Or “ordain elders.” This is the Greek word presbyteros, which means “senior leaders.” These are church elders who would function as overseers, teachers, and shepherds of God’s flock. The same Greek word is used for women in 1 Tim. 5:2. Although generally assumed to be male in the cultural context of that day, there is nothing to indicate that presbyteros is gender exclusive. The church elder is called an “overseer” (or “bishop”) in v. 7, which indicates that both terms speak of the same office and are synonymous.
