Elders (4245) presbuteros by Greek Word Studies

Elders (4245) (presbuteros the comparative form of présbus = an old man or an ambassador) (Click Vine's discussion) referred to men who were older or more senior with no negative connotations but rather a sense of venerability. Presbuteros is transliterated into English as “presbyter” (a leader in one of the Jewish communities--especially a member of the Sanhedrin--or of the early Christian churches) and from which the word “priest” (from Late Latin presbyter) was derived. Presbuteros is used 5.6" class="scriptRef">67 in NT: 5.2" class="scriptRef">Matt. 15:2; 16:21; 3" class="scriptRef">21:4.23" class="scriptRef">23; 26:3, 47, 57; 27:1, 3, 12, 20, 41; 8" class="scriptRef">8.12" class="scriptRef">28:12; Mk. 7:3, 5; 8:31; 11.27" class="scriptRef">11:27; 14.43" class="scriptRef">14:43, 53; 15:1; Lk. 7:3; 9:22; 15:25; 20:1; 22:52; Jn. 8:9; 17" class="scriptRef">Acts 2:17; 4:5, 8, 23; 6:12; 11:30; 14:23; 15:2, 4, 6, 22,23; 16:4; 20:17; 21:18; 23:14; 24:1; 25:15; 1Ti 5:1, 2, 17, 19; Titus 1:5; Heb. 11:2; James. 5:14; 1Pet. 5:1, 5; 2Jn. 1:1; 3Jn. 1:1; Re 4:4, 10; 5:5, 6, 8, 11, 14; 7:11, 13; 11:16; 14:3; 19:4. The NAS translates presbuteros as - elder(3), elders(57), men of old(1), old men(1), older(1), older man(1), older ones(1),older women(1). KJV - V - elder 64, old man 1, eldest 1, elder woman 1; 67 Presbuteros is used 4.4" class="scriptRef">4.32.6" class="scriptRef">6.14" class="scriptRef">14" class="scriptRef">14" class="scriptRef">14" class="scriptRef">144 times in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (LXX) - 8" class="scriptRef">8.11" class="scriptRef">11-Gen.18.33" class="scriptRef">Gen. 18:11f; 9.4" class="scriptRef">19:4, 24.31" class="scriptRef">31" class="scriptRef">31, 33f, 37; 24:1f; 27:1, 5" class="scriptRef">15" class="scriptRef">15, 42; 29:26; 35:29; 43:27; 44:12, 20; 50:7; Exod. 10:9; 17:5; 18:12; 19:7; 24:1, 14; 30" class="scriptRef">30" class="scriptRef">34:30; Lev. 4:15; 32" class="scriptRef">19:32; 16" class="scriptRef">Num. 11:16, 24f, 30; 16:25; Deut. 31:9, 28" class="scriptRef">28; 32:7; Jos. 7:6, 23; 8:10, 30; 9:11; 13" class="scriptRef">13.1" class="scriptRef">13:1; 23:1; 24:1, 31; Jdg. 2:7; 8:14, 16; 11:5, 7ff; 21:16; Ruth 4:2, 4, 9, 11; 1 Sam. 4:3; 15:30; 16:4; 30:26; 2 Sam. 3:17; 5:3; 12:17; 17:4, 15; 19:11, 32; 1 Ki. 1:1; 8:1; 12:6, 8, 13, 24; 20:7f; 21:8, 11; 2 Ki. 6:32; 10:1, 5; 19:2; 23:1; 1 Chr. 11:3; 15:25; 21:16; 2 Chr. 5:2, 4; 10:6, 8, 13; 15:13; 22:1; 32:3; 34:29; 36:17; Ezr. 3:12; 5:9; 6:7f, 14; 10:8, 14; Job 1:13, 18; 12:20; 32:4, 6; 42:17; Ps. 105:22; 107:32; 119:100; Prov. 20:29; Eccl. 4:13; Is. 3:2, 14; 24:23; 37:2; 47:6; Jer. 6:11; 19:1; 26:17; 29:1; 32:8; Lam. 1:19; 2:10; 5:12; Ezek. 7:26; 8:1, 11f; 9:6; 14:1; 16:46, 61; 20:1, 3; 23:4; 27:9; Joel 1:2, 14; 2:16, 28; Zech. 8:4; The secular practice was for older men with seniority to serve as ambassadors to other states and as advisors within the Greek political community or in the management of public affairs. So these were men of "ripe age" and experience to whom was committed the direction and government of individual churches. It should be emphasized that in the context of its Biblical use the concept of elder had less to do with age per se than with the quality of one's spiritual character (reputation is what others think about you but character is what those most intimately associated know is really true about you) and possession of the ability to teach. Simply being older, including even being older in the faith, does not by itself qualify a man for leadership in the church. Presbuteros on rare occasion is used to refer to one who is simply older than another (albeit not necessarily advanced in years) as in the story of the prodigal son where Luke records "Now his older (presbuteros) son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing." (Lk 15:25 cf Septuagint use in Job 1:13). In Hebrews presbuteros is used to refer to those men and women in the Old Testament who were genuine believers, the writer recording that "For by it (faith) the men of old (presbuteros) gained approval." (Heb 11:2 note) Presbuteros is used some 145 times in the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew) usually to translate the Hebrew word "zaqen" (thought to be derived from "beard" or "chin") and used to refer to advanced age (as in Ge 18:11 "Now Abraham and Sarah were old [Hebrew = zaqen, Gk = presbuteros], advanced in age. Sarah was past childbearing."), experience, and authority, as well as specific leadership roles. Refer to the article in Holman's Dictionary (Easton; ISBE-NT ISBE-OT) for more in depth discussion of "elders", as used in the Old and New Testaments. In general, depending on the context, the NT uses presbuteros to refer to several distinct groups: (1) older persons advanced in years ("Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers" 1Ti 5:1, cf Acts 2:17); (2) Jewish elders - this is the primary idea in the 44 uses of presbuteros in the Gospels and Acts where it usually refer to the Jewish leaders who were opposed to Jesus. (“The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders (presbuteros) and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.” (Lk 9:22). These elders in the Jewish community were usually associated with the scribes and Pharisees and at the time of Jesus the elders seem to refer especially to those who were members of the Sanhedrin ("council" in most translations, highest ruling body and court of justice among Jews headed by high priest, composed of 71 men including "elders", and scribes most of whom were Pharisees and granted some authority over religious and judicial matters), the