Musings on Elders and Pastors

I've had some discussions lately regarding qualifications of elders and such. It caused me to spend a little time thinking about the whole thing. The result is an entire series on biblical elders. Here goes ...

The original concept of "elders" was an Old Testament concept in which "wise, discerning, and experienced men" head up smaller groups of a larger body (Deut. 1:9-15). Thus, elders would be a group of wise, discerning, experienced men who lead a local church, a part of the larger Body of Christ.
New Testament words include:

*presbuterous = an elderly, senior, or older person (any gender). Acts 14:23; Acts 20:17, 28-31; 1 Tim. 4:14; 1 Tim. 5:17-20; Titus 1:5 (ff); James 5:14; 1 Pet. 5:1-5

*episkope = an over-seer, a super-visor, a superintendent. (KJV - Bishop). Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:1-13. (I hyphenated "overseer" and "supervisor" because the Greek word is a two-part word. "Skope" is the origin of our word, "scope", and refers to vision. "Epi" means "over" or "super". Thus, the word is literally "over" "seer". The Latin translation is "supervisor", where "visor" is the same root as our word, "vision". I only offer this as further explanation of the meaning of the word and the function of an "overseer".)

(Interesting side note: The Greek for "elder" is the root for the current "Presbyterian", and the Greek for "overseer" is the root for the current "Episcopalian".)

What is the connection of "elder" to "church role" rather than simply "older"?

1. While "elder" is used at times in reference to "older", either male or female, it is often used in terms of leadership. Several passages indicate that "elders" are to be appointed. If "elder" refers to "someone who is older" in these instances, it makes no sense, since you don’t appoint someone to be older – they just are.

2. Paul appears to use the terms interchangeably in certain places. For instance, he tells Timothy about the qualifications for an overseer in 1 Tim. 3:1-13. In the parallel passage to Titus, he tells Titus to appoint elders, but his list of qualifications for these appointments is the same list he gave Timothy for overseers.

3. One of the qualifications for overseer/elder is that he is not "a new convert" (1 Tim. 3:6). This would indicate to me that the intent was to have older, more experienced Christians serve as the overseers for a local church. Thus, the two terms would be interchangeable in this application.

How do you tell the difference between "elder" as in "elderly" and "elder" as in "overseer"?

Context, context, context. The context of the usage always dictates its meaning. It is an error to assume that every use of a given word means the same thing every time. Thus, to assume that "elder women" means that women occupied a position as "overseers" is not supportable by the context. I don’t mean to imply it’s not possible; I’m simply saying that context needs to be examined. Sometimes the context dictates that the reference is to older people. Other times the context indicates that it is a reference to a particular group of older people who occupy the position of overseer. Check the context before assuming either.

What about pastors?

I equate biblical "pastor" with "elder/overseer". Here’s why. The term, "pastor", appears only once in the New Testament. The root word is poimen. The word means "shepherd". In every other instance, it is translated "shepherd". A prime example is in John 10, where Jesus explains that He is the "good shepherd". (It is also the word used for the "shepherds" who heard the angels announce Jesus’s birth.) In 1 Peter 2:25, Peter refers again to Jesus as "the Shepherd", but here he adds "and Overseer". Thus, the shepherd and the overseers have similar tasks. Peter carries this thought out in 1 Peter 5. Here he refers to "elders" as "shepherds" (1 Pet. 5:1-4). If these "elder/shepherds" are the same that Paul had Timothy and Titus appointing, then they are older men specifically appointed to be the leaders of the local body of church. Thus, since "pastor" is "shepherd", and both "elder" and "overseer" are linked to the same term, I conclude that "pastor" is actually an elder/overseer.

Why are "pastors" not the same as our modern day pastors?

First, the singular mention of "pastor" in Eph. 4:11 seems to indicate that pastors are not the primary factor in a church. They are today.

Second, in this same passage, Paul lists apostles, prophets, and evangelists as individual, separate entities. A fourth, separate entity, in the language, is something that Paul refers to as poimenas kai didaskolous. That is, he links linguistically "pastor" and "teacher" to make them a single creature – pastor/teacher. Thus, four "offices" are listed in Eph. 4:11. Now, given the linking of "pastor" with "elder/overseer", one of the key characteristics of an overseer is "apt to teach" (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:9). Thus, pastors and elder/overseers are to be teachers. It seems to me that they are the same entity. However, in most churches today there is the pastor who is the leader of the church and there is an "elder board" (which is often at odds with the pastor, it seems). Even in churches where the pastor is part of the board, he is still the singular leader of that board, typically looking for "rubber stamp" approval of his goals and ideas, as opposed to an even, shared function of leadership.

Third, all references to elder/overseer positions are in plural terms. That is, biblical eldership is a plurality. It is a group of men who are the teachers and shepherds. Now, if "pastor" is equivalent to "elder/overseer", then churches must not be designed by God to have "a senior pastor" or the like. Instead, they are designed by God to be headed by a group of godly men who can "hold fast the faithful word" (Titus 1:9), keeping each other in check and promoting a unity rather than a singular leadership position.

What about deacons?

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he addresses it to three groups: saints, overseers, and deacons. In his letter to Timothy, he outlines the qualifications for two groups: overseers and deacons. While the qualifications are similar, they are not as stringent for deacons as they are for overseers. From these two facts, I would assume that deacon and elder/overseer are not equivalent terms. A deacon is a servant or minister and takes the role of taking care of the practical needs of the local body.

Summary

There appears to be no New Testament equivalent to the role that most churches have for a pastor. The New Testament uses interchangeable terms for "elder/overseer/bishop", defined by their context. This position is a role in the local body in which a group of experienced believers assume the leadership – shepherding – of the local church. These may be called "pastors", but they don’t equate to the same thing that most churches have today as "pastors". Thus, local churches are comprised of saints (all believers), a group of men called overseers or elders who shepherd the flock, and a group of men (and possibly women) called deacons who minister to the practical needs of the local body.