Hebrews 11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good report. 

‘Elders’ [Greek: presbuteros] The word “elders” in the Old Testament meant the heads or rulers of the tribes, cities, and nations. In the Gospels and Acts, it generally refers to the Sanhedrin (Matt. 15:2; 16:21; 21:23; 26:3; Acts 4:5, 8, 23). In the early congregational period, elders were the ministers and deacons, or preaching elders and business elders of the local congregations (Acts 11:30; 14:23; 16:4; 20:17, 28; 21:18; 1Tim. 5:17; Tit. 1:5; Jas. 5:14). All apostles were elders (Acts 11:30; 1Pet. 5:1; 2Jn. 1:1; 3Jn. 1:1), but all elders were not apostles (Acts 15:2, 4, 6, 22, 23; 16:4). The elders of Acts 20:17, were the overseers of Acts 20:28. The elders of 1Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:5-10 and 1Peter 5:1-2 were preaching elders or bishops – the ones that were commanded to preach (bring) the Word of God to men – they wrote the gospels and epistles as record of what they received from Christ. The business elders were deacons (Acts 6:1-15). Bishops and deacons are mentioned in Philippians 1:1 and 1Titus 3:1-13. The word presbuteros is also used of older men and women (Luke 15:25; John 8:9; Acts 4:22; 17:1-34; 1Tim. 5:2). It is used also of heavenly ranks (Rev. 4:4, 10; 5:6, 8, 11, 14; 7:11, 13; 11:16; 14:3; 19:4). It is found 68 times and is translated “elder” except in John 8:9 and Acts 2:17; 4:22.

The list of faith-worthies begins with Abel (11:4). No report is given of Adam and Eve – not a word of any repentance, faith, or holiness of life. We read in Geneses 6:3 God’s final warning to Adam: “My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” This was the 5th prophecy in Genesis and was fulfilled in Adam; it gave him 120 more years to live before being cut off. This was given when he was 810 years old, making Genesis 6:1-2 refer to the 810 years since Adam’s creation, and Genesis 6:4 refer to the days after this to the flood. Scripture does not state that Adam or Eve repented or reconciled with God. From Genesis 4 we see God continuing His redemptive work through the next generation bypassing Adam and Eve completely.  Abel, Enoch and Noah were the only godly people mentioned in this period (Gen. 4:4; 5:22; 7:1; Luke 17:26-27; Heb. 11:1-7; 1Pet. 3:20; 2Pet. 2:4-5; Jude 1:14).