There are many different religious or ecclesiastical offices in the various Christian churches: deacon, dean, priest, minister, elder, pastor, apostle, evangelist, rector, reverend, very reverend, bishop, archbishop, cardinal, and even pope, to name just some of them.  The people who hold such offices were ordained to them.  Most of these offices are not found in the Bible, which leads to the question, what, according to the Bible, are the offices to which someone can be ordained?

The ecclesiastical offices or roles found in the New Testament which men held are listed below.

Greek	NJKV translation	Actual meaning
apostolos	apostle	one sent forth, messenger
diakonos	deacon, minister, servant	servant
didaskalos	teacher	teacher, instructor
episkopos	bishop	overseer
euaggelistis	evangelist	preacher of the gospel
huperetes	minister, assistant	under oarsman, subordinate
kerux	preacher	herald of divine truth, preacher
leitourgos	minister	public servant
poimen	pastor	shepherd
presbuteros	elder	elder
prophetes	prophet	foreteller, inspired speaker

We can also add the offices of Priest and High Priest. 

Greek	NJKV translation	Actual meaning
archiereus	high priest	chief priest
hiereus	priest	priest

Under the Old Covenant the priests and high priest were intermediaries between the people and God.  But now, under the New Covenant, Jesus Christ is our High Priest, and the role of priest is non-existent.

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

For completeness here are some other ecclesiastical terms.

Greek	NJKV translation	Actual meaning
diakoneo	ministered, served, deacon	served
diakonia	ministry, service, relief	service
ekklesia	church	congregation
hierourgeo	minister	officiate as a priest
leitourgeo	ministered	served publicly

How are individuals appointed to these roles, and which ones require ordination?  Fortunately, there are Scriptures which tell us.

Eph 4:11 provides a list of roles which God has given.

Eph 4:11  And He Himself gave some to be apostles [apostolos], some prophets [prophetes], some evangelists [euaggelistes], and some pastors [poimen] and teachers [didaskalos],

1 Cor 12:28 says that God has appointed apostles, prophets, and teachers in the church.  The Greek word translated appointed is tithemi which simply means, set, put, or placed.

1Co 12:28  And God has appointed [tithemi] these in the church: first apostles [apostolos], second prophets [prophetes], third teachers [didaskalos], …

Continuing in the same verse we see that God has also appointed miracles, gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues, which are gifts rather than offices or roles.

1Co 12:28  … after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

1 Cor 12:7-10 provides some more details about gifts God has given for the profit of all.

1Co 12:7  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
1Co 12:8  for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
1Co 12:9  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
1Co 12:10  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy [propheteia], to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

The word of wisdom and knowledge are inspired speaking and teaching.  Prophecy is foretelling or inspired speaking.

There are also a couple of verses in 1 and 2 Timothy where the apostle Paul describes his role or office.  The apostle Paul was selected by God and not by any of the disciples.  So the roles he had were all given or placed on him by God.

1Ti 2:7  for which I was appointed [tithemi] a preacher [kerux] and an apostle [apostolos]—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher [didaskalos] of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

2Ti 1:11  to which I was appointed [tithemi] a preacher [kerux], an apostle [apostolos], and a teacher [didaskalos] of the Gentiles.

With this information we can now return to the table at the start of this article listing the ecclesiastical offices or roles found in the New Testament and add a “Notes” column to show the means by which someone attains such an office or role.

Greek	NJKV translation	Actual meaning	Notes
apostolos	apostle	one sent forth, messenger	Placed by God
diakonos	deacon, minister, servant	servant
didaskalos	teacher	teacher, instructor	Placed by God
episkopos	bishop	overseer
euaggelistis	evangelist	preacher of the gospel	Placed by God
huperetes	minister, assistant	under oarsman, subordinate
kerux	preacher	herald of divine truth, preacher	Placed by God
leitourgos	minister	public servant
poimen	pastor	shepherd	Placed by God
presbuteros	elder	elder
prophetes	prophet	foreteller, inspired speaker	Placed by God

We can clearly see that apostles, teachers, evangelists, preachers, pastors, and prophets are all appointed, or placed in their role, by God.  Let’s continue to see what the Bible says about how men are appointed to the other roles.

The first passage is Acts 6:1-6. 

