(_a_) That the appellations “bishop,” “presbyter,” and “pastor” designate the same office and order of persons, may be shown from Acts 20:28—ἐπισκόπους ποιμαίνειν (cf. 17—πρεσβυτέρους); Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:1, 8; Titus 1:5, 7; 1 Pet. 5:1, 2—πρεσβυτέρους ... παρακαλῶ ὁ συμπρεσβύτερος ... ποιμάνατε ποίμνιον ... ἐπισκοποῦντες. Conybeare and Howson: “The terms ‘bishop’ and ‘elder’ are used in the New Testament as equivalent,—the former denoting (as its meaning of overseer implies) the duties, the latter the rank, of the office.” See passages quoted in Gieseler, Church History, 1:90, note 1—as, for example, Jerome: “Apud veteres iidem episcopi et presbyteri, quia illud nomen dignitatis est, hoc ætatis. Idem est ergo presbyter qui episcopus.” _Acts 20:28_—“_Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops_ [marg. ‘_overseers_’], _to feed_ [lit. ‘_to shepherd_,’ ‘_be pastors of_’] _the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood_”; _cf._ _17_—“_the elders of the church_” are those whom Paul addresses as bishops or overseers, and whom he exhorts to be good pastors. _Phil. 1:1_—“_bishops and deacons_”; _1 Tim. 3:1, 8_—“_If a man seeketh the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.... Deacons in like manner must be grave_”; _Tit. 1:5, 7_—“_appoint elders in every city.... For the bishop must be blameless_”; _1 Pet. 5:1, 2_—“_The elders therefore among you I exhort, who am a fellow‐elder.... Tend_ [lit. ‘_shepherd_,’ ‘_be pastors of_’] _the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight_ [acting as bishops], _not of constraint, but __ willingly, according to the will of God._” In this last passage, Westcott and Hort, with Tischendorf’s 8th edition, follow א and B in omitting ἐπισκοποῦντες. Tregelles and our Revised Version follow A and אc in retaining it. Rightly, we think; since it is easy to see how, in a growing ecclesiasticism, it should have been omitted, from the feeling that too much was here ascribed to a mere presbyter.