The early church was found gathered in a circle of meetings at Jerusalem, Antioch, Ephesus, Colosse, Thessalonica and many other places. The sum total of Christians upon the earth at any given time constituted the church. They formed the one body of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit of God, the House of God, the Church of God.
But though one body they were necessarily separated by distance, and met in assemblies in different places. Connected with these assemblies were the offices of Bishop and Deacon.
We read of these offices particularly in 1 Tim. 3 and Titus 1:4-94To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. 5For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: 6If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. 7For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. (Titus 1:4‑9). An office differs from a gift in one marked respect. The gift is for the whole church of God-an office was local and connected with a particular assembly,, An apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher were such wherever they went, and equally so in every place. A bishop or deacon was such in the assembly to which he was appointed and nowhere else.
THE OFFICE OF A BISHOP.
The meaning of the word bishop means one who looks on; one who oversees, one who exercises a practical care for the spiritual welfare of the saints. The Greek word for bishop is episkopos (epi on; skopos, look on or consider). It occurs five times in the Scriptures, once referring to our Lord (1 Peter 2:2525For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. (1 Peter 2:25)), three times translated, bishop (Phil. 1:11Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: (Philippians 1:1); 1 Tim. 3:22A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach; (1 Timothy 3:2); Titus 1:77For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; (Titus 1:7)), and once translated overseer (Acts 20:2828Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. (Acts 20:28)).
Now Christendom has fastened on the word, bishop, and reared up a sacerdotal system called episcopacy, the word coined from the Greek word, episkopos. This is as far removed as possible from the simple unritualistic idea of Scripture.
Indeed, an authoritative writer of the Church of England has stated that the office of a bishop in the Bible is one thing, that of the present-day bishop quite another.
We have often wondered what the apostle Paul would have thought could he have walked through Paternoster Row, London, and seen the photos of the Bishop of London in his full regalia-miter, episcopal ring and bejeweled crozier, &c.
The apostles ordained the bishops or overseers. Their office was confined to only one assembly, one or more being appointed in each place.
The bishop's qualifications are enumerated in 1 Tim. 3. He had to be the husband of one wife. Converted out of paganism, where plurality of wives was allowed, some saints might have had more than one wife, but the bishop must have only one.
He must be sober, given to hospitality, apt to teach, one who ruled his own house well. The qualities, that would result in successful home life, such as self-restraint, wisdom, tact, ability to wisely rule, were just the same qualities that would shine in the assembly. He had not to be a novice lest he should be puffed up, and he must have a good report of those that were without.
It appears from the instructions given to Timothy and Titus that the apostle Paul empowered them as apostolic delegates to ordain elders-in the case of Titus in a particular district-Crete-where he labored.
THE OFFICE OF BISHOP NOT PERPETUATED.
But now we come to a very important point. There is no provision in Scripture for the continuance of t he office of a bishop. Paul appointed Timothy and Titus to ordain elders, but there is no instruction for this authority to be handed on. Surely if God intended the office to be perpetuated instructions would be clearly given, as they were in the case of the High Priest of Israel in Old Testament times.
Why then, if the office is not continued, are the qualifications so carefully enumerated? The reason for this is clear.
The office was not to be perpetuated in an official way. Doubtless it was wise that it should be official at the beginning, and further the Holy Spirit was acting in such power that the moral condition of the men appointed was adequate to the office they were ordained to.
Whilst there are no longer official overseers or elders to-day there are certainly elder godly brethren, raised up of the Lord, who have a care for those who comprise the assemblies they belong to, and who carry out the spiritual work of the bishop or overseer.
Why should the qualifications be enumerated for all time except for some purpose? And surely it is just for this purpose that Christians should recognize by their moral qualifications those who are so raised up and fitted of the Lord to care for the saints.
The reason why this should be so, viz: the carrying out the work of an overseer by those morally fitted for it, and no instructions given for the continuance of an overseer-ship, is, we, believe, that God foresaw all the declension and confusion that would ensue in Christendom, and refrained from making provision for the continuance of that which speedily became mere officialism, and hence a curse instead of a blessing.
If provision had been made for this, every section of Christendom would claim the succession! What confusion there would be! What arrogance! What fratricidal strife?
Then there is the word, elder, in the Bible, meaning a man of years. The Greek word for elder is presbuteros, from which the word, Presbyterian is coined. Presbuteros simply means an aged person. On the perversion of such simple words great religious systems are built. The bishops or overseers were chosen from among the elders.
THE OFFICE OF A DEACON.
The Greek word for deacon is diakonos, and this is the ordinary word for servant. The word of itself was in general use designating a servant. Evidently godly men were appointed to attend to the secular affairs of the assembly, such as ministering to the poor, attending to the funds, attending to tables and the like, and were called deacons or servants.
And seeing the deacons attended to secular affairs in connection with the assembly they had need of circumspection, they had not to be double-tongued, one thing to a person's face, another thing behind his back.
One can understand too why fuller instructions are given as to the character of the deacon's wife than of the bishop's. The deacon's wife might have to assist her husband in many practical ways in connection with this secular service,
The qualifications which had to mark the deacons were very similar to those of the bishop or overseer.
They were appointed by the apostles or their delegates. More than business aptitude is (needed for the deacon's work. We read of the appointment of " men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom " (Acts 6:33Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. (Acts 6:3)).
Nor were there any instructions given for the continuance of the office, but the qualifications of the deacons are given, showing, we believe, as in the case of 'the bishops, that whilst the official would cease, the work itself would be carried on by faithful men, such as are described in 1 Tim. 3.