Episkopos and Presbyteros

The Greek title episkopos was used to designate someone who had been given administrative or supervisory oversight of a public project or a particular region. In the nt, the title indicates those who have been appointed to watch over and care for the local church (see Acts 20:28). This church office was also referred to using the title presybteros, a more common Greek word that could also be used to refer to “elders” in a generational or traditional sense. The Gospels frequently refer to the “elders” of the Jews to indicate the traditional leaders of Jewish society (Matt 21:23; 27:20). The traditions of Judaism are also referred to as tēn paradosin tōn presbyterōn, or “the traditions of the elders” (Matt 15:2; Mark 7:3). The term presbyteros can also refer simply to the elderly or aged population (1 Tim 5:1–2). The nt usage of presbyteros in the table above is limited to occurrences that refer to church leadership, mirroring the distribution of episkopos.

The elders or overseers were responsible for the leadership of the church. The variety of roles Paul lists for church leaders (Eph 4:11; 1 Cor 12:27–31) were gifted areas of leadership that exemplified an elder’s range of responsibilities. Elders make up all the church office roles: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, miracle workers, healers, and administrators.

The various nt references to church offices and areas of giftedness are never placed within a formal hierarchy by any of the nt writers. Modern knowledge of the actual practice and structure of the first-century ad churches is very limited. The organization of the early church seems to reflect typical Graeco-Roman and Jewish social structures: community leadership was typically held by the established heads of the households. For example, the Jewish synagogue was maintained by a council of local elders (the gerousia) led by the “ruler of the synagogue” (archisynagogos; see Acts 18:17).

By the early second century ad, the church father Ignatius assumes a three-tiered organization in the churches with one bishop (episkopos) overseeing a council of elders (presbyterion) and a group of deacons (diakonoi) (see Ignatius to the Ephesians 5). However, the nt usage of episkopos and presbyter is fluid and flexible and does not support a rigid division of the two offices. The term episkopos was a more common Greek way of indicating someone in charge of civil or religious matters. The term presbyter was common in Hellenistic (that is, Greek-speaking) Judaism to refer to the honored older members of the community who often served as local community leaders.

Douglas Mangum

Further Reading

Overseers and Deacons LRC:P

Overseers and Elders NICNT 1–2 Ti/Tt

Episkopos WSNTDICT

Presbyteros WSNTDICT

Elder (NT) ZEB D—G