John Gill on the officers of the church

[Reformed Covenanter]

The officers of this church were the bishops and deacons. The bishops were the pastors, elders, and overseers of the church, for a bishop and an elder is one and the same; see Acts 20:17 Acts 20:28; where the elders of the church at Ephesus are called overseers or bishops; for the same word is used there as here; and the Syriac version here renders the word by קשישא, elders: and they design no other than common and ordinary pastors; who have the name of elders from their age, gravity, and seniority; and that of bishops and overseers from the nature of their office, which is to feed, watch, inspect, and take the oversight of the flock, minister sound doctrine to them, and preserve them from error and heresies.

It seems by this, and the instance of the church at Ephesus, that there were, and so may be, where there is necessity for it, more pastors or bishops than one in a church; unless it can be thought that there were more churches than one in each of these cities; or that the pastors of adjacent churches are here included; neither of which seem to be a clear case, but the contrary: but then these pastors or bishops were all upon an equal foot; one had not any authority or power over another, or more authority than another; they were not metropolitan or diocesan bishops, but pastors of a particular church; and were neither lords over one another, nor of God’s heritage. ...

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John Gill on the officers of the church

The officers of this church were the bishops and deacons. The bishops were the pastors, elders, and overseers of the church, for a bishop and an elder is one and the same; see Acts 20:17 Acts 20:28…

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