Talk:Church government

But what can be said about Eph 2:19–20; 4:11–14 and other passages? It’s interesting to note that Eph 4:11 seems to group pastors and teachers together, as if the same thing. But are evangelists then a special church office?

What about apostle?

Apostle is also an NT church office, but it doesn’t continue after first century.

Function and power of apostle

Ac 4:33

Apostles must be commissioned by Christ

Ac 1:24–26; 26:16–17; Ro 1:1; Gal 1:1; 1Ti 1:12; 2:7; 2Ti 1:11

Triune God appoints church officers

Church officers are appointed by the Father [1Co 12:28], Son [Eph 4:11], and Holy Spirit [Ac 20:28].

Exhaustive occurrences of potentially relevant words

Every occurrence of diakonos (servant, minister), diakonia (service, ministry), diakoneō (to serve, to minister)

Mt 4:11; 8:15; 20:26, 28; 22:13; 23:11; 25:44; 27:55; Mk 1:13, 31; 9:35; 10:43, 45; 15:41; Lk 4:39; 8:3; 10:40; 12:37; 17:8; 22:26–27; Jn 2:5, 9; 12:2, 26; Ac 1:17, 25; 6:1–2, 4; 11:29; 12:25; 19:22; 20:24; 21:19; Ro 11:13; 12:7; 13:4; 15:8, 25, 31; 16:1; 1Co 3:5; 12:5; 16:15; 2Co 3:3, 6–9; 4:1; 5:18; 6:3–4; 8:4, 19–20; 9:1, 12–13; 11:8, 15, 23; Gal 2:17; Eph 3:7; 4:12; 6:21; Php 1:1; Col 1:7, 23, 25; 4:7, 17; 1Ti 1:12; 3:8, 10, 12–13; 4:6; 2Ti 1:18; 4:5, 11; Phm 13; Heb 1:14; 6:10; 1Pe 1:12; 4:10–11; Rev 2:19

Every occurrence of episkopos (overseer), episkopeō (to oversee)

Ac 20:28; Php 1:1; 1Ti 3:2; Tit 1:7; Heb 12:15; 1Pe 2:25; 5:2

Every occurrence of poimēn (shepherd), poimainō (to shepherd)

Mt 2:6; 9:36; 25:32; 26:31; Mk 6:34; 14:27; Lk 2:8, 15, 18, 20; 17:7; Jn 10:2, 11–12, 14, 16; 21:16; Ac 20:28; 1Co 9:7; Eph 4:11; Heb 13:20; 1Pe 2:25; 5:2; Jude 12; Rev 2:27; 7:17; 12:5; 19:15

Every occurrence of presbyteros (elder), presbyterion (council of elders)

Mt 15:2; 16:21; 21:23; 26:3, 47, 57; 27:1, 3, 12, 20, 41; 28:12; Mk 7:3, 5; 8:31; 11:27; 14:43, 53; 15:1; Lk 7:3; 9:22; 15:25; 20:1; 22:52, 66; Jn 8:9; Ac 2:17; 4:5, 8, 23; 6:12; 11:30; 14:23; 15:2, 4, 6, 22–23; 16:4; 20:17; 21:18; 22:5; 23:14; 24:1; 25:15; 1Ti 4:14; 5:1–2, 17, 19; Tit 1:5; Heb 11:2; Jas 5:14; 1Pe 5:1, 5; 2Jn 1:1; 3Jn 1:1; Rev 4:4, 10; 5:5–6, 8, 11, 14; 7:11, 13; 11:16; 14:3; 19:4

Every occurrence of apostolos (apostle), apostolē (apostleship)

