MacArthur notes that "Some have suggested that episkopos derives its sense from the city administrator, inspector, or financial manager of Greek culture. Its New Testament usage, however, more closely parallels that of the Essene Jews of the Qumran community.  The overseers among the Essenes preached, taught, presided, exercised care and authority, and enforced discipline. Those functions more closely mirror that of the New Testament overseer than the more narrow use of the term in Greek culture. What are the responsibilities of the overseer? They are to rule (1Ti5:17), to preach and teach (1Ti5:17), to pray for the sick (Js 5:14), to care for the church (1Pe5:1–2), to be examples for others to follow (1Pe5:1–2),, to set church policy (Acts 15:22ff.), and to ordain other leaders (1Ti4:14)." ( 1 Timothy. Chicago: Moody Press.)
    
Kenneth Wuest adds that "The word (episkopos) came originally from secular life, referring to the foreman of a construction gang, or the supervisor of building construction, for instance. Thayer defines the word; “an overseer, a man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done by others are done rightly, any curator, guardian, or superintendent.” The word was taken up by the Church, and designated an overseer of any Christian church. The responsibilities of this office have to do with the oversight and direction of the spiritual life of the local church. (Ref: Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament : For the English reader (1 Ti 3:1))
       
In 1Pet2:25 we see the ultimate "Overseer", where episkopos is used of the Lord Jesus to describe His care over His sheep. "Overseers" are made such by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28). Having oversight of the church is no small task, but rather a sobering responsibility   Heb13:17 warns that leaders must give an account to God for how faithfully they have led, while James adds that because they teach they face a stricter judgment (Js3:1). The following poem by George Liddell describes what the character of these men should be like:  responsibility   Heb13:17 warns that leaders must give an account to God for how faithfully they have led, while James adds that because they teach they face a stricter judgment (Js3:1).

William Barclay (The Daily study Bible series, Rev. ed. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press.) adds these thoughts on episkopos: "Episkopos is a word with a great history. In Homer’s Iliad, Hector, the great champion of the Trojans, is called the episkopos who, during his lifetime, guarded the city of Troy and kept safe its noble wives and infants. Episkopos is used of the gods who are the guardians of the treaties which men make and of the agreements to which men come, and who are the protectors of house and home. Justice, for instance, is the episkopos, who sees to it that a man shall pay the price for the wrong that he has done. In Plato’s Laws the Guardians of the state are those whose duty it is to oversee the games, the feeding and the education of the children that “they may be sound of hand and foot, and may in no wise, if possible, get their natures warped by their habits.” The people whom Plato calls market-stewards are the episkopoi who “supervise personal conduct, keeping an eye on temperate and outrageous behaviour, so as to punish him who needs punishment.” In Athenian law and administration the episkopoi were governors and administrators and inspectors sent out to subject states to see that law and order and loyalty were observed. In Rhodes the main magistrates were five episkopoi who presided over the good government and the law and order of the state. Episkopos is, therefore, a many-sided but always a noble word. It means the protector of public safety; the guardian of honour and honesty; the overseer of right education and of public morals; the administrator of public law and order. So, then, to call God the episkopos of our souls is to call him our Guardian, our Protector, our Guide, and our Director." Barclay goes on to state that "The Septuagint, the Greek version of the Hebrew scriptures, uses it to describe those who were the taskmasters, who were over the public works and public building schemes (2Chr34:17). The Greeks use it to describe the men appointed to go out from the mother city to regulate the affairs of a newly founded colony in some distant place. They use it to describe what we might call commissioners appointed to regulate the affairs of a city. The Romans use it to describe the magistrates appointed to oversee the sale of food within the city of Rome. It is used of the special delegates appointed by a king to see that the laws he had laid down were carried out. Episkopos always implies two things; first, oversight over some area or sphere of work and second, responsibility to some higher power and authority."

In sum episkopos emphasizes the fact that the leadership is charged with overseeing the local church and as such is responsible for the spiritual well-being of those in the church.

The following poem by George Liddell describes what the character of these men should be like: