It is inconceivable that Paul would have sent no greetings at all to the elders, who were in every church. A bishop means "an overseer," originally the principal officer or pastor of a local church, but later evolved into a position of supervision over multiple churches. He leads me beside still waters. Episkopos(overseer) became bishop, while bothpresbuteros(elder) andpoimen(shepherd/pastor) were interchangeable with elder or pastor. The elders he was looking for were going to need some theological training. In writing to a local congregation, the church at Philippi, Paul addresses himself to the bishops or overseers ( 1:1 ). They determined that pastor, overseer, and elder were interchangeable terms, not different roles or different levels of authority. Of these two terms, appears more frequently in the New Testament, sometimes referring to the Jewish "elders" (in the Gospels and Acts). 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. And many protestant denominations have adopted that Latin word pastor, for whatever reason, I dont know. 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. Also, if we are convinced that the terms are alike, we must be consistent with that interchangeability. "This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work" (1 Tim. Perhaps it is because we expect titles. Shepherd is the English word, and pastor is the Latin word. "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 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 local church is the flock and the pastor or pastors are also the elders and overseers. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.. The words pastor, bishop, elder, etc. In the New Testament, a bishop is a person who functions as a teaching leader among a local group of Christians. There are solid biblical reasons to justify the assertion that overseer and elder refer to the same person. That shepherd would be responsible for leading the sheep to where they can find proper food and water. It is my belief that their pastoral service will be observed by others as the indication that they are called to that position. 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. A pastor literally means "shepherd," a For usage information, please read the Baker Book House Copyright Statement. bishop. An elder IS an overseer. How about overseer? In the New Testament, bishop is a translation of the Greek word episkapos. Photo by Maya Reagan on . The bishops and the elders must be one and the same body of individuals. All refer to the same office and are therefore synonyms. 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. He is to be the husband of but one wife (lit. Bishops served to fill this void, allowing overseers and elders to operate in distinctly different roles. And those words come from the Greek word pres-boo-ter-os, more commonly pronounced.. presbuteros. But oversight of the church is more than simply teaching and preaching. I shall choose elder over priest, because, despite the persistent efforts of some of my low Anglican friends to remind me that the word priest comes from the Greek via the Latin presbyter, in modern usage, at least in most circles, priest translates , and conjures up images of mediation that belong, under the new covenant, exclusively to Jesus Christ, or, paradoxically, to all believers, but not to restricted office holders. of Occasionally one observes a church where the senior pastor does most of the preaching to the entire congregation, while the executive pastor (overseer??) of the congregation do? Pastor was probably not intended to be as much a title, as it was an He was on Paul's church planting team in Crete. Responsibility is not a compulsion but something that the overseer has entered into willingly. Or could it be that these roles are stackable? In all three contexts, the "elders" are those to whom others look for mature decision making. I dont think so. The titles pastor, elder, bishop, overseer, and steward are all names for the same office. They are all scriptural terms designated for those who lead believers in the local church. The Bible uses Elder, Presbyter, Overseer, Bishop, Shepherd, Pastor interchangeably and they all refer to a single office in the church. Lets take a look at how the Bible uses these terms. Its pretty much all got to be provided for them. In the most obvious reading of Scripture, elder, overseer, and pastor appear to be interchangeable. 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 ). Also, he must have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap. D. A. Carson is emeritus professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, and cofounder and theologian-at-large of The Gospel Coalition. Some have suggested that the three words speak to a different aspect of the pastoral ministry. And you know what? They all refer to the same role in the church. Therefore, at the points in the Bible where "shepherd" is being used illustratively, it is interchangeable with the word "pastor." It was formerly a print journal operated by RTSF/UCCF in the UK, and it became a digital journal operated by The Gospel Coalition in 2008. The question for this post is this: Are elder, overseer, and pastor interchangeable terms in the Bible? Such a person must be faithful and trustworthy to be given so much responsibility. men of a Jewish community which governed and made the major decisions. All these tasks are involved in the overseer's service of ministry to the spiritual flock of God. Paul even asked, "If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God's church?" Shepherd is the basic meaning of Pastor, which is also used of Jesus in this passage of Peter. The purpose of this article is to scripturally clarify these designations and to give an overview of the service required. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup overflows. Being the husband of but one wife is widely debated, but the idea of fidelity to one's wife is certainly the underlying principle. Besides this passage, Peter also uses the word "elder" in the same context of shepherding (1 . Paul was passing through Miletus and from there called for the elders of the Ephesian church. Paul makes it obvious in both of these passages that this is a position of example. Here's the shortened, simplified definition of each according to Strong's Hebrew and Greek dictionary: pastor: a shepherd; shepherd: overseer of christian assemblies; overseer: elder, superintendent; elder: councilman . In substantial measure, this is how the Head of the church exercises his leadership of the church. Evangelists; And #4. 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. 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. Are the gifts elders, overseers, and pastors? 1915. 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. Shepherds and Teachers are in the same category. It seems clear that a plurality of overseers (elders) was the New Testament model, though flexibility apparently existed as to structure. For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward . Overseer, elder, and shepherd are the most frequently used terms in the Bible. 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. When a dispute regarding circumcision arose (Acts 15), the Church took the matter to the Apostles and elders (Acts 15:6). In verse 28, Paul refers to these same men as "overseers." The most prominent and respected leaders of the early church considered themselves to be servant leaders. 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. (b) Recent years have witnessed a plethora of books and articles dealing with the plurality of elders. Suppose the bare reading of God's Word sees pastor, elder, and overseer as synonymous. Bishops and Elders in John's Churches. It can mean someone who is elderly or someone of mature spirituality in the Jewish faith and the Christian faith. What should we call this super-elder? And both of those verses are speaking of God Himself appointing these men to these positions, through miraculously equipping them to fulfill those positions. 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? Two streams of thought may have led to the installation of a bishop over a group of pastors or elders in a given area. 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). Prophets; #3. Perhaps it is because we expect titles. That Greek word is "episkopos." Brought to you by the church of Christ in Buffalo Wyo. These are not different roles, but one single leadership role in the local church. Some Christian traditionsfor example, Roman Catholics, Anglicanshold that there are three biblically mandated offices in the church: bishop (overseer), pastor/priest/elder, and deacon. And the remaining seven times that the word shepherd is used, it is used in reference to Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. Before we go further studying 1 Timothy 3, we must first understand how the New Testament describes pastors and the duties they are supposed to perform. Two separate New Testament passages list the qualifications for this office, I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. The word shepherd is used another seventeen times; Eighteen times total. Apostles; #2. The New Testament authors use all of these words interchangeably. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep., And were reminded of the verse that I already read, from 1 Peter 2:25; For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned, to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.. 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. Jesus gave to some, the ability to be shepherds and teachers, within the first century congregations. It literally means "overseer" or "superintendent" and was used in the first century as a designation for the leader of secular projects as well. Nominally this frees the senior minister up for study, prayer, and preachingwhat Acts 6:4 calls prayer and the ministry of the word. In reality, this fails to grasp that a comprehensive vision of the ministry of the Word demands oversightnot necessarily of the distribution of food to the needy, for which the seven (deacons?) Furthermore, if these words are not interchangeable, we should see different and distinct roles and responsibilities for overseers (or bishops), elders (or presbytery), and pastors (shepherds). "This is a faithful saying: If a man . 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. sheep. That leads us to the qualifications of a pastor/bishop/elder. Bible Study: Sun 10am, Wed 7pm / email: buffalococ@outlook.com / web: buffalochurchofchrist.com or cocbuffalowy.com, an overseer, a supervisor, or a ruler; Especially used with reference to the supervising function, exercised by an elder or presbyter of a church or congregation., amature man having seasoned judgment (and experience); Thus, an elder., This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put into order, what remained, and appoint elders, Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.. So you can see that the word shepherd is used in this verse to describe the role of the overseers. especially those who labor in the word and doctrine" (1 Tim. Proud member 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 . And the word literally means.. amature man having seasoned judgment (and experience); Thus, an elder.. For example, elder and presbyter are synonyms. Church Elder, Overseer, and Shepherd: One and the Same Office? Episkope [ejpiskophv] appears in 1 Timothy 3:1 and refers to the position or office of overseer or bishop. In Ephesians 4:11, Paul writes, "And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers" (CSB). 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. 