Mt 10:2; Mk 6:30; Lk 6:13; 9:10; 11:49; 17:5; 22:14; 24:10; Jn 13:16; Ac 1:2, 25–26; 2:37, 42–43; 4:33, 35–37; 5:2, 12, 18, 29, 40; 6:6; 8:1, 14, 18; 9:27; 11:1; 14:4, 14; 15:2, 4, 6, 22–23; 16:4; Ro 1:1, 5; 11:13; 16:7; 1Co 1:1; 4:9; 9:1–2, 5; 12:28–29; 15:7, 9; 2Co 1:1; 8:23; 11:5, 13; 12:11–12; Gal 1:1, 17, 19; 2:8; Eph 1:1; 2:20; 3:5; 4:11; Php 2:25; Col 1:1; 1Th 2:6; 1Ti 1:1; 2:7; 2Ti 1:1, 11; Tit 1:1; Heb 3:1; 1Pe 1:1; 2Pe 1:1; 3:2; Jude 17; Rev 2:2; 18:20; 21:14

Every occurrence of prophētēs (prophet)

Mt 1:22; 2:5, 15, 17, 23; 3:3; 4:14; 5:12, 17; 7:12; 8:17; 10:41; 11:9, 13; 12:17, 39; 13:17, 35, 57; 14:5; 16:14; 21:4, 11, 26, 46; 22:40; 23:29–31, 34, 37; 24:15; 26:56; 27:9; Mk 1:2; 6:4, 15; 8:28; 11:32; Lk 1:70, 76; 2:36; 3:4; 4:17, 24, 27; 6:23; 7:16, 26, 39; 9:8, 19; 10:24; 11:47, 49–50; 13:28, 33–34; 16:16, 29, 31; 18:31; 20:6; 24:19, 25, 27, 44; Jn 1:21, 23, 25, 45; 4:19, 44; 6:14, 45; 7:40, 52; 8:52–53; 9:17; 12:38; Ac 2:16, 30; 3:18, 21–25; 7:37, 42, 48, 52; 8:28, 30, 34; 10:43; 11:27; 13:1, 15, 20, 27, 40; 15:15, 32; 21:10; 24:14; 26:22, 27; 28:23, 25; Ro 1:2; 3:21; 11:3; 1Co 12:28–29; 14:29, 32, 37; Eph 2:20; 3:5; 4:11; 1Th 2:15; Tit 1:12; Heb 1:1; 11:32; Jas 5:10; 1Pe 1:10; 2Pe 2:16; 3:2; Rev 2:20; 10:7; 11:10, 18; 16:6; 18:20, 24; 22:6, 9

Every occurrence of didaskalos (teacher)

Mt 8:19; 9:11; 10:24–25; 12:38; 17:24; 19:16; 22:16, 24, 36; 23:8; 26:18; Mk 4:38; 5:35; 9:17, 38; 10:17, 20, 35; 12:14, 19, 32; 13:1; 14:14; Lk 2:46; 3:12; 6:40; 7:40; 8:49; 9:38; 10:25; 11:45; 12:13; 18:18; 19:39; 20:21, 28, 39; 21:7; 22:11; Jn 1:38; 3:2, 10; 8:4; 11:28; 13:13–14; 20:16; Ac 13:1; Ro 2:20; 1Co 12:28–29; Eph 4:11; 2:7; 2Ti 1:11; 4:3; Heb 5:12; Jas 3:1 — See also one occurrence of pseudodidaskalos (false teacher): 2Pe 2:1

Every occurrence of nomodidaskalos (teacher of the law)

