Hope of Israel Ministries (Ecclesia of YEHOVAH):

We read in Ephesians 4:11-13:

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature..." (Ephesians 4:11-13).

With this last classification in the list of Ephesians 4, we are getting down to the actual organized government in YEHOVAH God's Church -- that of the LOCAL CHURCH LEVEL.

The word "pastors" in the above passage come from the Greek word poimen, which means "shepherd, superintendent." In the New Testament this word "pastor" is linked with two other words that mean EXACTLY the same thing:

"To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers -- not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the FLOCK" (1 Peter 5:1).

These same words are linked together in Acts 20:16, where Luke writes:

"Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible by the day of Pentecost. From Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they arrived he said to them;...Keep watch over yourselves and ALL THE FLOCK of which the holy spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he has bought with his own blood."

We find, in Titus 1:5-7, that two of these words are linked together:

"An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless..."

These verses plainly reveal that pastors (shepherds), elders and overseers are identical and fulfill the SAME ROLE or function in the local churches.

Author Ralph Woodrow makes the following statement:

"Paul instructed Titus to 'ordain elders in every city' (Titus 1:5), and then went on to speak of these elders as bishops (verse 7). When Paul instructed 'the elders' of Ephesus, he said: 'Take heed unto yourselves, and to the flock over which the holy ghost hath made you overseers (bishops), to feed (pastor) the church of God' (Acts 20:17, 28). The word translated 'overseers' is the same word that is elsewhere translated bishops. The word 'feed' means the same as the word translated pastor. These ministers were referred to as elders, bishops, overseers, and pastors -- all of these expressions referring to exactly the same office." [1]

Laying this out in chart form we have the following:

Presbuteros --- Elder (Older Man)

Episkopos ---------------- Overseer

Poimen --------- Shepherd (Pastor)

The term pastor (Gr. poimen) is defined as "shepherd, superintendent." overseer (Gr. e.pisko.pos) is defined as "a superintendent, an overseer, an inspector; a bishop or overseer of the Christian Church." The word elder (older man -- Gr. presbuteros) means "an old man, an elder, a presbyter or priest."

Putting all these definitions together we can see that the man filling this office is an ELDER -- "old man" in the faith -- who is a SHEPHERD, superintendent, or OVERSEER of YEHOVAH God's Church.

Elder

Under the name "Older man" (elder) the following publication has this to say:

"As in fleshly Israel, so in spiritual Israel the 'older men' were those responsible for the direction of the congregation...in a few texts the 'older men' are called e.pisko.poi or 'overseers' ('bishops,' AV)...Over and above one's having attained spiritual maturity, the ability to teach, to exhort and to reprove clearly played a major part in one's being accredited as an 'older man' in the congregation. (I Tim.3:2; Titus 1:9) As 'shepherds,' the 'older men' would be principally responsible for the spiritual feeding of the flock, as well as for caring for those spiritually ill and for protecting the flock against invasion by wolfish elements. -- Acts 20:28-35; Jas. 5:14,15; 1 Peter 5:24....

"Even as each city in Israel had its 'older men' who guided and judged, so each city-congregation of spiritual Israel had its body of 'older men' or 'overseers,' these regularly being mentioned in the PLURAL, as at Jerusalem,...at Ephesus,...at Philippi,..and with regard to the 'laying of hands' on Timothy...Nothing is said of any term or period being assigned to the holding of the position of 'older man.' Since the appointment was an acknowledgment of the person's spiritual qualifications, it would appear that the 'older men' continued to be accredited as such as long as they did not prove unfaithful." [2]

Overseer

The same book has quite a bit of information about the next name -- OVERSEER:

"The Christian 'overseers' (e.pisko.poi) corresponds to those recognized as the 'older men' (pre.sbyte.roi) of the congregation. That BOTH of these are designations of the SAME position in the congregation can be seen from the instance of Paul's calling the 'older men of the congregation' of Ephesus to Miletus to meet with him there. In exhorting these 'older men,' he states: 'Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed you overseers (form of e.pisko.poi), to shepherd the congregation of God.' (Acts 20:17-28)

"The apostle further makes clear this identity in writing to Titus. He here speaks of Titus' making appointment of 'older men in city after city' and, in evident reference to such ones, he goes on to describe their qualifications but uses the term 'overseer' (e.pisko.pos) in doing so, as he also does in setting forth similar requirements when writing Timothy. -- Titus 1:5-9; 1 Tim. 3:1-7. 'older man' (pre.sbyte.ros) is the more basic (and far more frequent) designation for those appointed to exercise congregational direction, while "overseer" (e.pisko.pos) describes a fundamental responsibility this position entails." [3]

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words comments:

