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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_20:17-18 a
17From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. 18And when they had come to him, he said to them,
Act_20:17 "Miletus" This port was about 30 miles south of Ephesus.
▣ "elders" From this word (presbuteros) we get "Presbyter" or "Presbyterian." Because of Act_20:17; Act_20:28 and Tit_1:5; Tit_1:7 the terms "elders" (presbuteroi) and "bishops" (episcopoi) are synonymous with the term "pastor" (poimenos, cf. Eph_4:11). The term "elder" had a Jewish background (Jewish tribal leaders) and "bishop" or "overseer" had a Greek city-state political/administrative background.
There are only two groups of local church leaders mentioned in the NT—pastors and deacons (cf. Php_1:1). There may be three groups listed in 1 Timothy 3, which includes the widows' role or deaconesses (cf. Rom_16:1).
Notice that the term is plural. This probably refers to house-church leaders (cf. Act_11:30; Act_14:23; Act_15:2; Act_15:4; Act_15:6; Act_15:22-23; Act_16:4; Act_21:18; 1Ti_5:17; 1Ti_5:19; Tit_1:5; Jas_5:14; 1Pe_5:1).
▣ "the church" This Greek term (ekklesia) is the word used for a town assembly (cf Act_19:39). However, it was used to translate the OT phrase "the congregation (qahal) of Israel" in the Septuagint. The early church chose it to describe the new body of believers because it identified them with the OT people of God. The NT church saw themselves as the true fulfillment of the OT promise because Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messiah. See Special Topic at Act_5:11.