5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you, 7 For an overseer, as Gods steward, must be above reproach. We have letters dated not long after the apostle John died from a man that John appointed as an overseer. That the overseer must be above reproach appears to be an overriding qualification, expressing the idea that the overseer should demonstrate integrity in every area Paul mentions. And heres a little more extensive definition.. an overseer, a supervisor, or a ruler; Especially used with reference to the supervising function, exercised by an elder or presbyter of a church or congregation., Therefore, in the New Testament, the words Bishop and Overseer most commonly refer to the persons who have been given the supervising role, of an elder or presbyter. (He gives us the bread of life, and He gives us living water) He restores my soul. The qualifications the Bible gives for the overseer strongly emphasize character in all aspects of life, both personal and public. Overseer conjures up administrative and ruling functionsfunctions that are not entirely absent from the other two labels. Do we know? A lot of discussion revolves around the preaching and teaching responsibilities of this office. Perhaps, but it is difficult to see that distinction in scripture. And a presbyter IS a Bishop. Importantly, it differs from episkopos in that it also assumes the quality of . Authors like Anyabwile seem correct to assume that the pastor, elder, and overseer are interchangeable terms. They may be correct, but it will prove helpful not to assume. 82834 / Ph - 307-620-9218 - 307-684-7938 / (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. The ground of this view is often found in the famous dictum of Ignatius . Pastors, Bishops and Elders The overall meaning for the root word presbus can be summarized as: 1) an older person; 2) an ambassador; 3) administrative member of an assembly of elders; 4) involved with legislative and possibly judicial functions (senatorial position); and 5) a local dignitary. [1] Alternatively, Ehrman translates Smyrn. And they protect the congregation, against false teaching. Acts 20:28 is helpful. Elders Pastors David Huffstutler Do the titles elder , overseer, and shepherd refer to one and the same office? 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. In today's society, a Pastor is generally a minister Level three is the overseer plus the elder and the pastor. Give it enough time, and eventually, we have a pope. Jesus said in John 10:14; I am the Good Shepherd. Pastor is the shepherd word. 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. generally used interchangeably in the New Testament, although "elder" Only later, in the early second century did the church begin to take on a hierarchy of bishops, presbyters, and deacons. The key is to maintain balance in this area of the ministry. 1 Cor 11:2-16 ; Eph 5:21-33 ; 1 Tim 2:9-3:7 ). The bishop is the superintendent, the overseer, or the officer in general charge of the congregation. Contemporary books and essays have tended to focus on four things about the pastor/elder/overseer. They all refer to the exact same office. A shepherd of souls; one who has the spiritual over a company or body of Trouble begins when one or both reverse those role assignments. The New Testament mentions two official positions in the church: deacons and elders (also called pastors or overseers). And the word restore means.. to return to you, and to bring back to you. Both Peter and Paul them refer to elders as bishops (or its equivalent overseer) and shepherds. . The opening verses of 1 Timothy 3 describe the qualifications of those who may serve as pastors. No. Overseer, elder, and shepherd are the most frequently used terms in the Bible. Biblically speaking, a pastor is the same as a shepherd, elder, overseer, or steward. Well, they make sure that the congregation is well fed, with the pure word of God. 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. Maybe the pastor is level one, the entry-level? They may have feared ruining their good name by being in that position. Baptists have historically equated the terms "pastor," "elder," and "bishop"/"overseer," thus understanding all three terms to speak of the same office. It is not for nothing that Scripture applies all three labels to the one office. That means that these very same "elders" are also referred to as "bishops" in the same address by Paul. It is seen in the writings of Church Fathers like Clement, Polycarp, and Tertullian. (There are words for these other kinds of leaders. That shepherd would be responsible for leading the sheep to where they can find proper food and water. 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. desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work" (1 Tim. 1100 Fort St. Buffalo, Wy. Sometimes they'll choose the word pastor rather than shepherd. And hes responsible for providing safety for the sheep. In Paul's letter to Titus, he refers to these men as "elders" in Titus 1:5, but "bishop" in verse 7. It is quite likely that one overseer or elder would have primary leadership as the pastor among the other elders in the local church, such as James in the church at Jerusalem (cf. First, they watch over the people. The term elder emphasizes the general nature of church leadership being one of maturity and wisdom, the term bishop/overseer references the function of the church leader being one who oversees the church, and the term pastor (i.e., shepherd) refers to the method or process by which the leader leads the people of God. A shepherd (also known as a pastor) is a person who tends a flock of sheep. Does that view provide for a lesser standard of a pastor, the one who cares for God's flock? Eventually, bishops weren't enough, and additional leadership roles were created for the Church. What Does "I Believe! Only two church offices are mentioned in Scripture: that of overseer (bishop or elder) and that of deacon (1 Timothy 3:8; Philippians 1:1). 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. From a technical perspective, Acts 20 reinforces a doctrine about terminology used with regard to the pastoral ministry. Scholars are virtually unanimous that in the early church the presbuteros [presbuvtero"] and the episkopos [ejpivskopo"] were one and the same. In the early church there seem to be just two offices local church offices elder/overseer/pastor and deacon (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-10; Philippians 1:1). 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).