Bethlen Évkönyv, 1993-1996 (Ligonier)

Dr. Eva M. Fabian: Qualifications, conflicts, compensations

Scholarship holds that overseer or superintendent would better convey the meaning of the Greek episkopos than bishop. The suggested translation would eliminate confusion and cancel the sharp distinction between the two officers. The more so, because, surprisingly, when the scripture refers to the duties of elders, the original text the verb episkopeo or the noun episkopos.

Peter, the chief of the apostles called himself a fellow elder, sumpresbuteros when he gave instructions to the elders of the churches. “Now as an elder myself... I exhort the elders among you to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising oversight... ” — episkopuntes! (1 Peter 5:1-2.)

When the Apostle Paul gave his farewell message to the elders of the Ephesus church, he said, “Keep watch over yourselves and over the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseer (episkopos!) to shepherd the church of God. ” (Acts 20:28.)

Consequently, when we study the qualifications for the office of elders, we should not stop at encountering the term bishop in our translation. As far as Christian character and lifestyle go, there is no difference in requirements. Distinction exists only in the range of duties and in the extent of responsibilities. (Please read also 1 Timothy 3:2-7 and 1 Peter 5:1-4 for further qualifications.)

An honest study of the requirements for eldership may lead us to a discouraging conclusion. Nobody among us is truly qualified to be an elder in the church of Jesus Christ. No matter how hard we would try to achieve even some of those character traits, we could not pull ourselves up to their level by our own bootsraps. Providentially, in Titus’s list, we find a modest, seemingly insigificent Christian attribute which may lead us to the other endowments. Servants of Jesus Christ, no matter what office we hold in His church, should be devout. Our devotional life, our relationship with God through Jesus Christ is the key to all the listed qualifications. Our church fathers taught us the biblical principles of Christian life and ministry in the doctrines of Sola Gratia, only by grace, Sola Fide, only by faith, and Sola Scriptura, only by the scriptures. They mean that we can receive new life, new character, new qualities only in Jesus Christ our Lord.

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