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presbuteros (pres-boo'-ter-os);
comparative of presbus (elderly); older; as noun, a senior; specifically, an Israelite Sanhedrist (also figuratively, member of the celestial council) or Christian "presbyter":
KJV-- elder (-est), old.
A term used throughout the Bible but designating different ideas at various times in biblical history. The word may refer to age, experience, and authority, as well as specific leadership roles.
In ancient times authority was given to older people with wider experience. These were often considered the most qualified to hold places of leadership. The basic meaning of the Hebrew and Greek words for elder is "old age."
In the Old Testament those leaders associated with Moses in governing the nation of Israel were called "the elders of Israel" <Ex. 3:16; 24:1>, "the elders of the people" <Ex. 19:7>, or the "seventy elders" <Ex. 24:1>. Moses called these elders together to give them instructions for the observance of the Passover before the Exodus from Egypt.
Later, after the years of wandering in the wilderness, bodies of elders ruled in each city. These elders were viewed as the representatives of the nation and its people. The term elder eventually came to be applied to those who governed in the local communities, the rulers of the various tribes, and those who ruled all of Israel. These leaders were responsible for legal, political and military guidance and supervision.
During the years of Israel's captivity in Babylon and the following centuries, elders again appeared as leaders who were responsible for governing in the Jewish communities. These elders became the upper class, forming a type of ruling aristocracy. Later in this period, a council of elders of 71 members, called the SANHEDRIN, emerged. This council had both religious and political authority among all the Jewish people in Palestine, particularly in New Testament times. The HIGH PRIEST was the chairman of the Sanhedrin. Local Jewish synagogues, which emerged in the period between the Old and New Testaments, were also governed by a council of elders.
A governing structure similar to the ruling elders among the Jews was followed in the early church. The title elder was continued, but the significance of the office changed. Thus, the term elder is used in the New Testament to refer to the Jewish elders of the synagogue, to the members of the Sanhedrin, and to certain persons who held office in the church. It also implied seniority by reason of age <1 Tim. 5:2; 1 Pet. 5:5>.
The presence of elders in the church in the New Testament indicates that this office was taken over from the synagogue. Elders were associated with James in Jerusalem in the local church's government <Acts 11:30; 21:18> and, with the apostles, in the decision of the early church council <Acts 15>. Elders were also appointed in the churches established during the apostle Paul's first missionary journey <Acts 14:23>. Paul addressed the elders at Ephesus <Acts 20:17-35>. Elders played an important role in church life through their ministry to the sick <James 5:14,15>. They were apparently the teachers also in a local congregation. In addition to ministering to the sick, their duties consisted of explaining the Scriptures and teaching doctrine <1 Tim. 5:17; 1 Pet. 5:5>.
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
(Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
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