"Presbuteros, an elder, is another term for the same person as bishop or overseer...The term 'elder' [older man] indicates the mature spiritual experience and understanding of those so described; the term 'bishop,' or 'overseer,' indicates the character of the work undertaken. The earlier-mentioned work edited by G. Kittel says: 'They are elders in status (not in virtue of their age but in virtue of their position and accreditation), and they are bishops [overseers] in responsibility.'" [4]

The fact that these overseers or older men are also described as "shepherds of the flock of God," and "God's stewards" eliminates any thought of rule or authority like that exercised by kings, lords or masters (owners or employers). What authority the congregational overseers had was for the spiritual up-building of the brethren and the protection of the congregation's purity. A consideration of the Christian Greek Scriptures indicates that the overseers or older men in any one congregation were of equal authority. It may be noted that, in his congregational letters, Paul does not single out ANY ONE INDIVIDUAL as THE overseer, nor are these letters addressed to any individual as such.

Shepherd (Pastor)

The last of the three names -- shepherd, pastor -- is pictured in the following passage: "Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep..." (Hebrews13:20). YEHOVAH God is the "great Shepherd" under whose direction the overseers in Christian congregations shepherd the flock of YEHOVAH God.

Teacher

In Ephesians 4:11 you will notice that the word "teachers" is connected to that of "pastors." The Insight on the Scriptures expounds authoritatively:

"The position of teachers was of such importance that it is listed third, right after apostles and prophets, in the placement of members in the congregation (1 Cor.12:28). It was NOT a position filled by Christians generally (1 Cor.12:29) and never by women. Wrote the apostle Paul: 'I do not permit a woman to teach, or to exercise authority over a man' (1 Timothy 2:12). Overseers or older men appointed to their positions by the holy spirit served in this capacity." [5]

A Dictionary of the Bible points this out:

"Further, it [teacher] is also known by the name of 'pastor'; for the arrangement of the clauses ('and some' introducing each class) shows that the 'teachers' and the 'pastors' are the same persons. The distinction of the teacher from the evangelist is significant, suggesting the differentiation of function in which the evangelist preaches, declaring the gospel, and the teacher instructs the converts. The companion title 'pastor' points to a settled ministry within the Church as distinct from the traveling missionary activity of apostles and evangelists... [6]

Herbert W. Armstrong, in the Mystery of the Ages [7], makes a distinction BETWEEN pastor and teacher: "Pastors are stationary pastors over a local church or contingent group of local churches. THEN (emphasis mine) there were placed in the Church teachers -- not necessarily preachers." We have just seen, however, that this distinction is NOT implied in Ephesians 4:11. The original Greek couples "pastors" and "teachers" together -- making NO DISTINCTION between the two; so therefore "teachers" are not a SEPARATE function or role within the Church.

The Interpreter's Bible, sums this up well:

"The pastors and teachers are mentioned in a way that sets them apart from the former three categories; the form of the phrase might be taken to mean that these are dual titles for a single office -- reflecting the twofold task of the settled ministry, with its duties of pastoral care and instruction..." [8] 

Now that we have clearly defined and analyzed the different names and roles for a local Church pastor, let us rewrite the chart adding the responsibility of "teacher" to it:

Presbuteros --. Elder (Older Man)

Episkopos--------- Overseer

Poimen -------...-- Shepherd (Pastor)

Didaskalos--------- Teacher

To avoid confusion, let's pick one of these four words -- OVERSEER -- and use it from now on when we refer to this category of local Church government.

How Many Overseers?

The next question to ask, and a very important one at that, is: How many OVERSEERS were there in each local Church congregation? Let Ralph Woodrow, in his book, answer this question:

"In the New Testament, the full work of a church was not placed on one individual. Churches were commonly pastored by a plurality of elders [overseers] (plural) in 'every church' (Acts 14:19-23) and in 'every city' (Titus 1:5). Expressions such as 'the elders (plural) of the church' are commonly used (Acts 20:17; James 5:14)." [9] 

Let us now go through all the verses in the New Testament, including the ones quoted by Mr. Woodrow, that show the plurality of overseers in the local congregations:

ACTS 14:23: "Paul and Barnabas appointed elders [plural] for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord in whom they had put their trust."

PHILIPPIANS 1:1: "...To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers [plural] and deacons...."

I TIMOTHY 5:17: "The elders [plural] who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching."

TITUS 1:5: "The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders [plural] in every town, as I directed you."

I PETER 5:1: "To the elders [plural] among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed:"

ACTS 20:17: "From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders [plural] of the church."

ACTS 21:17: "When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present."

ACTS 11:29: "The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gifts to the elders [plural] by Barnabas and Saul."

ACTS 15:22: "Then the apostles and elders [plural], with the whole church [in Jerusalem], decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas."

After reading these verses there can be NO ARGUMENT whatsoever concerning the PLURALITY of overseers in each local congregation!

