Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

Notes

Presbyteros in 1 Timothy 5:1 is correctly translated by the NASB as “older man.” The context refers to age and gender, not to the office of elder. The comparison is between older men and younger men and older women and younger women. Paul is not referring to elders and elderesses. In verse 17 of this same chapter, however, presbyteroi must be translated as “elders” in the official sense of community leaders. The word presbyteros bears both meanings. The context alone determines the difference. John the apostle, refers to himself as ho presbyteros, “the elder,” but it is not clear exactly what he means by this self-designation. The Second Epistle of John begins with the words, “The elder [ho presbyteros] to the chosen lady and her children.” The Third Epistle also begins, “The elder to the beloved Gaius.” John could mean that he was “the elder,” par ex cellence, that is, the distinguished Christian teacher and leader of the Church because of his unique status as the only living original apostle. Or ho presbyteros may be simply an honorable title John acquired in his old age, meaning “the ancient one,” “the senior man,” or “the patriarch.” Either view is possible, and the last is perhaps best. At the time John wrote these epistles, he was an exceptionally old man, “a veritable patri arch in age” writes John Stott (John R.W. Stott, The Epistle of John, Tyndale Bible Commentaries [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964], p. 40). By using ho presbyteros, in the sense of age, John is referring to himself as “the aged one,” “the ancient one,” “the senior man.” It is, therefore, a well-known, special designation of honor bestowed on him by the Chris tian community. According to many Bible translations, Paul also refers to himself as “the old man” or “the aged one.” In Philemon 9 we read, “Paul, the aged [presbytes], and now also the prisoner of Christ Jesus.” Many commenta tors, however, understand presbyte's here to mean “ambassador,” not “old man.” The meaning of presbyte’s in this passage is a debatable point. T.C. Skeat (1907-1992), former Keeper of Manuscripts of the British Mu seum, documents from Greek literature examples of malista used as a defining term. He argues quite effectively that Paul uses malista as a de fining terrn in 1 Timothy 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:13 and Titus 1210; see “‘Es pecially the Parchmentsz’ A Note on 2 Timothy 4:13,” in The Journal of Theological Studies 30 (April, 1979): 173-177. Knight, The Pastoral Epistles, p. 232. RC. Sproul, “The Whole Man,” in The Preacher and Preaching, ed. S. T. Logan (Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1986), pp. 107,108. Most commentators think that the two terms “shepherds” and “teachers” refer to one group: shepherd-teachers. Others think that “shepherds” and “teachers” are two entirely distinct groups. Daniel B. Wallace argues quite effectively for the view that the two terms are distinct, yet related. He

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