Lk 5:17; Ac 5:34; 1Ti 1:7

Every occurrence of authority or power

Ge 16:6; 31:29; 41:35; 49:3; Ex 4:21; 9:16; 14:31; 15:6; 32:11; Lev 26:19, 37; Nu 5:19–20, 29; 14:17; 22:38; 27:20; Dt 4:37; 8:17–18; 9:29; 32:36; 34:12; Jos 8:20; 17:17; 1Sa 4:3, 8; 2Sa 8:3; 2Ki 14:5; 15:19; 17:36; 18:20; 1Ch 29:11–12; 2Ch 8:10; 13:20; 20:6; 25:3, 8; 26:13; 28:7; Ezra 4:23; 8:22; Neh 1:10; 5:5; Est 9:4, 29; 10:2; Job 5:20; 21:7; 22:8; 23:6; 24:22; 26:2, 12, 14; 27:22; 36:22; 37:23; 40:16; Ps 21:13; 22:20; 29:4; 37:33; 49:15; 59:11; 62:11; 63:2, 10; 66:3; 67:2; 68:28, 34–35; 71:18; 78:22, 26, 42, 61; 79:11; 89:48; 90:11, 16; 106:8, 10, 42; 110:3; 111:6; 145:11; 147:5; Pr 3:27; 18:18, 21; Ecc 4:1; 5:19; 6:2; 8:8–9; Isa 10:33; 22:21; 36:5; 40:26, 29; 47:9, 14; 50:2; Jer 10:12; 16:21; 18:21; 27:5; 32:17; 51:15; Ezekiel 22:6; 24:21; 35:5; Dan 2:10, 37; 3:27; 4:30; 6:27; 8:4, 6–7, 22, 24; 11:4–5, 25; 12:7; Hos 13:14; Joel 1:6; 2:2, 5, 11; Mic 2:1; 3:8; Nah 1:3; Hab 3:4; Zec 4:6; 9:4; Mt 7:29; 8:9; 9:6, 8; 10:1; 14:2; 20:25; 21:23–24, 27; 22:29; 24:29–30; 26:64; 28:18; Mk 1:22, 27; 2:10; 3:15; 5:30; 6:7, 14; 9:1; 10:42; 11:28–29, 33; 12:24; 13:25–26; 14:62; Lk 1:17, 35; 3:13; 4:6, 14, 32, 36; 5:17, 24; 6:19; 7:8; 8:46; 9:1; 10:19; 12:5, 11; 19:17; 20:2, 8, 20; 21:26–27; 22:25, 53, 69; 24:49; Jn 5:27; 7:17–18, 26, 48; 8:28; 10:18; 12:42, 49; 14:10; 16:13; 17:2; 19:10–11; Ac 1:7–8; 3:12, 15; 4:7, 33; 6:8; 8:10, 19; 9:14; 10:38; 17:6, 8; 18:28; 25:5; 26:10, 12, 18; Ro 1:4, 16, 20; 8:38; 9:17, 22; 11:23; 13:1–3, 6; 15:13, 19; 1Co 1:17–18, 24, 26; 2:4–5; 4:19–20; 5:4; 6:14; 7:4; 9:8; 11:10; 13:2; 15:24, 43, 56; 2Co 4:7; 6:7; 10:4, 8; 12:9; 13:3–4, 10; Eph 1:19, 21; 2:2; 3:7, 10, 16, 20; 6:12; Php 3:10, 21; Col 1:11, 16, 29; 2:10, 12, 15; 1Th 1:5; 2Th 1:11; 2:9; 1Ti 2:12; 2Ti 1:7–8; 3:5; Tit 2:15; 3:1; Heb 1:3; 2:14; 5:14; 6:5; 7:16; 11:11, 34; Jas 5:16; 1Pe 1:5; 3:22; 2Pe 1:3, 16; 2:10–11; 1Jn 5:19; 3Jn 9; Jude 1:6, 8, 25; Rev 2:26–27; 3:8; 4:11; 5:12; 6:8, 15; 7:2, 12; 9:3, 10, 19; 11:3, 6, 17; 12:10; 13:2, 4–5, 7, 12; 14:18; 15:8; 16:9; 17:12–13, 17; 18:1, 3; 19:1; 20:4, 6

Apostles were also elders?

Peter (1Pe 5:1) and John (2Jn 1:1; 3Jn 1:1) each referred to themselves as elders (other examples?). What to make of this?

Elder and deacon interchangeable?

Is it possible that any of the words for deacon shows up as interchangeable with elder, bishop, or pastor? What if the seven called in Acts 6 were really the first elders and there aren’t really two church offices but one? 2Ti 4:5?

Seventy?

Who were the seventy Jesus called in Lk 10? Evangelists? Elders? Something wholly unique? Not church officers at all?

More apostles

Two useful articles: