Back in the year 1868, the Anglican scholar J. B. Lightfoot (who was himself a bishop) opened his discussion of Philippians 1:1 with the acknowledgement, “It is a fact now generally recognized by theologians of all shades of opinion, that in the language of the New Testament the same office in the Church is called indifferently ‘bishop’ (episkopos) and ‘elder’ or ‘presbyter’ (presbyteros).”6
