What’s in a Word?: An Exploration of What's Behind Elder, Pastor, Minister, and Deacon
/
Most of the muddy waters of our understanding about words like Elder, Pastor, Minister, and Deacon have to do with definitions then and definitions now, in two languages. The Bible uses Greek words for leaders in the New Testament Church. Those words require translation if we want to communicate in English. But the meaning of the English words often imports misunderstanding from their use in our world today. It gets complicated.
Complicating the matters even further is the regular and ongoing eisegesis practiced by many who ought to know better. Eisegesis is the practice of reading one's ideas into a biblical Text while communicating the Text's meaning. Exegesis, on the other hand, is the practice of interpreting what the biblical Text is communicating. When seeking to understand such things as the qualification and function of leaders in the Church, exegesis of the biblical Text is the most proper starting place. There should be no place for eisegesis.
While this post will not launch into function and qualification, it will attempt to provide a starting place for the words the Bible uses in context to leadership within the Church. By examining how these words are used in the Bible, a foundation for what is and is not being said may help advance our conversation and answer questions. It's important to remember that words have a range of meanings in Greek and English, and context helps us know which word best fits from within that range. The general aim of this examination is the New Testament, specifically the Greek words for leaders in the Church. The Septuagint (LXX) provides commentary, as do lexicons, dictionaries, and Church History, but this post will refrain from turning to these sources, for now. These other resources are extremely helpful and should be consulted but not before an examination of Scripture. Also, transliterations of the words are used for ease to the reader, the Greek reference will be the in the nominative without indicating any declensions to reduce confusion, and a Strongs Key number is provided to assist those without a knowledge of the Greek language, should one want to repeat this study.
The primary words in question are presbuteros, episkpos, poumen, leitourgos, and diakonos.
Presbuteros (G4245)
This word, or its four other forms, appears in the Greek New Testament 66 times. The CSB translates it as "ancestors" 1 time, "elder" 3 times, "elders" 57 times, "old" 1 time, and "older" 4 times. In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and parts of Acts, presbuteros is used in reference to the leaders in the Jewish religion or regarding the "tradition of the elders." The CSB translates presbuteros in Jesus' Luke 15:25 parable as "older." John 8:9--which is widely believed to be a late addition to the Bible--uses presbuteros in reference to "older" men. Acts 2:17 quotes the Septuagint and uses the word presbuteros, which the CSB translates as "old."
The first occurrence of presbuteros in reference to a person in Jesus' New Testament Church comes at Acts 11:30. In this case, Paul and Barnabus were entrusted to take a collection of relief money intended for brothers and sisters in need in Judea to people identified explicitly as the presbuteros.
The next use of presbuteros comes at Acts 14:23 where Paul and Barnabus appointed presbuteros (plural) in every church they had previously planted in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. After they appointed the presbuteros, they "committed them to the Lord in which they had believed" (CSB).
A conflict involving how Christians are to understand circumcision brings us to the next uses of presbuteros. In Acts 15:2, Paul, Barnabus, and others were appointed to go to Jerusalem to present the matter before the Apostles and presbuteros. This verse tells us that Apostles and presbuteros are not the same people. Acts 15:4 records that the church, Apostles, and the presbuteros welcomed them and heard a report. This verse also informs us that the people of the church, the Apostles, and the presbuteros are not the same. The following four uses of presbuteros repeat the pattern in Acts 15:2.
The use of presbuteros in Acts 20:17 is exceptionally informative. First, Paul summoned the presbuteros (plural) of the church in Ephesus. In his instruction to the presbuteros in Ephesus, he told them in Acts 20:28: "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers [episkopos] to shepherd [poimaino (G4165)] the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood" (CSB).
It's worth noting that Paul does not use presbuteros in 1 Timothy 3. He uses the word episkope (G1984) and episkopos (G1985). However, Paul uses presbuteros four times in 1 Timothy 5. The first use is found in 1 Timothy 5:1 and is tied to the second use found in 1 Timothy 5:2. These uses seem to have to do with age. Noteworthy is Paul's statement in 1 Timothy 5:17. The CSB states, "The elders [presbuteros, plural] who are good leaders are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching."
