Deacons and the Church

Neither specific term is used in the passage.
I believe Dr. Bob has explained that the Seven were elders.

 

NEVER is the phrase/pairing of "deacons and elders" found in the Bible.

Often church officers are just collectively called "elders", but when the two offices are mentioned together, they are distinguished as "bishop(s)" and "deacons".

 

Early on the spiritual leaders of the church were called presbuteros and then later episkopos.

 

You ARE indeed correct!

Nasv has it "overseers" and deacons!

 

Correct!

That is the greek word translated as "overseer" in Phil 1:1 in nasv!

 

The word presbuteros comes out of Judaism and later the word was replaced by episkopos which is sometimes translated bishop.It refers to the same person though.

 

Doesn't several terms used in the NT such as Overseer/Bishop/elder etc basically all refer to the office of the Elder ?

just translated by different English words...

 

That is the same way I see it.

Too often we miss the point that elders are to be proven men who are actively leading (they are making disciples already). If they are not making disciples then what are they doing and how are they carrying out the command Jesus gave in Mt. 28:19, 20. From a pragmatic point of view I have never seen anyone ever give me trouble who was actively making disciples. The trouble has always come from the people who want to lead or teach but are not making disciples. False teachers teach by the things they say and do. They mislead people in every way. They influence other through deception. They are also identified by their fruit. However it amazes me how many pastors and church leaders do not look at the fruit, but rather by what they hear.

Mt. 7:15-20 "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. "So then, you will know them by their fruits.