‘Elder’ preserves better than ‘presbyter’ the history of the title, which goes back to the fact that tribes wore governed by the heads of their component families. ‘Elder’ is probably the earliest name, after ‘apostle,’ for a Christian official (Acts 11:30). See Bishop and Church Government.
A. Plummer.
Originally written as two different dictionaries, this complete dictionary/encyclopedia of the New Testament, written by James Hastings, is a thorough look at Christ and the Apostolic Church.Wikipedia
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