Our Elders

What the Bible Says About Elders

And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

Acts 14:23

Our elders are the answer to the New Testament’s commands for the organization of the local church. The elders are a plurality of men who lead, watch over and spiritually feed our local group of God’s people according to God’s word. They are selected from among our members as men who meet the qualifications God has laid out in Titus 1:5–9 and 1 Timothy 3:1–9.

Elders (Presbyters)

The Greek word translated “elders” is presbyteros, which means “older in age.” This shows that the men selected for this work are those who, because of their age and experience, have the wisdom and qualifications to lead a local church. Every local church was to have elders, as the scripture above shows (Acts 14:23).

Bishops (Overseers)

These same men are called bishops in the New Testament. In Philippians 1:1 we see the entire organization of the local body of Christ when Paul wrote, “Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.” The Greek word for bishop is episkopos, which means “one who superintends or oversees another.” This speaks to the work of these men.

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Acts 20:28

Our elders oversee the work here at the Niceville Church of Christ and guide us according to the scriptures.

Pastors (Shepherds)

These men are also called pastors. Note again what Paul said in Acts 20:28: the elders were to “feed the church of God.” The root of the word “feed” in this verse is poimēn, which means “a shepherd, or one who tends a flock.” This is where we get the English word “pastor.” The same word is used in Ephesians 4:11: “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.” Note that it says not a pastor but pastors, plural.

A pastor can be a preacher, but a preacher is not necessarily a pastor. A pastor is a bishop and an elder: three different terms that refer to the same men in the same office. The different names simply describe different aspects of their work. They are older men (elders) who oversee the work of the church (bishops) and who lead, protect and feed (pastors) the local flock of God’s people.

One Office, Three Names

The apostle Peter uses all three of these terms to describe the same men:

The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

1 Peter 5:1–4

Therefore, the elders at the Niceville Church of Christ are a plurality of men who have met the scriptural qualifications to lead our local body, and who lead, feed and oversee the work we are commanded to do under our Head, Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22–23; Colossians 1:18).