1. Term

The word “synod” (Gk. synodos, “on the way together”) was common already in classical Greek. In the apocryphal NT it occurs in Prot. Jas. 15.1 and is parallel to “synagogue.” As a term originally with the same meaning as “councils,” it has gained currency since the Reformation. It refers to church bodies that meet relatively regularly and that, through duly authorized members, advise the church on matters of faith, order, and govern…