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The term Elder was originally used to denote the older
men of a Jewish community which governed and made the major decisions. In
the New Testament, the term evolved into a description of a mature believer
charged with spiritual supervision and ministry within the church, detached
from the relationship with age. The terms elder, bishop and pastor are
generally used interchangeably in the New Testament, although "elder"
primarily refers to the person, while "bishop or pastor" deals with their
office. "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor,
especially those who labor in the word and doctrine" (1 Tim. 5:17). 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. "This is a faithful saying: If a man
desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work" (1 Tim. 3:1). In today's society, a Pastor is generally a minister and spiritual overseer of a church congregation — the same as an elder or bishop. Pastor was probably not intended to be as much a title, as it was an adjective to describe what he does. A pastor literally means "shepherd," a metaphoric description of one who cares for and leads a flock of God's sheep. One of five office gifts described in Ephesians 4:11.
This article is from the book, What People Ask About the Church, authored and copyrighted © by Dr. Dale A. Robbins, 1990-2015, and is a publication of Victorious Publications, Grass Valley, CA - Nashville, TN. Unless otherwise stated, all scripture references were taken from The New King James Bible, © Thomas Nelson Inc., 1982. You may download this article for personal use as long as you retain credit to the author. Obtain permission before reproducing copies for any reason, by filling out our simple use permission form. Many of our writings are also available as free pdf tri-fold pamphlets, which can be downloaded for reproduction from our Online Catalog. For media reproduction rights, or to obtain quantities of this title in other formats, email us. A newer revised version of this book is available from Amazon. If you have appreciated these online materials, help us reach the world with the Gospel by considering a monthly or one-time tax-deductable donation.
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