Deacons.

[anastasiotrey]

Bishops and elders are the exact same office

Thats not correct. Bishops = episkopoi. Elders/priests/pastors = presbyteroi. They are separate roles or offices in the Church.

 

[Polycarp1]

Thats not correct. Bishops = episkopoi. Elders/priests/pastors = presbyteroi. They are separate roles or offices in the Church.

The problem is that both Paul and Luke occasionally use the terms as though they were interchangeable, for example in Acts 20. I suspect that we are having trouble distinguishing between "senior leaders" and "ordained elders" and between "overseers" and "bishops" -- the terms being identical in Greek.

I think it's also appropriate to remind people that there are two quite distinct uses of "deacon":

• Member of the commissioned lay boards of Presbyterian and Baptist churches
• Ordained clergyman of Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, and a few other churches

Each founds its concept on what the Scriptural deacon was supposed to be, but implements it in quite different ways.

 

[MbiaJc]

Thats not correct. Bishops = episkopoi. Elders/priests/pastors = presbyteroi. They are separate roles or offices in the Church.

I beg to disagree Elder is the man Bishop is the office the Elders are appointed to. The first chapter of Titus makes this plain.

Titus l:1-9 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
6If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

 

[MbiaJc]

The problem is that both Paul and Luke occasionally use the terms as though they were interchangeable, for example in Acts 20. I suspect that we are having trouble distinguishing between "senior leaders" and "ordained elders" and between "overseers" and "bishops" -- the terms being identical in Greek.

I think it's also appropriate to remind people that there are two quite distinct uses of "deacon":

• Member of the commissioned lay boards of Presbyterian and Baptist churches
• Ordained clergyman of Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, and a few other churches

Each founds its concept on what the Scriptural deacon was supposed to be, but implements it in quite different ways.

It is not important what different denominations do. What is important is what the Word of God says. If a Church wonts to have the power, authority and influence to win a lost world, heal the sick give sight to the blind, and yes even raise the dead, she must conform to the pattern laid out in scripture. In other words conform to God's plan, for He has a plan for everything. I do not believe He hounors what's not according to His blueprint.

Elder is the man Bishop is the office(clear as a crystal in Titye one), there is no reference in the NT of one ruling Elder, it is always the Elders plural. If you seperate the laity(clergy\layman, that is the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes and Christ said I hate that.

In the Levitical priesthood a priest started his service at 30 yrs. old, retired at 50 or 55 I forget right now. At any rate after retiring he was considered a Elder and could be appointed to the Sanhederin. I say could because you didn't haft to be of the tribe of Levy to be appointed to the Sanhedran. I said that to say this. There are a lot of simularites between the livitical presthood and the new priesthood which is the Church. We are all priest. One other thing the only seperation, in the Levitical priesthood was the High Priest and we know where and who our High Priest is.