Foundations of Christian Leadership, Mentor's Guide, MG07

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F O U N D A T I O N S O F C H R I S T I A N L E A D E R S H I P

be recognized as one to speak on behalf of and represent the entire council of elders. The concept in the Church has been expanded through history to refer to the office of the bishop appointed or elected to oversee a number of pastors or groups of congregations in a given context. The standards of bishop are articulated in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, as well as the example of Jesus. As a “pastor of pastors,” bishops have historically come to represent the leaders of large areas and numbers of churches within his area of responsibility. While some traditions may reject the nomenclature (i.e., language) of the bishop, most groups have supervisors who assume the function of a bishop, i.e., ongoing oversight and supervision of churches in association together. Our objective for this segment, The Christian Leader as Bishop: Definition and Overview , is to enable you to see that: • The Greek NT term episkopos refers to the office of the “bishop,” and can be translated “overseer.” This term and its meaning can be traced through its usages in the Septuagint , in the classical Greek tradition, and finally within the New Testament itself. • The terms for “pastor,” “elder,” and “bishop” are virtually synonymous, and probably refer to the same office, with emphases on different roles and responsibilities of Christian leadership in the church. • The origins and the development of the office of the bishop may probably be connected to the council of elders in Jewish rulership where an elder could be recognized as one to speak on behalf of and represent the entire council of elders. • Through church history, the office of the bishop has expanded to refer to those individuals who have been either appointed or elected to a position of oversight over a number of pastors or groups of congregations in a given context. • The qualifications for bishop are clearly outlined in the New Testament, including extended passages in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, and concretely demonstrated in the example of Jesus, referred to as the “Shepherd and Bishop of our souls,” 1 Pet. 2.23. • Bishops have been selected in various ways through the history of the Church, and once installed, have been given substantive authority to oversee pastors and churches for their edification and growth. As “pastor of

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