That They All May Be One

W. Carl Ketcherside

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     This is the story of a little congregation banded together by an evangelist who is now laboring to complete his task by training men for the office of bishop. As we visit them today the evangelist is teaching the group relative to the distinctive terms applied to the office. There are six words in the new covenant scriptures used to designate the officers who oversee the local churches of God. A proper understanding of these in their relationship to each other will help

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in understanding the nature and purpose of the office.

1. Elders and presbyters. The word "elder" is a translation of the Greek presbuteros, which occurs 67 times, and 62 times is translated by the English word "elder." In its simplest form it means "an aged person." It is used in both a general and a specific sense. In 1 Timothy 5:1 it refers to an older man in contrast with younger men. In this sense age is the only consideration. In Acts 20:17 the term applies to overseers in contrast with the flock which they superintend. In this sense the aged person must possess certain special qualifications.
        The office of elder cannot be bestowed upon a youth, nor even upon an old man who is young in the faith. Since experience is essential as well as years, an elder may not be a novice. This word is from neophutos, "a new plant, i.e., a recent convert to the faith." The word of God does not specify the calendar age at which one may qualify, for wisdom and ability are not always to be determined by birthday anniversaries. A man can know when he is no longer youthful, for David said, "I have been young, and now I am old" (Psa. 37:5). Likewise society recognizes when one has become settled and sedate. Of David's father it was said, "The man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul" (1 Sam. 17:12).
        The term "presbyter" was well known to the Jews, and is used primarily in congregations of Jewish extraction. Every synagogue had its elders and deacons, and the qualifications were much the same as those specified for officers in the Christian church. The synagogue was closely allied to the church in the beginning and the term was applied to the churches for more than a century (James 2:2). If the Holy Spirit had not legislated a form of government for the congregations of the Messiah, it is almost certain that those composed of Jews would have selected a presbytery for each local unit. Indeed the primitive Jewish converts to the Nazarene had no idea of organizing a separate body outside the pale of Judaism, but expected to constitute a synagogue composed of Jews and proselytes who recognized Jesus as the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies. Consequently, if an entire synagogue became convinced that the Nazarene was the Messiah, there was required no particular change in government, officers, procedure or corporate worship. The introduction of the Lord's Supper as a memorial of the Messiah's death would be the only essential addition.
2. Bishops and overseers. The word "bishop" occurs five times in the King James Version. Once it refers to Christ (1 Peter 2:25), the other times to the elders as overseers (Cp. 1 Tim. 3:1; Titus 1:7; Phil. 1:1). It is from episkopos, from epi "over," and skopos, "to inspect, view." It thus refers to an overseer, supervisor, inspector or superintendent. It is rendered "overseers" (Act 20:28). The word presbuteros has to do with the type of man for the office; while episkopos has to do with the governmental responsibility involved in the office. "Any man who aspires to be a superintendent aspires to a noble task" (1 Tim. 3:1).
        As the Jews were familiar with the rule of elders in their synagogues, so the Greeks were accustomed to the oversight of bishops in their civil affairs. The word episkopos is not of ecclesiastical origin. It was a military term. In the Greek Version (LXX) of the old covenant scriptures, it is used to translate the word which appears in the King James Version as "captains" (Num. 13:14). It is also the translation of the word for "officer" (Judges 9:28). Robinson's Lexicon says, "Among the Athenians it was the title of magistrates sent out to tributary cities to organize and govern them."
        The original term is translated "looking diligently" (Heb. 12:15) and "taking the oversight" (1 Peter 5:2). Oversight involves two things, expressed by the words "over" and "sight." The first implies superintending and directing; the second implies association and inspection. One cannot be a bishop by proxy, long distance, or remote control. He cannot govern upon hearsay or secondhand re-

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   ports. He cannot remedy defects unless he first inspects.
        The elders are to rule or govern. The congregation is to submit and obey. The elders demonstrate their fitness to rule God's household by ruling their own (1 Tim. 3:4). They are to rule well (1 Tim. 5:17). The word "overseer" signifies that someone is under supervision. No one can be over those who are not willing to be under him. There is no provision for despotic or arbitrary rule. All government must be by and with the consent of the governed.
3. Shepherds and pastors. The term "shepherd" is not directly applied, but implied, in the King James Version. After Peter told the elders to "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight" (1 Pet. 5:2), he adds, "And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." The word "feed" is from poimaino, "To tend as a shepherd." Thus the apostle recognizes Jesus as the chief Shepherd over the under-shepherds, or elders.
        The word "pastors" occurs once in the New Testament (Eph. 4:11). It is from poimen "a shepherd or feeder." The Hebrew equivalent is eight times translated "pastors" in Jeremiah. It is translated "herdsman" 7 times, and "shepherd" 62 times in other portions of the old covenant scriptures. The pastors in the New Testament congregations are to be the elders or bishops. The word "pastors" (Eph. 4:11) is from the same word as "feed" which means to "tend as a shepherd" (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2). This is the duty laid upon the bishops. To hire a man to feed a flock is to make him a pastor, a hireling pastor. The etymology will allow no dispute about this fact.
        It is a common error in this degenerate age for men to reason that the duty of elders is to oversee and supervise the work, but they may hire another to do the work. They are willingly ignorant of the fact that their relationship to the flock in a governmental sense is expressed by the term bishop; but their relationship to the flock in a developmental sense is expressed by the term pastor. Now they would refuse to hire a man for the first, and claim to hire him only for the second. But it is the second which makes him a pastor, and not the first.
        Ask a hireling minister or "located evangelist" the difference between his position and that of the other sectarian pastors about him. His sole glib reply will be that he does not run or manage the church, but is under the elders. This has nothing to do with "pastorating." The overseeing or superintending is covered by the term bishop. The question is not about hiring bishops, but pastors! If a rancher hires a man to prepare feed and dispense it to his sheep, to visit the flock and lead it, has he not hired a shepherd? And if the work becomes too arduous and an associate is hired to assist, is he not an associate shepherd? Could these argue that they were not shepherds because they worked under supervision of the rancher to whom the sheep belonged, and were subject to him as an overseer? Supervising is the work of bishops, feeding the flock is the work of pastors. Just because one is not hired to supervise or govern is no sign he is not hired to pastorate. The whole truth is that the very argument of the hireling ministers is a candid admission that they are "pastors" and "associate pastors."

     The word pastor applies to a feeder or shepherd. When Laban hired Jacob he did not relinquish the control of his flock. He could hire, fire and change his wages! Jacob worked under his supervision, but this in no sense lessened the fact that he was Laban's hired pastor. Indeed their negotiations were much like those in the modern sectarian body known as "The Church of Christ." Jacob tried out for a month without salary, then Laban said, "Tell me, what shall your wages be." Jacob stipulated his wage and they drew up a seven year contract, although there was a rider in "the fine print" which Jacob did not detect. At the completion of his term of service, Jacob offered his resignation. "Let me go, for you know the service I have given you." Laban was reluctant, because under the pastorate of

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Jacob, the congregation had been blessed with considerable increase of members. He said, "If you will allow me to say so the Lord has blessed me because of you, name your wages and I will give it." Jacob remained six more years with the flock and then took off without waiting for a big farewell party. Now, who will deny that Jacob was a shepherd, a hired pastor, merely because he did not boss the whole ranch? The "Church of Christ" today has an unscriptural hireling pastor system exactly like the sectarian world about it, and all the twisting, agonizing, writhing, and wresting of scripture will not change the fact! These brethren have sold the church down the river with their professional clergy and the incubators which hatch them. Stop bidding on the chickens and the hatchery will shut down!