Chapter 61: Presbyters or Bishops. The Angels of the Seven Churches. James of Jerusalem

The early Christian Church, expanding beyond the apostolic nucleus, entrusted its daily governance and pastoral care to local leaders known as presbyters or bishops. Originally synonymous, these titles signified elders who shepherded their congregations in the wake of the apostles’ departure. While extraordinary offices ceased, these ordinary ministers ensured the Church’s ongoing vitality, gradually evolving—under historical and spiritual necessity—into a more defined and hierarchical episcopate.

1. Presbyters and Bishops: One Office, Two Names

In the New Testament, the terms presbyter (elder) and bishop (overseer) refer not to separate offices but to one and the same. This unity is apparent in:

  • Plurality in congregations: Even in smaller churches like Philippi, presbyters/bishops are always mentioned in the plural (Phil. 1:1).
  • Terminological interchange: In Acts 20, Paul calls the Ephesian church leaders “presbyters” (v. 17) and “bishops” (v. 28).
  • Pastoral Epistles: Paul outlines qualifications for “bishops” and “deacons,” yet uses “presbyter” interchangeably (1 Tim. 3; Titus 1:5–7).
  • Peter’s exhortation: The apostle appeals to presbyters to “shepherd” the flock and “oversee” it, uniting pastoral and episcopal roles (1 Pet. 5:1–2).

This interchange of terminology persisted through the first century, as seen in Clement of Rome and the Didache. Only from the time of Ignatius onward did a distinction emerge: the bishop became the monarchical head of a congregation, and later, of a diocese.

As Bishop Lightfoot concisely states: “The episcopate was formed, not out of the apostolic order by localization, but out of the presbyteral by elevation.” Even Jerome recognized this, describing bishops as a practical development to prevent schism, not a separate apostolic order.

2. The Origins of the Local Ministry

Though Scripture does not narrate the institution of presbyter-bishops, the office is first mentioned in Jerusalem by A.D. 44 (Acts 11:30). Jewish Christian congregations naturally adopted the elder-led model of the synagogue. The Gentile churches, in turn, used the term “bishop,” familiar from Greco-Roman civic administration.

Paul and Barnabas, after founding churches in Asia Minor, promptly appointed elders in every city (Acts 14:23). This shows that the pastoral office was an essential, not optional, element of early Christian community life.

3. The Role and Function of Presbyters

Presbyters were spiritual shepherds tasked with:

  • Teaching and preaching
  • Overseeing worship and sacraments
  • Exercising discipline and pastoral care
  • Managing congregational resources and almsgiving

They were chosen from among the faithful—usually from first-generation converts—by apostolic appointment or congregational election, and formally ordained through prayer and the laying on of hands (1 Tim. 4:14).

Presbyters functioned corporately. Churches were governed by a presbyterion—a body of elders—as seen in Jerusalem, Ephesus, Philippi, and during Timothy’s ordination. While no official hierarchy among them is described in the New Testament, it is likely that duties were shared according to gifts and experience. Over time, a chief presbyter—perhaps informally designated—was distinguished as “bishop,” laying the groundwork for the later episcopal office.

The Reformed distinction between “teaching elders” and “ruling elders,” though useful, lacks explicit New Testament support. The pastoral epistles present the ability to teach as an essential qualification for all presbyters (1 Tim. 3:2).

4. The Angels of the Seven Churches

The “angels” of the seven churches in Revelation (Rev. 2–3) are best understood as local presbyter-bishops or leading pastors. They are messengers (Greek: angeloi) charged with spiritual oversight and held accountable by the Lord of the Church. If Revelation was written before A.D. 70, as many scholars hold, then the congregations were still under elder-rule, not yet full episcopal monarchs.

Whether single persons or representative figures, the “angels” functioned at a congregational level. They represent a transitional stage between the collegial elder-led churches and the later Ignatian model of a bishop presiding over the presbytery.

5. James of Jerusalem: A Unique Ecclesiastical Figure

James, the brother of the Lord, held a singular position in the mother church at Jerusalem. Though not an apostle, he acted as its spiritual leader. In post-apostolic traditions, he is depicted as both bishop and proto-pope. Yet his role was more honorary and exemplary than hierarchical.

Paul, in his final visit to Jerusalem, reports not to James alone, but to the whole body of presbyters (Acts 21:18). James’s influence stemmed from his familial relation to Jesus and his piety, not from a formal episcopal office.

The Path to the Episcopate

The episcopate, as a distinct and elevated order, cannot be firmly traced to the apostolic age. However, by the mid-second century, episcopacy had become nearly universal. Its development arose gradually and organically out of the presidency of the presbyterial college, shaped by the Church’s growing need for unity, oversight, and pastoral continuity.

The office of bishop eventually concentrated oversight in one figure, first as congregational president, then as diocesan shepherd, and finally—centuries later—as a patriarch or pope. Yet beneath this development lies the original presbyteral identity: shared leadership, pastoral care, and faithful teaching in the name of Christ.

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