Does the NT refer to elder or priest or are they the same?

[Tobias2]

Is there a good source for equating elder, which Protestans use, to priest which Protestants deny in the NT?

I know prebyter is used by Catholics in the NT, but is there a linguisitc connection in Greek or Aramaic between elder and presbyter?

 

[Dave_Noonan]

Is there a good source for equating elder, which Protestans use, to priest which Protestants deny in the NT?

I know prebyter is used by Catholics in the NT, but is there a linguisitc connection in Greek or Aramaic between elder and presbyter?

Yes, presbyter literally means “elder” presbuteros in Greek. (Think of words like presbyopia, the nearsightedness that comes on with old age.) The English word priest is probably derived from presbyter via adoption of this Greek term through Latin. I’m sure you could cite any English dictionary that discusses etymology if you wanted to show this to someone.

 

[Byzman]

Is there a good source for equating elder, which Protestans use, to priest which Protestants deny in the NT?

I know prebyter is used by Catholics in the NT, but is there a linguisitc connection in Greek or Aramaic between elder and presbyter?

Yes…there are many that references that show presbyters were acting as priests! …Protestants if they only opened their eyes to the fullness of truth…than they could interpret Scripture to the fullness of meaning!

Numbers 5:6-8 Tell the Israelites: If a man or a woman commits any offense against another person, thus breaking faith with the LORD, and thereby becomes guilty, that person shall confess the wrong that has been done, make restitution in full, and in addition give one fifth of its value to the one that has been wronged. However, if there is no next of kin,* one to whom restitution can be made, the restitution shall be made to the LORD and shall fall to the priest; this is apart from the ram of atonement with which the priest makes atonement for the guilty individual.

Numbers 15:25-28 Then the priest shall make atonement for the whole Israelite community; and they will be forgiven, since it was inadvertence, and for their inadvertence they have brought their offering: an oblation to the LORD as well as their purification offering before the LORD. Not only the whole Israelite community but also the aliens residing among you shall be forgiven, since the inadvertent fault affects all the people. If it is an individual who sins inadvertently, this person shall bring a yearling she-goat as a purification offering. And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD for the one who erred, since the sin was inadvertent, making atonement for the person to secure forgiveness.

Notice the role of the priest in these verses for bringing people back into the community and the reception of forgiveness of their sins. Now looking toward to New Testament times…Do we see anyone acting in such a similar way for the forgiveness of sins…

James 5:14-15 Is anyone among you sick?* He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.*

Do you see the connection between the Old Covenant priests and the New Covenant presbyters? This shouldn’t be ignored because after all the Church teaches that the Old prefigured the New. Only priests can forgive sins…and if we see this continued in the New Covenant…and by making the connection to the Old…it becomes pretty obvious presbyters are indeed priests!

 

[fred_conty]

Here is a good article to help explain this word.
ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/PRIEST3.HTM

 

[inkaneer]

They are the same. Look up the word priest in agood dictionary that gives the etymology [where it comes from] of the word. There you will find that the modern English word ‘priest’ is derived from the Greek word ‘prebuteros’.

 

[ChrisCath]

Is there a good source for equating elder, which Protestans use, to priest which Protestants deny in the NT?

I know prebyter is used by Catholics in the NT, but is there a linguisitc connection in Greek or Aramaic between elder and presbyter?

From Holy Orders

Modern English: priest, Old English: preost, shortened from the older Germanic form represented by Old Saxon, Old High German: prestar, Old Frisian: prestere, from Vulgar (common) Latin: prester (priest), from Late Latin: presbyter (“presbyter, elder”), from the Greek: presbyteros.

Protestant translations tend to use “elder” obscuring the relationship to “priest” but context (e.g., in Titus 1:5 the verb “ordain” [KJV] or “appoint” [NIV, RSV, NASB]) makes the connection obvious, nonetheless. Some more modern Protestant Bibles will have “appoint pastors” [e.g., the Living Bible].