Paul's use of presbuteros in Titus 1:5 is exceptionally informative in light of Titus 1:7. In Titus 1:5, Paul says, "The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders [presbuteros, plural] in every town" (CSB). Then Paul shifts to the qualifications of the presbuteros. In Titus 1:7 he says, "As an overseer [episkopos (G1985)] of God's household, he must be [. . .]" (CSB). Paul seems to use the two words interchangeably in this paragraph. Furthermore, the qualifications in Titus 1 look strikingly similar to those discussed in 1 Timothy 3. In 1 Timothy 3, Paul uses episkpos and episkope rather than presbuteros.
James uses presbuteros in James 5:14 when he says the sick should call for the presbuteros of the church to pray for them.
Peter's use of the word presbuteros is informative. In 1 Peter 5:1-5, Peter exhorts the presbuteros (plural) to pamaino (G 4165, shepherd) the local flock, not episkopeo (G1983, overseeing) out of compulsion. He gives further instruction that these presbuteros should not lord over those entrusted to them. In the same paragraph, 1 Peter 5:7, Peter shifts his attention to the young people, telling them to be subject to the presbuteros.
John refers to himself as presbuteros in 2 & 3 John. He also uses the word presbuteros to discuss the 24 presbuteros around the throne of God in the book of Revelation.
A similar word that’s fruitful for this study is presbuterion (G4244). Presbuterion is used three times in the New Testament. It refers to an order or council of leaders. In Luke 22:66 it points to the body of leaders who sought to put Jesus on trial. In Acts 22:5 it refers to a council of Jewish leaders who appointed Saul to the task of finding and arresting Christians in Damascus. And in 1 Timothy 4:14, it refers to the council of leaders who gave Timothy a gift through the laying on of hands.
Episkpos (G1985)
Episkpos appears five times in the New Testament. The CSB translates it as "overseer." Four of those times refer to a person in leadership in the Church. In 1 Peter 2:25, Peter uses episkpos in reference to Jesus.
Acts 20:28 uses episkpos in reference to the presbuteros Paul is instructing to poimaino (G4165) the church. In other words, the hearers in this verse are presbuteros, being told to episkpos as they pomaino the flock appointed to them by God. This verse closely ties together presbuteros, episkpos, and poimaino, making Acts 20:28 a significate verse for our understanding of these words.
In 1 Timothy 3:2, Paul instructs that an episkpos must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach [. . .]" (CSB). 1 Timothy 3:5 suggests the episkpos is expected to "take care of God's church" (CSB). Paul also used episkpos in a similar list of qualifications in Titus 1:7. The similarities of these qualification lists link episkpos and presbuteros in some way.
Two similar words are used somewhat like episkpos. They are episkopeo (G1983) and episkope (G1984).
Episkopeo is a verb used twice: Hebrews 12:15 and 1 Peter 5:2 (discussed in more detail in the presbuteos section above).
Espikope has a complicated range of meanings. Luke 19:44 and 1 Peter 2:12 use espikope in reference to God appearing and visiting. Acts 1:20 uses espikope quoting the Septugent and making the case for Judas to be replaced. "Let another take his office [espikope]" (CSB).
The final use of episkope is found in 1 Timothy 3:1. Here, Paul writes, "The saying is trustworthy: 'If anyone aspires to be an overseer [episkope], he desires a noble work.'" In the following sentence (1 Timothy 3:2), Paul uses episkopos. (See the discussion on 1 Timothy 3:1 above.)
Poimen (G4166)
This word appears 17 times in the New Testament. The CSB translates it as "shepherd" all but one time. In Ephesians 4:11, it is translated as "pastor." Four of the uses of poimen are in reference to actual people who were tending to animals. All four such uses are found in Luke 2. Twelve uses of poimen are illustrative as analogies or metaphors.
In Ephesians 4:11, Paul uses poimen in a way that has caused some translative controversy. He writes, "And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors [poimen] and teachers [didaskalos, G1320]. The article and the absence of the article lead many scholars to believe that there are four distinctly identified groups here. In this case, the pastor and teacher are one group, like poimen-didaskalos or pastor-teacher. However, it may be that poimen and teachers are distinct, and there are five separate groups of people for the Church. Paul discusses the maturity of the Church and the value of these four groups to the Church. Was it intentional that the presbuteros or episkopos were not mentioned, or is the poimen connected in some way to the presbuteros or episkopos?
The verb that's similar to the noun, poimen is pomaino (G4165). Pomaino is used 11 times in the New Testament. The CSB translates pomiano as "shepherd" or "shepherds" nine times. Pomiano in Luke 7:17 refers to the tending of animals. All other uses of pomiano are about humans and used as illustrations. Pomiano in Revelation 7:17 and 12:5 are translated as "rule" (as in "to rule") in the CSB.
