OVERSEER

Overseer

 

“And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.” Acts 20:17 Elders: vs. 17 Also shown to be the pastor and bishop in vs 28.

Elder (Gk. <presbuteros>) and Overseer (Gk. <episkopos>) designate the same office (cp. vs. 7; Acts 20:17; cp. Vs. 28), the former referring to the man, the latter to a function of the office.

The word “overseers” is the same as “bishops.” Since these men were the “elders of the church” (Acts 20:17), it follows that the offices of “elder” and “bishop” were the same person in the early church. In the Greek, “elder” is presbuteros (from which, of course, we get our ecclesiastical term “presbyter”) and “bishop” is episkopos (from which “episcopal” is derived), meaning simply “overseer.” The two terms are again equated in Titus 1:5, 7. The word “pastor” is the same as “shepherd” (Greek poimen), and the elders (or bishops) have the duty of “feeding” the “flock” for which they are responsible. See also 1 Peter 5:1-5. Heb. 13:17; 1 Tim. 3:1-2

Ruling position-one of the duties of the elder.

Administrative-bishop Acts 2:20

The steward of God Titus 1:7 cf. Luke 12:42 The Bible is careful to define the nature of that rule. It is not a dictatorship. Nor ruler-ship in the political sense thereby making it an office and position in the church instead of a work. But rather by example [1 Pet. 5:2-3; 1 Thess. 5:12-13; Heb. 13:7, 17, 24].

The guardian of God's children as described in Gal. 4:1-2, 5 “Now I say, [That] the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.”

Sonship is an awaiting experience which will occur at the revelation of Jesus Christ [Rom. 8:18-25 esp. vs.23]