gospel writer Mark recording that "they led Jesus away to the high priest; and all the chief priests and the elders (presbuteros) and the scribes gathered together." (Mk 14:53). Note that Acts also uses presbuteros to describe the spiritually mature leaders of the young, growing church of Jesus Christ (click here for discussion of these "elders"); (3) The 24 elders of Revelation ("And around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders (presbuteros) sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads." Rev 4:4 - see note) (4) Spiritually mature leaders of the church, as used here in Titus. Presbuteros meaning church elders is discussed initially in Acts, refined in the "pastoral epistles" (especially 1Timothy and Titus), and briefly mentioned in James and 1 Peter. In first Timothy Paul says "Let the elders (presbuteros) who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching...Do not receive an accusation against an elder (presbuteros) except on the basis of two or three witnesses." (1Ti 5:17,19) Most of the following discussion deals with presbuteros as it refers to the elders in the local body of Christ. In the book of Acts, Luke has several references to "elders" in the sense of spiritually mature leaders in the church. In a very instructive passage we read "And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. And now the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present." (Acts 21:17-18) John MacArthur has an excellent summary of the evolution of elder rule commenting that "the mention of James and all the elders marks a significant change in that leadership. When the church at Jerusalem began, it was ruled by the apostles (Acts 2:42; 4:35, 36, 37; 5:2). As the church grew, the apostles recognized the need for assistance with the administrative details, and seven men were chosen to serve under them (Acts 6:2, 3, 4, 5, 6). Elders are first mentioned in Acts 11:30, and by the time of the Jerusalem Council they had assumed a prominent role ("And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue" Acts 15:2, "And when they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them." Acts 15:4, "And the apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter." Acts 15:6, "Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren, and they sent this letter by them, “The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings." Acts 15:22, 23; "Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees, which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe" Acts 16:4). Now Paul and the others found the church led by the elders alone; the apostles are not mentioned. At least one was already dead—James the brother of John (Acts 12:2). The others had turned over the leadership responsibilities to the elders and left the city to engage in missionary work. Elder rule was thus being established as the New Testament pattern of church government (cf. "And when they (Paul and Barnabas) had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed." Acts 14:23; 20:17)." (MacArthur, J: Acts 1-12; Acts 13-28 Moody Press) Relationship of ELDER, OVERSEER, PASTOR John MacArthur also has an excellent summary of the word "elder" and how it relates to pastor and overseer, writing that elder is "a general term referring to those who are also called “overseers” in 1Ti 3:1 ("It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer (episkopos), it is a fine work he desires to do"). That the titles elder, pastor, and overseer all describe the same person is made clear by the use of all three words to describe the same men in Acts 20:17, 28. ("And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders (presbuteros) of the church....Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers (episkopos), to shepherd (poimaino = tend flocks like a shepherd - oversight, protecting, leading, guiding, feeding. Root word poimén = shepherd, one who generally cares for flocks, translated "pastors" in Ephesians 4:11-note) the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.") The term “pastor” (English word is from Latin "pastor" = herdsman, from pascere = to feed) emphasizes their shepherding or feeding function, “overseer” their authority and leading function, and “elder” their spiritual maturity. This passage assumes such elders are qualified." (MacArthur, John: 1Timothy Moody Press) In a similarly instructive passage Peter writes Therefore, I exhort the elders (presbuteros) among you, as your fellow elder (sumpresbuteros) and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed (1Peter 5:1-note). Then Peter summarizes the function of an elder writing Shepherd (poimaino - aorist imperative = Do it now and do it effectively) the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness." (1Pe 5:2-note) The writer of Hebrews exhorts his readers to... Obey (present imperative = command to continually obey) your leaders (including almost certainly the elders), and submit (present imperative = command to continually submit) to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. (He 13:17-note) This should be a sobering reminder to all church leaders that they will someday give an account to God for their stewardship of God's flock and how they have led those committed to their charge. Will the leaders of your church be able to tell God that leading you was a pleasure when they stand before Him? James makes mention of elders and their function in his discussion of illness, asking Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord (James 5:14). MacArthur in commenting on this passage (note that not all of his comments on the controversial aspects of this passage are