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"abotsipatrick" asks:
"Do the terms pastor, elder, bishop and overseer refer to the same office or different offices?"
Bishop
and overseer both translate the exact same word from the Greek
NT--"episkopos." You'll find "bishop" used by English translations from
more of the "high church" tradition in Php. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:1-2; Ti. 1:7
(cf. KJV, ASV,
RSV, NKJV, NRSV). In those very same passages, other English versions
(particularly those prepared by a predominantly Evangelical committee),
you'll find the term "overseer" in place of bishop (cf. ESV, NASB, NCV,
NIV, NET).
Do
we find in the NT the three terms ["pastor/shepherd" from poimaino,
"elder/older" from presbuteros, "overseer" from episkopos] being used
interchangeably for the same role in the NT church or for three separate
roles? Acts 20:17-28 has Paul sending for the "elders" of the church
in Ephesus and telling those elders that the Holy Spirit has made them
"overseers" in order to "pastor" (shepherd, care
for) the church of God. In 1 Pet. 5:1-2, Peter exhorts his fellow
"elders" to "pastor" the flock of God, exercising "oversight" (verb form
of episkopos). Titus 1 uses overseer and elder for the same role Paul
is describing, a role he uses overseer for in 1 Tim. 3.
An "elder" is who this
person is--an older as opposed to younger individual, someone who has
gained some practical wisdom through life experience over time.
"Overseer" is what this person is, what it is they do--care for the church, providing guidance, direction, protection.
"Shepherd" is how
the this older person is to exercise oversight--like a shepherd with
his sheep (see Ezek. 34 and Ps. 23). They are to nurture, nourish, and
protect the members of God's
flock.
Side
bar: notice I have refrained from using the term "office," which is
foreign to the text. If we're going to import terminology into the
text, I think "function" is superior to "office".
Elder/overseer/shepherd is not a string of titles but descriptions for a
function within Christ's body the Church. If one is not functioning as
an overseer/shepherd, providing that nurturing, nourishment, and
protection, then they aren't shepherds. One can have a title and hold
an office yet have no function. Not so with
elder/overseer/shepherd.
Abotsipatrick asks a second question:
"Does Eph. 4:11...teach that being a pastor is a gift from God that does not require the appointment or ordination of humans?"
No.
Yes, it teaches that the roles or functions of apostle, prophet,
evangelist, pastor and teacher are gifts from God, just like service,
generosity, exhortation, leadership, being merciful are gifts from God
(Rom. 12:6-8). It does not necessarily follow, however, that stepping
in to the role of an apostle or evangelist or pastor does not require
some form or recognition and affirmation of that gift by the Body of
Christ through some appointment or ordination by humans.
Did
not Paul and Barnabas (two humans) go
through the congregations they had planted and appoint elders in each
congregation (Ac. 14:23)? Did not Paul, a human, leave Titus, another
human, on the isle of Crete to appoint elders in every town as Paul
directed him to do (Ti. 1:5)? How was it Timothy became an evangelist?
Was it not through Paul's deliberate selection based in part upon the
recommendation of the believers from Timothy's home congregation (Ac.
16:1-4), and did it not include the laying on of hands of an eldership
(1 Tim. 4:14). Was not Timothy himself, in being given instructions
about what to look for in a prospective overseer or deacon (1 Tim. 3)
cautioned not to "lay hands" (i.e. commission or ordain) on anyone too
hastily (1 Tim. 5:22)? Was not there direct human involvement in the
selection of Judas' replacement to the role of apostle? For it began
with Peter addressing the need and setting out the parameters for the
kind of person they were
looking for. The congregation narrowed the field down to two
individuals. After that, they asked God to make his choice of the two
known through prayer and casting lots (Ac. 1:15-26)? Human involvement
working with Divine guidance.
The Lord save the church from self-appointed apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.
Final observation: Somehow,
somewhere, we've picked up the notion that having a gift means
permission to use that gift in any manner the gifted one seems fit. But
a gift is not a license to do as one pleases. Bezalel and Oholiab were
divinely gifted by God and filled with God's Spirit "with ability,
intelligence, knowledge and craftmanship to devise artistic designs, to
work in gold, silver, bronze," etc. in order to construct the tabernacle
(Ex. 31; 35:30-36:5). Yet those gifts were only to be used within the
boundaries established by God. When God said to use almond blossoms for
the menorah, for example, they did not have the artistic license to add
or substitute cherry blossoms in the design. Gifted artisans though
they were, they were not at liberty to use those God-given gifts to
construct an idol, or pornographic sculptures, etc.
Reception
of a gift is not permission to then use it in any manner or fashion we
please. We must exercise our gifts within the parameters God has
established.
Respectfully,
Stephen Lord
Stephen Lord
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