Episcopacy, from the Greek word, episkopos, "overseer,"(Acts 20:28; Phil 1:1) refers to the form of system of church government by bishops. Episcopate, on the other hand, describes "whole group of individual bishops, or the office of a bishop." (Americans have a habit, however, of using 'episcopacy' to mean both. Of this, Diarmaid MacCulloch has this to say, "Episcopacy' shouldn't be doing the work for both. To those who say it can, let them be anathema." (All Things Made New, 77.)
The two adjectives, "episcopal" and "episcopalian," are more difficult to distinguish in popular usage. Properly (if there is such a thing) "episcopal" means "of the episcopate" while "episcopalian" is aimed at the "episcopacy," but it is not always the case. In Scotland, e.g., there exists an Episcopalian Church of Scotland, over against the presbyterian Church of Scotland.
The Roman Catholic Church, the Lutheran, the Anglican Churches, the Methodists, are the prime examples of episcopalian government. The North American Episcopalian Church began life as Anglican but as the colonists broke away from their mother country in th 18th Cent, it seemed inappropriate to retain the title, "Anglican Church," when the nation was no longer "English." Hence the name change.
There continues bitter debates whether an episcopalian or presbyterian form of goverment is the one sanctioned by the NT. The Scriptural evidences is unclear. The historical evidences regarding the development of the Church in the early centuries of her existence also remains uncertain. Arguments in favour of one or the other have both merits and weaknesses. More important than the merits of one form or another on paper surely must be the actual quality of the leadership they produce, i.e., how well they support the NT command that the flock under their care should be well taken care of.
See also Bishop, Bishop vs. Elders
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