included as we dealing primarily with NT elders) writes that the elders of the church "are the spiritually strong, the spiritually mature, the spiritually victorious. Weak, defeated believers are to go to them and draw on their strength. They are to call (from proskaleō, “to call alongside”) the elders to come and lift them up. It is the same thought that the apostle Paul expressed in Galatians 6:1: “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.” The wounded, exhausted, broken sheep are to go to their shepherds, who will intercede for them and ask God for renewed spiritual strength on their behalf. This is an important—and largely neglected—ministry of the church’s pastors and elders. The apostles acknowledged its priority when they said, “We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). But in today’s church, weak, struggling believers are often handed over to so-called expert professional counselors—who often have little power in prayer. Those who have been defeated in the spiritual battle do not need to hear opinions of human wisdom; they need to be strengthened by the power of God through their leaders’ prayers." (Macarthur J. James. Moody) The "elders" in Titus 1:5 are also referred to as an "overseer" in (Titus 1:7-note) Paul noting that "the overseer (episkopos) must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain," which equates these two offices as discussed in more detail above. One sees a similar parallel use of these term in Acts 20 where Paul at Miletus "sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church" (Acts 20:17) later in his parting remarks, warning the Ephesian elders to "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, (episkopos) to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." (Acts 20:28) Note the mention of the role of the Holy Spirit in the "appointing" of elders/overseers. So as Titus interacted with churches in each city appointing elders, it would be imperative for him (and each church body) to rely on the leading of the Holy Spirit in the appointment process. An excellent "model" for this process was provided "at Antioch" for "in the church that was there, (there were) prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (Acts 13:1, 13:2) The practice of appointing elders in every city parallels Paul's practice on his "First Missionary Journey" to Asia (Acts 12-14) for Luke records that "after they (Barnabas and Paul) had preached the gospel to that city (Derbe) and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." And when they had appointed (voted by raising their hands) elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed." (Acts 14:21 22, 23) One should not envision Barnabas and Paul arriving in Lystra and authoritatively appointing elders that the local assemblies had themselves neither approved or known. Their ultimate "fitness" of elders was determined by the criteria in the following verses, criteria that would only be well known to those in the local assembly. Titus in delineating these requirements and probably also "chairing" the actual selection process (although that is not clearly stated) would be fulfilling Paul's call to "appoint elders". Wiersbe adds that "Titus was not the spiritual dictator of the island, but he was Paul’s official apostolic representative with authority to work." Every (2596) city (4172) could be a relatively large number for Smith's Bible Dictionary says "in early times (Crete) was celebrated for its hundred cities" (Clarke refers to Crete as a "hecatopolis or hundred cities"). Thus the charge to appoint elders in every city suggests that Crete had been extensively evangelized, making these specific organizational tasks of paramount importance. As to how Crete was initially evangelized, we cannot be absolutely sure but Luke does record that Jewish Cretans were among those in Jerusalem at Pentecost who heard Peter's proclamation (Acts 2:11). It is reasonable to assume that they probably brought the gospel back to Crete when they returned home, but this premise cannot be proven from Scripture. Calvin alludes to the critical importance of elders in every city writing that "In the spiritual building (Ed note: not a physical building but the mystical body of Christ) this nearly comes next to doctrine, that (elders) be (appointed), to take charge of governing the Church; and therefore Paul mentions it here in preference to everything else". Directed (1299) (diatasso from dia = through + tasso = order) means to give (detailed) instructions as to what must be done. "As I directed you" indicates that Paul had previously given Titus similar instructions (probably orally but now written out). By providing written confirmation of Paul's apostolic charge, the churches in every city would know that appointments by Titus were made under a divine mandate. ><>><>><> Our Daily Bread has the following devotional on this verse... Golf teaches us, among other things, that we can't always take the easy way out of a difficult situation. When a ball rolls off the fairway and into the rough, the golfer isn't permitted to pick it up and place it where it will be easier to play. He must hit the ball from the rough. Young Titus found himself "in the rough." He had been left in Crete, charged with the task of building up the Lord's work there. But he encountered problems. The Cretans were generally deceitful, immoral, and lazy, and this spirit had invaded the churches. Problem people were causing division. Paul realized that his friend needed encouragement, so he wrote to him. He began his letter by saying, in essence, "Yes, things are bad in Crete. But that's exactly why I left you