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(retained in the Scotch "kirk") to the Saxon "church". When applied to Christ Himself,
the office of Bishop is linked with that of Shepherd:
"For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and
Bishop of your souls" (I Pet. 2: 25).
In chapter 5: of the same epistle we find the figure of "feeding the flock" associated
with "elders" and Christ Himself as "the Chief Shepherd". Paul uses the same figure in
Acts 20:, where he speaks of the "elders" being made "bishops" (or "overseers") over
"the flock" (Acts 20: 28).
It is a striking tribute to Dean Alford's honesty to read in his Greek N.T. the following
frank statement concerning the A.V. translation "overseers" in this passage. Irenaeus is
quoted as teaching (1) that "bishops" and "elders" were two distinct titles, and (2) that
neighbouring churches were brought in so that there might not seem to be episkopoi in
one church only.
"That neither of these was the case", the Dean comments, "is clearly shown by the
plain words of this verse: he sent to Ephesus, and summoned the elders of the church.
So early did interested and disingenuous interpretations begin to cloud the light which
Scripture might have thrown on ecclesiastical questions. The A.V. has hardly dealt fairly
in this case with the sacred text, in rendering episkopos (ver. 28) `overseers': whereas it
ought to have been `bishops', that the fact of elders and bishops having been originally
and apostolically synonymous might be apparent to the ordinary English reader, which
now it is not" (Alford in loco).
If we turn to the pastoral epistles we shall received abundant confirmation of the fact
that the words "presbyter" and "bishop" are synonymous.
"For this cause I left thee in Crete . . . . . and ordain elders (presbyters) in every city
. . . . . if any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused
of riot and unruly. For a bishop (episkopos) must be blameless, as the steward of God;
not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre:
but a lover of good men, just, holy, temperate" (Titus 1: 5-8).
It is quite clear here that the Apostle uses the two titles presbuteros and episkopos of
one and the same office. This can also be confirmed by comparing the passage quoted
above (Titus 1: 5-8) with I Tim. 3: 1-7:
"If a man desire the office of a bishop . . . . . he must be blameless, the husband of one
wife . . . . . apt to teach; not given to wine, no striker, not guilty of filthy lucre . . . . . one
that ruleth his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity"
(I Tim. 3: 1-4).
The next two verses provide further light upon the "office of a bishop":
"For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the
church of God?" (I Tim. 3: 5).