In John 21:15-19, Jesus gives Peter three charges: "Feed my lambs," "Shepherd [pomiano] my sheep," and "Feed my sheep."
Pomiano is used in conjunction with presbuteros and episkpos in Acts 20:28. Paul called for the episkpos, to which he charged: "Be on guard for yourselves and for all your flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers [episkpos], to shepherd [poimaino] the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood" (CSB).
Leitourgos (G3011)
Leitourgos makes five appearances in the New Testament. The CSB translates it as "servant" in Romans 13:6 and Hebrews 1:7. In the remaining three verses (Romans 15:16, Philippians 2:25, and Hebrews 8:2), leitourgos is translated as "minister."
In Romans 15:16, Paul refers to himself as a leitourgos "of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the gospel of God" (CSB). In Philippians 2:25, Paul identifies Epaphroditus as "my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier, as well as your messenger and minister [leitourgos] to my need" (CSB).
Three additional words are similar to leitourgos and worth examination. The first is leitourgeo (G3008). This word appears in Acts 13:2, Romans 15:27, and Hebrews 10:11. In Acts 13:2, leitourgos seems to be in reference to the behavior or spiritual activity of worship in which the prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch were engaged. In Romans 13:2, Paul uses leitourgeo to refer to serving to a group of people. In Hebrews 10:11, leitourgeo explains the task the priests were doing as they offered sacrifices day after day.
Leitorgia (G3009) is another simular word. It appears six times in the New Testament and the CSB translates it as ministry, service, or worship. In Luke 1:23, leitorgia referrers to Zacharia's service in the Temple. 2 Corinthians 9:12 is particularly helpful because it connects diokonia (G1248) with leitourgia. The verse reads, "For the ministry [diokonia] of this service [leitorgia] is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God" (CSB).
Finally, leitourgikos (G3010) only appears once in the New Testament. Hebrews 1:14 uses leitourgikos to explain the function or work of angels.
Diakonos (G3011)
Diakonos is a noun. It is closely related to two verbs: diakoneo (G1247) and diakonia (G1248).
Diakonos appears 26 times in the Bible. The CSB translates it as "attendants" once, "Deacons" twice, "deacons" once, "minister" twice, "ministers" twice, "servant" 14 times, and "servants" six times.
In Matthew 22:13, Jesus uses diakonos in a parable, identifying the people who would throw the man without a wedding garment into the outer darkness." Jesus told the Twelve, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be last and servant [diakonos] of all" (Matthew 9:35, CSB). In John 2:5, Jesus' mother instructed the wedding servants who would fill up the water jars and John calls them diakonos. In Romans 15:8 Jesus is refered to as diakonos. Romans 16:1 referes to Phoebe a diakonos; she is a "servant [diakonos] of the church in Cenchreae. Apollos and Paul are called diakonos in 1 Corinthians 3:5. Tychicus is called a diakonos in Ephesians 6:21 and Colossians 4:7.
We could examine another Greek word for servant (doulos, G1401) except the reason for the study of diakonos has much to do with its use in Phillipains 1:1, 1 Timothy 3:8, and 1 Timothy 3:12.
In Phillipains 1:1, Paul writes the letter "To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers [episkpos] and deacons [diakonos]" (CSB). This use of diakonos either identifies a specific group of people with all the saints who need special acknowledgment or Paul is aware that a portion of the saints are missing something and should not be identified with the word diakonos.
In 1 Timothy 3, Paul provides a qualification list for diakonos. In 1 Timothy 3:8 he says, "Deacons [diakonos], likewise should be worthy of respect, not hypocritical, not drinking a lof of wine, not greedy for money" (CSB). The list goes on. In 1 Timothy 3:10 he says, "They must also be tested first; if they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons [diakoneo (G1247)]" (CSB). In 1 Timothy 3:12 he writes, "Deacons [diakonos] are to be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households competently" (CSB). He goes on to say, "For those who have served well as deacons [diakoneo (G12470] acquire a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus" (CSB). Paul's use of diakonos and diakoneo seem different than the many other uses. Would anyone who wanted to serve in any way need to meet these qualifications? Does this line of thinking apply to the servants at the wedding in Cana?