there. God can use you to bring about great and necessary changes." Titus listened, and he succeeded. Although the Bible doesn't record the results of this encouraging letter from Paul, archeologists have found the remains of stately churches that had the name "Titus" inscribed on their cornerstones. Whenever we are in a difficult place, we don't help ourselves by looking for the easy way out. Instead, by exercising our faith in God and facing the challenge, we can battle our way through the problem. We'll become better people, and we'll discover that God can make us victorious. —H. V. Lugt (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) The greater the problem, the greater our opportunity to tap God's power. Titus 1:6 namely, if any man is (3SPAI) above reproach, the husband of one wife, having (PAPMSN) children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. (NASB: Lockman) Greek: ei tis estin (3SPAI) anegkletos, mias gunaikos aner, tekna echon (PAPMSN) pista, me en kategoria| asotias e anupotakta. Amplified: [These elders should be] men who are of unquestionable integrity and are irreproachable, the husband of [but] one wife, whose children are [well trained and are] believers, not open to the accusation of being loose in morals and conduct or unruly and disorderly. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) Barclay: An elder is a man whose conduct must be beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, with children who are also believers, who cannot be accused of profligacy, and who are not undisciplined. (Westminster Press) KJV: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. Phillips: They were to be men of unquestioned integrity with only one wife, and with children brought up as Christians and not likely to be accused of loose living or law-breaking. (Phillips: Touchstone) Wuest: if a certain man is such that no charge can be brought against him, a one-wife kind of a man [that is, married only once], having children who are believers, who are not such as could be charged with dissolute living or cannot be subjected to control (Eerdmans) Young's Literal: if any one is blameless, of one wife a husband, having children stedfast, not under accusation of riotous living or insubordinate NAMELY IF ANY MAN IS ABOVE REPROACH: ei tis estin (3SPAI) anegkletos: (1Ti 3:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) (Naves topic "Elder") (ISBE article "NT Elder", "OT Elder") (Titus 1: 6 by John MacArthur ) Men having a good record" (BBE) a certain man is such that no charge can be brought against him" (Wuest) men of unquestioned integrity" (Phillips) blameless" (KJV) a man must not be guilty of doing wrong" (ICB) A spiritual leader must have a good reputation" (GWT) must be well thought of for his good life" (NLT) be free from all charge against him" (Darby) be without crime" (DRB) be without fault" (TEV) The men you choose must be well thought of for their good lives" (TLB) of unquestionable integrity and are irreproachable" (Amp) each of them must be a man of irreproachable character" (NJB) wherever there is a man of blameless life" (WNT) "If" (810) (ei) is a "first class conditional" statement which assumes that what follows is true. Therefore "if any man is above reproach" does not imply doubt but rather assumes that the fact is established and the importance of this foundational requirement is brought out but repetition of the phrase in the following verse and is therefore the primary overarching requirement for elders. The subsequent qualifications elaborate on what it means to be above reproach. This primary condition of blamelessness is repeated and strongly emphasized by the verb form “he must” in Titus1:7 as it is the basic condition for evaluating the prospective elder with regard to the specific qualifications which follow. The island of Crete was filled with rebellious men and thus Paul was especially sensitive that the witness of the new church not compromised by objections to its newly chosen elders. The same motivation should be true today. Life Application Bible Commentary has an excellent summary statement on elder qualifications "Notice that most of the qualifications involve character, not knowledge or skill. A person’s life-style and relationships provide a window into his or her character. Consider these qualifications as you evaluate people for positions of leadership in your church. It is important to have leaders who can effectively preach God’s Word; but even more importantly, they must live out God’s Word and be examples for others to follow." (bolding added) Our Daily Bread has the following devotional... "Stuart Briscoe writes about a funeral for a war veteran in which the man's military buddies had a role in the memorial service. The friends requested that the minister lead them to the casket for a moment of silence. They would then follow the pastor out a side door. The plan was carried out with military precision--until the minister marched them into a broom closet. The soldiers had to make a disorganized retreat. That pastor made an honest mistake, but it illustrates that leaders must know where they are going. As go the leaders, so go the followers....Whether you're leading or following, know where you're going. Don't march into a dead end. The only leader worth following is the leader who is following Christ." (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) Before you follow a leader, Check his beliefs, and pray; Be sure he's following Jesus, And that he knows the way. --Hess

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Elders (4245) presbuteros

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