Shared Responsibility?

The next question to ask -- and one that bears on Church history-- is this: Did these overseers share responsibility, or did one assume the role of overall authority for the local congregation? The Insight on the Scriptures answers this question:

"A consideration of the Christian Greek Scriptures indicates that the overseers or older men in any one congregation WERE OF EQUAL AUTHORITY. It may be noted that, in his congregational letters, Paul does not single out any one individual as THE overseer, nor are these letters addressed to any individual as such." [10]

Did you notice that -- "nor are these letters addressed to any individual as such?" Does the Bible uphold this statement? Indeed it does! In Romans 1:7 Paul addresses the local Church in Rome: "To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints." In Ephesians 1:1 Paul handles it this way: "To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus." And again, in Colossians 1:2: "To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse."

I think it is worth noting that Paul is being very careful not to address his letters to one individual in each local Church, thereby trying to prevent the situation which the apostle John faced in III John 9: "I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us." Here we see an overseer trying to take all the authority to himself and divide the local congregation. This is a problem that occurred more frequently as the years slipped by until a single leader or bishop started to rule the local congregations in a monarchical form of government.

Notice what the Insight on the Scriptures has to say about this development:

"Whatever the way in which it developed, history shows that the position of overseer (e.pisko.pos) did eventually come to reside in one individual in each congregation with a resultant concentration of authority. In time such overseers even extended their control beyond their city to surrounding regions, forming a 'diocese.' The true sense of the term e.pisko.pos and the scriptural example were lost from view and the designation 'bishop' took on a perverted sense, becoming the title of men who 'lorded it over the flock'...

"Historical data as found in the writings of early Christians coincides with the picture found in the Christian Greek Scriptures...Thus, after pointing out that there is 'no trace in the New Testament of government by a single bishop...Douglas' New Bible Dictionary says: 'Among the Apostolic Fathers, Ignatius (of the first and second centuries C.E.) is the only one who insists on monarchical episcopacy, and even he never states that this is of divine institution -- an argument which would have been decisive, if it had been available for him to use.' Jerome (of the fourth century) is quoted as saying that the supremacy of a single bishop (e.pisko.pos) came about 'by custom rather than by the Lord's actual appointment'..." [11]

Two-By-Two

Having proved the PLURALITY of overseers in a local congregation, let's ask the next logical question -- how many overseers were there in each congregation? We can find a clue to this by going to Mark 6:7: "Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits." This principle is also mentioned in Luke 10:1: "After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go." If we couple this to John 8:17 we see that a definite number begins to emerge: "In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid."

Now, consider this for a moment: In Ephesians 1:22 Paul likens YEHOVAH's Church to the human body, the Messiah being the head and the brethren in the Messiah the body; therefore, wouldn't it be logical to have the hands represent TWO OVERSEERS who take care of and shepherd each local congregation? I believe this becomes evident when we study the two witnesses of Revelation 11. It can be proven that the two witnesses are leaders or overseers of a Philadelphia congregation. Therefore, putting all this information together, it becomes readily apparent that each local congregation or church has TWO overseers!

The fourth chapter of Zechariah corroborates the duality of overseers in YEHOVAH God's Church. Here we see the golden lampstand or menorah -- representing the Church -- receiving the spirit of YEHOVAH God from the two olive trees who "represent the two anointed ones who assist the LORD of all the earth."

Also consider for a moment the case of Diotrephes again: Here is a man "who loves to be first." If there were more than two overseers in each congregation -- say six -- it would be difficult for one overseer to gain the ascendancy without being prevented by the other overseers. Whereas, with two overseers, one could take all the authority and, if he had a large enough following, the other overseer would be powerless to do anything about it. This is how, in the early centuries of YEHOVAH God's Church, men began to usurp power and authority at the local Church level, thus forming the monarchical or "bishop-based" system that has come down to us through apostate churches.

Footnotes:

[1] Woodrow, Ralph, Babylon Mystery Religion: Ancient and Modern,  Ralph Woodrow Evangelistic Assn, Riverside, CA, 1981, p. 112

[2] Insight on the Scriptures, Vol. 2, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A. 1988, p. 549.

[3] Ibid., p. 564.

[4] Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Vol. l, pp.128,129.

[5] Insight on the Scriptures, p. 1073.

[6] Hastings, James, Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. l, T.& T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1951, page 691.

[7] Armstrong, Herbert W., Mystery of the Ages, Dodd, Mead & Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., 1985.

[8] The Interpreter's Bible, published by Abingdon Cokesbury Press, 1953, page 691.

[9] Woodrow, Ralph, Babylon Mystery Religion: Ancient and Modern, page 113.

[10] Insight on the Scriptures, Article "Overseer," page 564.

[11] Insight on the Scriptures.