Presbyteros appears 67 times in the NT. As an adjective it simply means 'older' (Luke 15:25, the elder brother). As a title and noun, it refers to: (1) Jewish elders — the respected leaders of synagogues and the Sanhedrin; (2) Christian elders — the local leaders of NT churches; and (3) the 24 elders of heaven in Revelation. The term came into the church directly from the Jewish synagogue structure, where elders governed community affairs. Paul appointed elders in each church on his missionary journeys (Acts 14:23), and the Pastoral Epistles specify their qualifications in detail (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1).
The office of presbyteros in the NT church combined pastoral oversight (episkopē), teaching, shepherding, and community governance. The terms presbyteros (elder) and episkopos (overseer/bishop) appear to be used interchangeably in some texts (Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:5-7) — referring to the same office from different angles: presbyteros emphasizing maturity and dignity, episkopos emphasizing function. Elders were to 'shepherd the flock of God' (1 Peter 5:1-3), not lording it over them but serving as examples. James 5:14 instructs the sick to 'call the elders of the church to pray over them' — assigning a key intercessory role to elders.