Five-fold ministry = Moses + 4 carriers of Ark??

[Cindy]

Originally Posted by Rev

And when they had appointed for them elders in every church (ceirotonhsantev de autoiv kat ekklhsian presbuterouv). They needed also some form of organization, though already churches. Note distributive use of kata with ekklhsian (#2:46; 5:42; Tit 1:5). ceirotonew (from ceirotonov, extending the hand, ceir, hand, and teinw, to stretch) is an old verb that originally meant to vote by show of the hands, finally to appoint with the approval of an assembly that chooses as in #2Co 8:19, and then to appoint without regard to choice as in Josephus (Ant. XIII. 2, 2) of the appointment of Jonathan as high priest by Alexander. So in #Ac 10:41 the compound proceiratonew is used of witnesses appointed by God. But the seven (deacons) were first selected by the Jerusalem church and then appointed (katasthsomen) by the apostles. That is probably the plan contemplated by Paul in his directions to Titus (#Tit 1:5) about the choice of elders. It is most likely that this plan was the one pursued by Paul and Barnabas with these churches. They selected the elders in each instance and Paul and Barnabas "ordained" them as we say, though the word ceirotonew does not mean that. "Elders" were mentioned first in #11:30. Later Paul will give the requirements expected in these "elders" or "bishops" (#Php 1:1) as in #1Ti 3:1-7; Tit 1:5-9. It is fairly certain that these elders were chosen to correspond in a general way with the elders in the Jewish synagogue after which the local church was largely copied as to organization and worship. Paul, like Jesus, constantly worshipped and spoke in the synagogues. Already it is plain, as at Antioch in Syria (#11:26), that the Christians can no longer count on the use of the Jewish synagogue. They must have an organization of their own. The use of the plural here implies what was true at Philippi (#Php 1:1) and Ephesus (#Ac 20:17,28) that each church (one in each city) "had its college of elders" (Hackett) as in Jerusalem (#21:18). Elder (presbuterov) was the Jewish name and bishop (episkopov) the Greek name for the same office. "Those who are called elders in speaking of Jewish communities are called bishops in speaking of Gentile communities" (Hackett). Hovey rightly holds against Hackett that teaching was a normal function of these elders, pastors or bishops as they were variously called (#1Ti 3:2; Tit 1:9; 1Co 12:28,30; Eph 4:11).

Over look the Greek words they won't copy here correctly.

Thank you, that explains it a lot better for me. So elders are not just someone that has been around a long time? That was my definition of an elder. They were actually ordained into office by the apostles? And so bishops are above a pastor? And the pastor is above the assembly of a particular church?