Bishop vs. Pastor
Difference between Bishop and Pastor: – Religion itself can be quite confusing, but more so when it comes to understanding the order within it and its hierarchies.
It is precisely in this last aspect that pastors and bishops come into play. Both are roles that have their place in the Christian church.
Literally, both terms mean the same thing; however, their use is not made in an indistinct way.
Likewise, the functions of a pastor are not exactly the same as those exercised by a bishop.
If you have doubts about it or just search for a little more information that serves you to complement what you already know, continue reading,
because below we tell you everything you need and you want to know about the difference between bishop and pastor.
What is Difference between Bishop and Pastor
Bishop
This word derives from the Greek term “episkopos“, which means “guardian” or “vigilante”.
People began to use it in the New Testament.
For the Roman Catholic Church, bishop refers to the office responsible for the care of a set of churches and congregations.
In this context, the office of the bishop is part of the hierarchy that governs that church.
The general members of this institution are the priests or priests and deacons, who in turn are under the command of the bishops.
The latter is under the authority of the archbishops who are led by the cardinals.
All of these have the Pope as head of government.
In the Roman Catholic Church, the functions of a bishop are:
- To conserve the sacraments of sacred order,
- Teaching doctrine,
- To sanctify the world,
- To represent the Church.
Bishops are also part of the hierarchy in other churches such as:
- Eastern Orthodox,
- Anglican,
- East Assyrian Church,
- Independent Catholic Churches
For Further Reading
Pastor
On the other hand, the word pastor came from the Latin “pastor” which means the same;
“Shepherd”, referring to the shepherds of the flocks of sheep.
This term establishes a parallel relationship between the work of a pastor in the Church and the way Jesus imparted his teachings.
Jesus Christ was considered the shepherd and his followers the sheep.
While bishops are ministers, pastors are leaders who take the biblical teachings to as many people as possible.
All Christian churches have pastors and depending on the context they can be men or women.
Conclusion
Finally, in addition to having a somewhat more limited functionality compared to the bishops;
one of the most striking differences between the latter and the pastors is that the place of the latter in the hierarchy is smaller in comparison with that occupied by the bishops.
