In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul outlined the general responsibilities of the elders, saying: “He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelizers, some as shepherds and teachers, with a view to the readjustment of the holy ones, for ministerial work, for the building up of the body of the Christ. ”
پولس رسول مسئولیتهای عمومی پیران را در نامه‌اش به افسسیان شرح داد و گفت :‏ « او بخشید بعضی رسولان و بعضی انبیاء و بعضی مبشّرین و بعضی شبانان و معلّمان را .‏ برای تکمیل مقدسین برای کار خدمت برای بنای جسد [بدن ،‏ د ج‏] مسیح .‏ »