CHRISTIAN APOSTOLIC ANSWERS

trlitteral@usa.net

ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS

Links on these pages are not necessarily endorsements and unless you say not to I will post the questions at my discresion.
No names unless you insist!

Q: Aren't the office of Pastor and Bishop the same?

A: The term used for Bishop is also translated "elder" and "overseer." The meaning of this term is overseer. This has the same meaning as head steward or foreman. Like the foremen of today they are to get their instructions from the "Boss" and then see that these instructions are carried out. Many other aspects of this anology apply. You have to do what the foreman says since he just tells you what the boss has said but if the boss tells you to do differently than the foreman the boss' word carries the weight.

The term used for Pastor in the mid-east is applied to the "lead sheep" and is jokingly applied to the undershepherds. These undershepherds had the most menial tasks of the shepherds. They were usually only given the task of watching the sheep after they had been penned up for the night. This meant that their main job was to keep anything from dragging the sheep out or getting in to get the defenseless trapped animals and to make sure that the sheep were feed and watered.

From these illustrations you can "glean" the functions of these two offices.

The authority of each comes from the administration of the masters will and involves service to the "flock" and "employees," not domination of the sheep or servants.

This makes the "offices" of bishop and elder the same but leaves the position (not really an office) of pastor of different structure but similar function.