336 – Officers in the Church – Bishops or Elders

SEMESTER 3

336 – Officers in the Church – Bishops or Elders

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE

COURSE: ECCLESIOLOGY III LESSON # 36
OFFICERS IN THE CHURCH (BISHOPS OR ELDERS)

Read I Tim. 5:1, 17, 19, Titus 1:5, I Pet. 5:1, 5, I Tim. 3:1, 2, Acts 20:28, Titus 1:7, I Pet. 2:25.

INTRODUCTION:

1. Like the word deacon, the words elder and bishop are Bible words of considerable misunderstanding and traditional abuse.
2. Again, it is impossible to identify the office without word definition, and yet impossible to identify the office with only word definition.

I. THE RENDERINGS AND USAGES OF WORDS

1. The Greek word (presbu’ teros) rendered 64 times – elder, 1 time – old man, and 1 time – eldest.
2. The Greek word (presbuter’ ion) rendered 1 time – elders, 1 time – estate of elders, and 1 time – presbytery.
3. The Greek word (episkope) rendered 2 times – visitation, 1 time -bishopric, and 1 time – office of a bishop.
4. The Greek word (episkopos) rendered 4 times – bishop, and 1 time – overseer.

II. KINDRED WORDS THAT MAY AID IN UNDERSTANDING

1. The Greek (episte’ mon) James 3:13 only, rendered “endued with knowledge.”
2. The Greek (epistamai) rendered 13 times – know, and 1 time – understand.
3. The Greek (epistole) rendered 15 times – epistle, and 9 times – letter.
Note: This is apparently not just any letter, but a somewhat (and in some cases an absolutely) official letter, as from one who knows, that is, one who has been “endued with knowledge.”

III. BIBLIC AL USAGE OF THE WORD ELDER

1. It is used for older men, especially within the church (never women).
2. This does not speak so specifically of mere age, as of longevity of experience in service.
3. It seems that this category of men, were the leaders and rulers in the church, as opposed to the deacons.

IV. THE BIBLICAL USE OF THE WORD BISHOP

1. It appears he is one given a particular gift and/or responsibility of understand­ing, overseeing and instructing.

III: The rendering of the word visitation as in inspec­tion or judgment.
III: Of the use of the word epistle, as from one “endued with knowledge” (a proper instructor).

2. It would seem that a bishop must qualify as an elder (not a novice). (I Tim. 3:6)
3. He would be an elder that labored in “word and doctrine” as in I Tim. 5:17.
4. This would be the office which is today often called “pastor.” This man, if truly qualified to be a pastor, could rightly be referred to as either an elder or a bishop.

V. BIBLICAL CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICAL AP­PLICATION

1. A bishop must be an elder, but an elder must not necessarily be a bishop.
2. The elders lead or “rule” in general, but the bishops among them labor in word and doctrine.
3. These are not lords over God’s heritage, (nor are they victims of mob rule), they are men who lovingly and humbly take the oversight and leadership.

CONSIDERATION: I do not go on record as teaching this, but could the offices of elders be divided into two categories, i.e., bishops (laboring in the word and doctrine) and deacons (laboring in more physical ministries) as they are divided in Phil. 1:1? Notice that here elders, though an intricate part of every early New Testament church, were not addressed, unless these two words “bishops and deacons” either address or include them.