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Madonna as Sedes Sapientiae, middle Italy 1199, poplarwood, original colours, inscription: Anno Domini 1199, in the month of January. On the mother's bosom shines the wisdom of the father. This wonderful work was made in the times of the abbot Petrus, thanks to the work in dedicated love of the presbyter Martinus, from the Camaldolese abbey in Borgo San Sepolcro near Arezzo

Presbyter (Greek πρεσβύτερος, presbuteros: "elder", or "priest" in Christian usage)in the New Testament refers to a leader in local Christian congregations, then often not clearly distinguished from episkopos^{[citation needed]}, terms which have in the first century of Christianity been definitely separated, presbyter referring to ordinary priests or elders and episkopos referring exclusively to the full order or office of bishop. In modern usage, it is thus distinct from bishop and synonymous with priest and pastor. In mainline Protestant usage, the term is however not seen as referring to a member of the priesthood and terms such as minister, pastor and elder are used.

Etymology [link]

Look up πρεσβύτερος in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The words presbyter, and priest derive from Greek πρεσβύτερος (presbuteros), the comparative form of πρέσβυς (presbus), "old man".^[1] The English word priest has presbuter as the etymological origin.

History [link]

The earliest organization of the Church in Jerusalem was according to most scholars similar to that of Jewish synagogues, but it had a council or college of ordained presbyters (Greek: πρεσβύτεροι elders, priests). In Acts 11:30^[2] and Acts 15:22, we see a collegiate system of government in Jerusalem though headed by James, according to tradition the first bishop of the city. In Acts 14:23, the Apostle Paul ordains presbyters in the churches he founded.

The term presbyter was often not yet clearly distinguished from the term overseer (ἐπίσκοποι episkopoi, later exclusively used as meaning bishop), as in Acts 20:17, Titus 1:5,7^[3] and 1 Peter 5:1.^[4][5][6] The earliest writings of the Apostolic Fathers, the Didache and the First Epistle of Clement for example, show the church used two terms for local church offices—presbyters (seen by many as an interchangeable term with episcopos or overseer) and deacon.

This does not mean that the episcopate, in the sense of the holder of the order or office of bishop, must have developed only later, or have been plural, because in each church the college or presbyter-overseers (also called "presbyter-bishops") did not exercise an independent supreme power; it was subject to the Apostles or to their delegates. An explanation suggests that the delegates were bishops in the actual sense of the term, but that they did not possess fixed sees nor had they a special title. Since they were essentially itinerant, they confided to the care of some of the better educated and highly respected converts the fixed necessary functions relating to the daily life of the community.^[7]

In Timothy and Titus in the New Testament a more clearly defined episcopate can be seen. We are told that Paul had left Timothy in Ephesus and Titus in Crete to oversee the local church (1Tim 1:3 and Titus 1:5). Paul commands them to ordain presbyters/bishops and to exercise general oversight, telling Titus to "rebuke with all authority" (Titus 2:15).

Early sources are not clear but various groups of Christian communities would have had a group of college or presbyter-overseers functioning as leaders of the local churches.^[8] Eventually the head or "monarchic" bishop came to rule more clearly,^[7] and all local churches would eventually follow the example of the other churches and structure themselves after the model of the others with the one bishop in clearer charge,^[8] though the role of the body of priests remained important.^[7]

From the 2nd century, it is certain that the offices of bishop and presbyter were clearly distinguished, the bishop was understood as the president of the council of presbyters, and so the bishop was distinguished both in honor and in prerogative from the presbyters, who were seen as deriving their authority by means of delegation from the bishop.^{[citation needed]} Each Episcopal see had its own bishop and his presence was necessary to consecrate any gathering of the church.^{[citation needed]}

Eventually, as Christendom grew, individual congregations were no longer directly served by a bishop. The bishop in a large city (the Metropolitan bishop) would appoint a priest to pastor the flock in each congregation, acting as his delegate.

Modern usage [link]

See also Priesthood, Presbyterianism, Methodism, Holy Orders

The Roman Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, the non-Chalcedonian churches and other groups often refer to presbyters in English as priests (priest is etymologically derived from the Greek presbyteros via the Latin presbyter). Collectively, however, their "college" is referred to as the "presbyterium", "presbytery", or "presbyterate."

This usage is seen by some Protestant Christians as stripping the laity of its priestly status, while those who use the term defend its usage by saying that, while they do believe in the priesthood (Greek ἱερεύς hiereus - a different word altogether, used in Rev 1:6, 1 Pet 2:9) of all believers, they do not believe in the eldership of all believers. This is generally true of United Methodists, who ordain elders as clergy (pastors) while affirming the priesthood of all believers. The evangelical (or ultra low-church) Anglican Diocese of Sydney has abolished the use of the word "priest" for those ordained as such. They are now referred to as "presbyters".

The term father for presbyters is generally restricted to Catholic and Orthodox usage, though many Anglicans and even some Lutherans will use the term, as well. It is not generally thought of as a title, however, but simply as an affectionate term of address for the presbyter.

See also [link]

• John the Presbyter
• Prester John
• Presbyterium

References [link]

Sources [link]

• Liddell & Scott, An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, pp. 301, 668
• The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, p. 2297
• The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (3rd ed.), p. 1322