“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: (1 Peter 5:1 ESV).
Peter’s message to the “elders” in his audience deserves a closer look. Earlier within this epistle, Peter referenced Jesus as, “…the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” in 1 Peter 2:25. This distinguishes Jesus as the Chief Shepherd, with other church authorities serving in subordinate roles. The New Testament uses several related terms to identify those authorities. Those terms include…
- “Elder” (presbyteros, as we see here in 1 Peter 5:1, as well as Acts 20:17 and Titus 1:5).
- “Bishop” (episkopos, 1 Timothy 3:1-2, Titus 1:7).
- “Pastor” (poimen, Ephesians 4:11, see also 1 Peter 5:2 where a related word is translated “shepherd”).
- “Leader” (or “ruler“) (proistemi, Romans 12:8, see also 1 Thessalonians 5:12 where the NIV translates that word “care”).
- “Overseer” (episkopos, Acts 20:28).
These titles serve to identify a man who exercises spiritual care and authority over a local church congregation. Words like “ruler” and “overseer” are self-explanatory in this context, whereas “pastor” is is often associated with the image of a shepherd-like figure who offers spiritual guidance. However, the terms “bishop” and “elder” appear to be used interchangeably to designate a primary leadership position. Once source clarifies that usage…
“…presbuteros (G4245) described these leaders of the Church as they personally were. They were the elder men, the older and respected members of the community. Episkopos (G1985), on the other hand, described their function, which was to oversee the life and the work of the Church. The one word described the man; the other described his task.” (1)
Another source adds…
“In the church organization described in the New Testament, the words for bishop and elder are used interchangeably. This indicates that all elders were bishops and all bishops were elders. Pastor and elders carry out an ‘episcopal’ function of overseeing or supervising the people spiritually. Some churches organize ordained officers into levels of authority. All are overseers, but technically the term bishop refers to those with higher rank.” (2)
Finally, while these terms relate to local church authorities, it is important to recognize that everyone holds a leadership role in one form or another. As mentioned earlier, one does not need to possess a title in order to be a leader. We already hold leadership positions within our circle of influence, regardless of the size of that circle. May God enable us to serve as good ministers within that circle of influence under the authority of the Chief Shepherd.
(1) Barclay, William. “Commentary on 1 Timothy 3:1-16”. “William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/dsb/1-timothy-3.html. 1956-1959.
(2) Sproul, R. C. (1994). Before the face of God: Book 4: A daily guide for living from Ephesians, Hebrews, and James (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House; Ligonier Ministries.]