[Sidenote: Bishop and elder]

The presbytery, to whom was given particular oversight and government
of the church, was set apart by the Holy Ghost for this special work.
Different terms, such as "elder" and "bishop," were used to designate
this office. The term "bishop," which literally means _overseer_,
implies the duties of the office, while "elder" denotes its rank. That
these terms were used interchangeably and applied to the same order
of persons is proved by Acts 20:28 (cf. 17); Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:1, 8;
Tit. 1:5, 7; 1 Pet. 5:1, 2. This was admitted by many early writers,
as Jerome, Augustine, Urban II, Petrus Lombardus, Chrysostom,
Theodoret, and others.

From the general classification already given, let us proceed to the
specific. This body was made up of elders or bishops. The fact that
the terms "elder" and "bishop" were applied to all the presbyters
shows equality of rank; that the office was one. We find, however,
that these elders as individuals were diversified in their gifts and
callings in accordance with the specific work which the Holy Ghost
designed them to perform. Under one classification there were, broadly
speaking, two kinds of elders--local and general; that is, those whose
sphere of operation was particularly local and those whose influence,
work, and responsibility extended beyond any congregational
limitation. This distinction was not made arbitrarily, however; for
it was essential to the performance of the twofold class of work to be
done and was the inevitable result of that operation of the Spirit
in individual ministers which fitted them particularly for these
distinctive lines of activity.

[Sidenote: Divine gifts]