Church,  New Testament

Pastor, Elder, and Bishop: What’s the Difference?

How should you refer to your church leader? Most of us use the term pastor, but some use the term elder and even bishop. If you are confused by these different denominational terms you are not alone. A bishop is typically equated with Catholic or Eastern Orthodox churches, although Anglican and a few Lutheran churches also use the term. The term elder is often associated with the Mormon church and the young men you meet in ties on your front porch, though more evangelical churches are utilizing the term elder now. For most people, the term pastor is an easily-recognizable term referring to the spiritual leader of a church.

Photo of a pastor, elder, and a bishop

The Biblical Evidence

As far as personal history, I grew up in a Baptist church that had a pastor, an assistant pastor, and a deacon board that made church leadership decisions. It was not until high school that I was introduced to the idea of elder. I began to study what the Bible had to say about church leadership, and what I found was quite a bit different that what most churches practice.

The Term Elder in the Bible

The word for elder (presbuteros, πρεσβύτερος) is the most common NT term in reference both to leaders of the Jewish community (e.g., Matt 15:2) as well as the church (e.g., James 5:14; 1 Peter 5:1). Elder is often a generic reference to an older man (1 Tim 5:1), and because of the fact that age implies wisdom (cf. Job 12:12), it is a natural leadership term.

The Term Bishop in the Bible

The word for bishop (episkopos, ἐπίσκοπος) is used significantly less than elder (10x total). Because of the unavoidable connotations of the word bishop, this word is usually translated as overseer by modern English translations. In contrast to the idea of elder, the word for bishop/overseer communicates the role or responsibility of oversight, much like we think of the role of a guardian.

The Term Pastor in the Bible

The word for pastor (poimen, ποιμήν) simply means shepherd. Although not used as much as elder, it is used in significant passages which describe church leaders (cf. Eph 4:11; Acts 20:28; 1 Pet 5:2). It is used mostly in the verbal form, putting the stress on act of shepherding.

Pastor, Elder, Bishop: One Office, Three Roles

Although many denominations create hierarchical structures by utilizing some of these terms, I would argue that, according to Scripture, the three terms elder, bishop/overseer, and pastor turn out to be interchangeable and refer to the same individual. Three passages in particular demonstrate this.

In Acts 20:17-38 we see a beautiful reunion between Paul and the elders of the church of Ephesus (20:17). While talking to the elders of Ephesus, Paul reminds them that God has made them bishops/overseers (Acts 20:28a), and their task is to shepherd (“to care for,” ESV) the church of God (Acts 20:28b). Thus, all three terms: elder, bishop/overseer, and pastor are used to refer to the same group in Acts 20.

Similarly, 1 Peter 5:1-2 records Peter’s instructions to the elders of the church. They are to shepherd the flock (5:2a), and exercise oversight (5:2b). Again, Peter uses all three terms to describe the role of the elder in the church.

Finally, Titus 1:5-9 describes the qualifications of an elder (cf. 1 Timothy 3:1-7). In Titus 1:5 they are broadly introduced as elders, but in Titus 1:7 the individual is described as a bishop/overseer. Again, the terms seem to be interchangeable.

I think the visual representation of how these passages work together is well represented by Colin Smothers’ Ven diagram.

In contrast to the complicated hierarchies of some denominations, if we pay close attention to the biblical data, I would propose that the terms elder, bishop/overseer, and pastor refer to the same office of church leader and are interchangeable. The term elder emphasizes the general nature of church leadership being one of maturity and wisdom, the term bishop/overseer references the function of the church leader being one who oversees the church, and the term pastor (i.e., shepherd) refers to the method or process by which the leader leads the people of God.

So what should you call your church leader? Feel free to call him bishop, or pastor, or elder. They are technically all one in the same.

Peter serves at Shepherd's Theological Seminary in Cary, NC as the professor of Old Testament and Biblical Languages. He loves studying the Bible and helping others understand it. He also runs The Bible Sojourner podcast and Youtube channel.

One Comment

  • Mark Atterson

    Thanks for your article. I think an alternative possiblity is that elder is generic for mature christian leader. Therefore all first century positons were elders. If you drew a circle around elder. Within that circle you would have the other kinds of elders (Apostle (The Twelve), the Council Members in Jerusalem in Acts 15 of whom James presided with the Apostles as a part of the Jerusalem council, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers (or some would say pastor/teacher), The Seven (quite possibly and historically deacons), and Bishops (who presided over an area, the church, or various house churches). This plays out into the second century, giving Ignatius room to formalize the threefold hierarchy, making it more hierarchical in response to authority and heresy issues. Are all elders pastors, no. Are all pastors elders, yes. Are elders apostles, no. Are all apostles elders, yes. Are all elders deacons, no. Are all deacons elders, yes.

    Shepherding is how you lead which stems from the OT metaphors. An elder is a dignified community leader with a mature beard (Hebrew Zaken). The Christian leader or elder is required to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, and fulfills the 20 requirements found in Timothy and Titus. If elder is generic term for all Christian leadership, then we understand the bishop as an overseer, specifically over various house churches, an area, large assembly, or influential place. The pastor resides over a congregation. The pastor is an elder, but not all elders are pastor. The deacon assists and serves both bishop or pastor.

    Again, I believe an elder is a generic term for mature, Christian leader. The elder one big circle with the others found inside. After Ignatius in the second century, the elder or presbuteros (presbyter) became the pastor, keeping the overall idea. Then in the third to fifth century the pastor (presbyter) becomes a sacredos (Greek) or Cohen (Hebrew) because of the idea of the Eucharist becoming the altar. The word priest is a transliteration of the german prestus which is a translation of presbyter.

    Again, I believe this is a viable option. To the Jewish, first century Messianic community leaders were generically considered elders.

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