Diakonia (G1248) appears 32 times in the New Testament. Being closely related to diakonos, diakonia seems to be the word for the task or work of the diakonos. For example, Acts 6:1 says some widows were being overlooked in the daily diakonia. In Acts 12:25, Paul and Barnabas finished their diakonia before heading back to Jerusalem. In Acts 6:4 the Apostles announce that they will dedicate themselves to prayer and the diakonia of the word. 2 Corinthians 5:18 mentions the diakonia of reconciliation. The Apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers in Ephesians 4:11 are gifts to equip the saints for the work of diakonia in Ephesians 4:12.
Diakoneo (G1247) is very simular to diakonia. The majority of its 31 uses are about serving or service to others. However, Paul uses diakoneo in 1 Timothy 3 to identify someone who has served in some way prior to being diakoneo. 1 Timothy 3:10 says, "They must also be tested first; if they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons [diakoneo]" (CSB). The construction of this sentence in Greek is far fewer words, and there is not an exact word-for-word match for serve. It's somewhat built into the Greek words and word construction. 1 Timothy 3:13 says, "For those who have served well as deacons [diakoneo] acquire a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus" (CSB). This sentence construction is a bit like 1 Timothy 3:10.
This word study is not exhaustive, but it is a helpful start.
If we are to clear up the muddy waters of titles and roles, we must ask what words are synonymous and what words are distinctly different.
Does the Bible refer to presbuteros, episkpos, and poimen as the same person and role? Can one be a person in the Bible who is presbuteros but not an episkpos or poimen? How about a poimen who is not presbuteros or episkpos? What does the Bible best seem to suggest?
There appears to be a strong connection between presbuteros, episkpos, and poimen. Many have determined that all three of these words refer to the same role in the Church. Some, however, have determined that there may be two positions: leaders within a local church and a higher position of one who leads multiple churches in a given area.
Leitourgos does not appear to be clearly connected with presbuteros, episkpos, or poimen. While not used often, it seems to be used to indicate one who is serving but is not a presbuteros, episkpos, or poimen. There are some verses that seem to differentiate the group of presbuteros, episkpos, and poimen from diakonos. From here, the reader should draw some initial conclusions. Then other resources and translations should be consulted.
To conclude this post, a review of the translations choices from a selection of crucial verses may be thought-provoking and informative.
Presbuteros (G4245)
Acts 20:17
CSB - elders
ESV - elders
NET - elders
NASB 2020 - elders
KJV - elders
NKJV - elders
NIV 2011 - elders
NRSV - elders
Titus 1:5
CSB - elders
ESV - elders
NET - elders
NASB 2020 - elders
KJV - elders
NKJV - elders
NIV 2011 - elders
NRSV - elders
Episkopos (G1985)
Acts 20:28
CSB - overseer
ESV - overseer
NET - overseer
NASB 2020 - overseer
KJV - overseer
NKJV - overseer
NIV 2011 - overseer
NRSV - overseer
1 Timothy 3:2
CSB - overseer
ESV - overseer
NET - overseer
NASB 2020 - overseer
KJV - bishop
NKJV - bishop
NIV 2011 - overseer
NRSV - bishop
Titus 1:7
CSB - overseer
ESV - overseer
NET - overseer
NASB 2020 - overseer
KJV - bishop
NKJV - bishop
NIV 2011 - overseer
NRSV - bishop
Poimen (G4166)
Ephesians 4:11
CSB - pastors
ESV - shepherds
NET - pastors
NASB 2020 - pastors
KJV - pastors
NKJV - pastors
NIV 2011 - pastors
NRSV - pastors
Poimaino (G4165)
Acts 20:28
CSB - shepherd
ESV - care
NET - shepherd
NASB 2020 - shepherd
KJV - feed
NKJV - shepherd
NIV 2011 - be shepherds
NRSV - shepherd
Leitourgos (G3011)
Philippians 2:25
CSB - minister
ESV - minister
NET - minister
NASB 2020 - minister
KJV - minister
NKJV - minister
NIV 2011 - who you sent to take care of
NRSV - minister
Diakonos (G1249)
Philippians 1:1
CSB - deacons
ESV - deacons
NET - deacons
NASB 2020 - deacons
KJV - deacons
NKJV - deacons
NIV 2011 - deacons
NRSV - deacons
Romans 16:1
CSB - servant
ESV - servant
NET - servant
NASB 2020 - servant
KJV - servant
NKJV - servant
NIV 2011 - deacon
NRSV - deacon