Episkopoi (Ancient Greek: ἐπίσκοποι, sing. ἐπίσκοπος, episkopos, literally "overseer"), Latinized episcopus/episcopi, were inspectors who were sometimes sent by the Athenians to subject states. Harpocration compares them to the Lacedaemonian harmosts, and says that they were also called phylakes (φύλακες, "guardians"). It appears that these episkopoi received a salary at the cost of the cities over which they presided.
The term was used in early Christianity to refer to overseers of local churches.[1] It has often been translated as "overseers," "pastors," "shepherds," or "bishops."[2]
^Phil 1:1
^Bercot, David W., ed. (1998). A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs: A Reference Guide to More Than 700 Topics Discussed by the Early Church Fathers. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers. pp. 70–77. ISBN 1-56563-357-1.
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...
either continuing to equate them with the presbyters or speaking of episkopoi (bishops, plural) in a city. As the Church continued to expand, new churches...
Hellas [Greece].") History portal Greece portal Politics Archon basileus Episkopoi Eponymous archon Solonian Constitution Seisachtheia Society Women in classical...
in 325. Christian writings from the first-century mention bishops (or episkopoi), as overseers and presbyters as elders or priests, with deacons as 'servants'...
the bishops/presbyters as rulers of the church. The epistle mentions episkopoi (overseers, bishops) or presbyteroi (elders, presbyters) as the upper...
the apostles in turn selected other men to succeed them as the bishops (episkopoi, Greek for "overseers") of the Christian communities, with whom were associated...
church, and the responsibilities resting on its several members, including epískopoi (Koinē Greek: ἐπίσκοποι, lit. 'overseers', traditionally translated as...
proxenoi, who fostered good relations between Athens and League members; episkopoi and archontes, who oversaw the collection of tribute; and hellenotamiai...
to different places and its leaders in each region came to be known as episkopoi (overseers, plural of epískopos, overseer—Gr. ἐπίσκοπος), which became...
structures is the tri-partite form of church leadership consisting of episkopoi (overseers); presbyteroi (elders), as was the case with Jewish communities;...
appointed Aeschylus of Rhodes and Ephippus ton Chalkideôs, superintendents (episkopoi) of the administration of Egypt. The reading ton Chalkideôs, though adopted...
closest assistants or their successors directed the local colleges of episkopoi and presbyteroi by the end of the first century; while by the beginning...
archbishops or metropolitans who supervised their subordinate bishops or episkopoi. For most people, however, it was their parish priest or papas (from the...
Pastoral epistles (Titus 1:5; 1 Timothy 5:17,19), along with another term episkopoi (Acts 20:28; cf. Philippians 1:1). This section records the conclusion...
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