one who cares for, one who guards.
The term is found in an interesting context in 1 Pet 2:25 where Jesus is referred to as the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. Here the term Shepherd (poimhn - poimen) is coupled with Guardian which derives from the Greek episkopos - episkopos - overseer - one who cares for, one who guards.
As a shepherd Jesus guards our souls!

Overseer is abused in modern western contexts when we introduce the sense of foreman or boss into the term episkopos .
There certainly is a sense of leadership and responsibility implied in the term as it is used in the New Testament for church leaders, but it is in the model of Jesus who shepherds and guards, cares for, the flock.

As a Bishop or Guardian, the Elder cares for and guards the community (church) just as a shepherd cares for and guards his flock, and just as Jesus cares for and guards his people.

PASTOR/SHEPHERD
Linguistically, the terms Pastor and Shepherd are interchangeable, both being derived from the same Greek word group poimhn - poimen - shepherd, pastor - one who cares for the flock, feeds the flock, protects the flock.
Once again, different religious groups have used the term in a manner that is not normal usage in the New Testament.
Denominations that favor the term Pastor for their Minister or Preacher are:

	Southern Baptist Churches
	Other Baptist Churches
	Pentecostal Churches
	Free Bible Churches

In the New Testament the term favored in most major translations where the term poimhn - poimen occurs is shepherd.
We fully recognize that a preacher/minister provides a sense of pastoring or caring for a congregation, but in the New Testament preachers are called ministers or evangelists, and the elders are called the pastors.

The term shepherd derives from the Greek poimhn - poimen - shepherd, pastor - one who cares for the flock, feeds the flock, protects the flock.
The elder, in addition to providing dignity, wisdom, and maturity for the community, serves also as a shepherd to the community, just as Jesus serves as the chief Shepherd and Guardian (bishop/overseer) to his flock.
The elder sees to the feeding of the flock, cares for the flock, and guards the flock.

The Elder as a Shepherd or Pastor leads the flock (congregation) and is responsible for the feeding and guarding of the flock. The Elder as Shepherd and Bishop cares for the flock.

SUMMARY
We have learned above that the terms Elder, Bishop, and Shepherd are not titles referring to an office, but are descriptive terms describing the ministry that these community or congregational leaders provide for the church.

We have also learned that they served in the New Testament church in local congregations and not in Diocese, Synods, or Wards.

As Elders they provide dignity, wisdom, maturity for the congregation, and represent the values of the congregation.

As Bishops or Overseers they look out for, care for, and guard or protect the local congregation.

As Shepherds they lead, care for, feed and guard the flock or local congregation.