An OVERSEER — a plain compound, epi ('over') + skopos ('watcher'), used in ordinary Greek of a supervisor, an inspector, a guardian of public funds. ⚠ Philippians 1:1 is the earliest sighting of episkopoi alongside diakonoi as recognised roles, and two things about it are worth stating precisely: the word is PLURAL, so whatever it names is not one bishop over a city; and it carries none of the later structure. English 'bishop' descends from it (episkopos → Latin episcopus → Old English biscop), which makes KJV's 'bishops and deacons' a fair etymology and an anachronism at the same time. Acts 20:17-28 uses episkopos and presbyteros of the same men. → first discussed at Philippians 1:1