Eric,
I think you are pointing out another issue.
Yes, Prebyteroi have 2 meanings.
It was originated from the elderly persons and it might have been the customs of ancient times that the elders were selected among the old persons. Presbyteroi in NT have 2 meanings and one is the Elders as we mentioned as an Office, and the other is simply the elderly persons which is mentioned in 1 Tim 5:1.
For the first meaning of Office, even though someone is young, he can still become an Elder as we find no age limit in 1 Tim 3:1-7.
The current issue was whether Episkope is the same as Presbyteros or not. I am not making a propaganda, but so-called Plymouth Brethren, especially John Nelson Darby, have discerned this matter very accurately as we discern that:
1. There are only 2 Offices in NT churches, which are Elders and Deacons, and Elders are sometimes called Episkope ( Overseers or Bishop)
2. Episkope and Presbyteros are the same Office
3.Episkope (Overseers) is named when we consider its functions and responsibilities.
4. Elders are mentioned when we consider the status and position.
5. They appear in NT all the time as plural, except the case of definition, which rules out the Mono-Pastoral system, which means that every local church had several elders, not the single, mono-pastoral dictator system.
In some churches, nothing can be done without the consent of the specific person, one man, the pastor, and nothing cannot be done which the specific person, the one man, the pastor insist on, even though the justification for is hardly found.
This is why PB are "Brethren" and have no pastors as we read Ephesians 4:8-13 and find "Poimen" there which means Sheperd not the Pastor.
