Monday, June 13, 2011
The Office of the Holy Ministry vs. Priesthood of Believers
Mark 16:15-16 "15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."
Interesting that the NIV Mark stays true to the KJV in this passage. The KJV stays consistent with the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19 and that of Mark 16:15 and yet the NIV and many ensuing translations bastardize Matthew 28:19 as 'to make disciples'. Number one, you have to realize who actually 'makes disciples'. It is the work of the Holy Ghost. Called and ordained men are to merely preach the Word as the KJV accurately proclaims in Matthew 28 and Mark 16. Number two; who are these called and ordained men? You have to differentiate between disciples and the Apostles. There were many disciples...as many as 72 (Luke 10). But there were only the chosen "twelve". These were the first duly called and in a sense ordained servants of the Word. It was these "twelve" that Jesus called; these twelve who were present throughout Christ's ministry; these twelve who deserted him during His passion; these eleven that he appeared to in the upper room; these said same who were with Him at Ascension and then received the Holy Ghost on Pentecost. There is a clear delineation between the Priesthood of all Believers and the Office of the Holy Ministry. WELS clearly contends with Scriptures and the Confessions when it elevates laymen to this office thereby exaggerating the Priesthood of all Believers and equating it to the Office of the Holy Ministry. Yes, we know we all are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28) and yes, we are to be ready to give testimony when opportunities present themselves (1 Pet. 3:15), but the preaching and teaching of God's Word rests on those DULY called and ordained.
One of my points of contention with Holy Word was lay led Bible class and lay leaders giving sermonettes prior to the assigned Bible reading/lesson of the day during the worship service. These men; and I am not questioning their faith; are not all equipped as the Bible says they should be; whether it be content and how it relates to the theme of the day or to their oral diction and manner of speech; or answering questions in Bible class with authority. No doubt this is happening all over WELS especially in relaxed worship settings and etc... I was a part of it (regrettably) at Crosswalk in Phoenix and at Christ the Rock in the Austin area. Even staff members from Arizona Lutheran Academy (teachers; male admin staff) preached at Crosswalk. Staff Minister Chad White recently preached (as he does on occasion) during a Lenten Service at Holy Word (3-23-2011). Chad White is not a duly called and ordained servant of the Word.
Supporting Scripture References
MATTHEW 16:18-19
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
JOHN 20:22-23
21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld."
ACTS 14:23
23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
ACTS 20:28
28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
I CORINTHIANS 4:1:
1 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
TITUS 1:4-5
4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. 5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—
I TIMOTHY 3:1-5
1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?
I PETER 5:1-3
1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
Supporting Statements from the Book of Concord; The Lutheran Confessions
LUTHER’S SMALL CATECHISM:
What is the Office of the Keys? The Office of the Keys is that special authority which Christ has given to His Church on earth to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, but to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant as long as they do not repent. Where is this written? This is what St. John the Evangelist writes in chapter twenty: “The Lord Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (Jn. 20:22-23)
What do you believe according to these words? I believe that when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by His divine command, in particular when they exclude openly unrepentant sinners from the Christian congregation and absolve those who repent of their sins and want to do better, this is just as valid and certain even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself.
AUGSBURG CONFESSION – Order in the Church, ARTICLE XIV
Our churches teach that no one should publicly teach in the Church, or administer the Sacraments, without a rightly ordered call.
APOLOGY OF THE AUGSBURG CONFESSION – The Number and Use of the Sacraments, Article XIII, 11-13
But if ordination is understood as carrying out the ministry of the Word, we are willing to call ordination a Sacrament. For the ministry of the Word has God’s command and has glorious promises,…For the Church has the command to appoint ministers, which should be most pleasing to us, because we know that God approves this ministry and is present in the ministry that God will preach and work through men and those who have been chosen by men. It is helpful, so far as can be done, to honor the ministry of the Word with every kind of praise against fanatical people.
APOLOGY OF THE AUGSBURG CONFESSION, ARTICLE XXVIII, 13-14
“Therefore, the bishop has the power of the order, that is, the ministry of Word and Sacraments. He also has the power of jurisdiction. This means the authority to excommunicate those guilty of open crimes and again to absolve them if they are converted and seek absolution. [John 20:23]. But their power is not to be tyrannical, without a fixed law. Nor is it to be regal, above the law. Rather they have a fixed command and a fixed Word of God, according to which they should teach and exercise their jurisdiction…They have the Word, the command, and how far they should exercise jurisdiction if anyone did anything contrary to that Word they have received from Christ.”
TREATISE ON THE POWER AND PRIMACY OF THE POPE – The Power and Jurisdiction of
Bishops, 60, 74
“The Gospel assigns those who preside over Churches the command to teach the Gospel [Matthew28:19], to forgive sins [John 20:23], to administer the Sacraments, and also to exercise jurisdiction (i.e., the command to excommunicate those whose crimes are known and to absolve those who repent.)…Certainly, the common jurisdiction of excommunicating those guilty of clear crimes belongs to all pastors [I Corinthians 5]