Act 6:1  Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.
Act 6:2  Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.
Act 6:3  Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint [kathistemi] over this business;
Act 6:4  but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Act 6:5  And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,
Act 6:6  whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.

When we read this passage carefully, we notice the following things.

• The office to which the seven men were ordained is not mentioned.
• The brethren, that is the laity, selected the seven men for ordination.
• The apostles performed the appointment or ordination.  The Greek word for appointed is kathistemi, which means appointed or ordained.
• The apostles prayed and laid hands on those they appointed.

The next scripture is Acts 14:23. 

Act 14:23  So when they [Paul and Barnabas] had appointed [cheirotoneo] elders [presbuteros] in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Acts 14 describes the journeying of Paul and Barnabas.  So “they” is this verse refers to Paul and Barnabas.  The word appointed is translated from the Greek cheirotoneo, which means “to vote by raising the hand”.  It makes no sense for just two people to vote.  If just Paul and Barnabas were making the decision, a different work like kathistemi would be used.  However, it does make sense if the same process described in Acts 6:1-6 was used.  Paul and Barnabas organized the brethren to select elders, who Paul and Barnabas subsequently ordained.

The final scripture is Titus 1:5.

Tit 1:5  For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint [kathistemi] elders [presbuteros] in every city as I commanded you;

There is nothing mentioned here about the process of ordination.  There is no justification for thinking the process would be anything different to what is described in Acts 6:1-6 and Acts 14:23.

As mentioned earlier, Acts 6:1-6 does not mention the offices or roles to which the seven men were ordained.  However, Acts 14:23 and Titus 1:5 talk of ordaining elders [presbuteros].  Remember, the brethren are instructed to do the selection.  So they must have some criteria in mind when doing the selection.  The only ecclesiastical roles for which the Bible gives criteria for their selection are the roles of episkopos (bishop, overseer), and diakonos (deacon, servant).  (The Scriptures for these are provided below.)  Therefore the word “elders” [presbuteros] must be a term for both overseers [episkopos] and deacons [diakonos].  This is also evident from Philippians 1:1.

Php 1:1  Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops [episkopos] and deacons [diakonos]:

Where are the “elders”, unless of course they are the bishops and deacons?

For completeness, here are the qualifications for a bishop/overseer [episkopos].

1 Tim 3:2  A bishop [episkopos] then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 
1 Tim 3:3  not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 
1 Tim 3:4  one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 
1 Tim 3:5  (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);
1Ti 3:6  not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
1Ti 3:7  Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Titus 1:7  For a bishop [episkopos] must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,
Titus 1:8  but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, 
Titus 1:9  holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

And here are the qualifications for a deacon [diakonos].

1Ti 3:8  Likewise deacons [diakonos] must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money,
1Ti 3:9  holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.
1Ti 3:10  But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons [diakoneo], being found blameless.
1Ti 3:11  Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.
1Ti 3:12  Let deacons [diakonos] be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
1Ti 3:13  For those who have served well as deacons [diakoneo] obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

There are a couple of Greek words in our table which we have not covered, and they are, huperetes (minister, assistant), and leitourgos (minister).  They can be considered the same as diakonos (deacon) because firstly no mention is made of anyone being placed in or appointed to these roles, and secondly their meaning is so close to diakonos.

We can now return to the table listing the ecclesiastical offices or roles found in the New Testament.  The rows have been reordered to simplify it.

Greek	NJKV translation	Actual meaning	Notes
apostolos	apostle	one sent forth, messenger	Placed by God
didaskalos	teacher	teacher, instructor	“
euaggelistis	evangelist	preacher of the gospel	“
kerux	preacher	herald of divine truth, preacher	“
poimen	pastor	shepherd	“
prophetes	prophet	foreteller, inspired speaker	“
diakonos	deacon, minister, servant	servant	Selected by laity, appointed by elders
episkopos	bishop	overseer	“
presbuteros	elder	elder	Refers to an overseer or deacon

We can summarise as follows.

There are six roles in which God places men: apostle (apostolos), teacher (didaskalos), evangelist (euaggelistis), preacher (kerux), pastor (poimen), and prophet (prophetes).

There are two roles in which the laity select the men, but the elders (overseers and deacons) appoint: overseer (episkopos) and deacon (diakonos).

The term elders (presbuteros) when used in an ecclesiastical context refers to both overseers and deacons.