Calvin Synod Herald, 2005 (106. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2005-05-01 / 5-6. szám

6

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD

Of the Ministers of the Church,

Their Institution and Duties

Heidelberg Catechism, Chapter 18, Lesson 27

Note: Scripture background, additional reading, and definitions are the same in multi-part lessons

Scripture background reading: I Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11-13; Matt. 28:19-20; Isa. 59:12

I Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11-13; Matt. 28:19-20; Isa. 59:12 Additional reading: Belgic Confession Art. 31 Vocabulary: Minister; Gospel; Preacher

1. God Uses Ministers in the Building of the Church. God has always used ministers for the gathering or establishing of a Church for himself, and for the governing and preservation of the same; and still he does, and always will, use them so long as the Church remains on earth. Therefore, the first beginning, institution, and office of ministers is a most ancient arrangement of God himself, and not a new one of men. It is true that God can, by his power, without any means join to himself a Church from among men; but he preferred to deal with men by the ministry of men. Therefore ministers are to be regarded, not as ministers by themselves alone, but as the ministers of God, inasmuch as God affects the salvation of men through them.

This statement is true for the same reason that all God’s precious promises in Scripture directed toward man must be true. The gifts of God are without shadow or turning. There is currently a movement to return to the beginning of the church based falsely on one passage of Scripture and the historical fact that the first churches met in people’s homes. This is being carried so far as to deny the necessity of ordained ministers or professional clergy to preach the Word of God. Ministers, this group says, are not needed by the true church. The error is that God does not change nor can His divine Word change. God said, “I give to the church” To deny the place for ministers is to say God is in error or that God can change. Both ideas are gross heresy. 1

2. The Ministry Is Not To Be Despised. Hence we warn men to beware lest we attribute what has to do with our conversion and instruction to the secret power of the Holy Spirit in such a way that we make void the ecclesiastical ministry. For it is fitting that we always have in mind the words of the apostle: How are they to believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? So faith comes from hearing, and hearing comes by the word of God (Rom. 10:14, 17). And also what the Lord said in the Gospel: Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives any one whom I send receives me; and he who receives me receives him who sent me (John 13:20). Likewise a man of Macedonia, who appeared to Paul in a vision while he was in Asia, secretly admonished him, saying: Come over to Macedonia and help us (Acts 16:9). And in another place the same apostle said: We are fellow workmen of God; you are God’s tillage, God’s building (I Cor. 3:9). Yet, on the other hand, we must beware that we do not attribute too much to ministers and the ministry; remembering here also the words of the Lord in the Gospel: No one can come to me unless my Father draws

him (John 6:44), and the words of the apostle: What then is Paul? What is Apollos? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but only God gives the growth (I Cor. 3:5 ff). Therefore, let us believe that God teaches us by his word, outwardly through his ministers, and inwardly moves the hearts of his elect to faith by the Holy Spirit; and that therefore we ought to render all glory unto God for this whole favor. But this matter has been dealt with in the first chapter of this Exposition.

This topic was handled in the opening paragraph. It is to be observed also that at least from the time of Abraham forward, God has dealt with the covenant family. There are shadows of this assembly or gathering by God to Himself more than one at a time in the Bible preceding Abraham. Nonetheless, God did not call one or a few to Himself in the Exodus. There He called a nation, a chosen generation. To them He restated the promise of the covenant. In the calling of the nation of Israel from slavery in Egypt to Himself in freedom, God set leaders before the people (ministers). At Sinai God gave the conditions and set the rules for the ministers of the temple. In the New Testament ministers are said to be the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church. The office of minister is to be respected. It is a grave matter to disrespect the messenger of God. Although man has profaned the title and many have assumed this godly title it does not relieve the requirement that all believers must give due respect and consideration to these ministers until by their words and actions they have proven themselves false prophets not called by God. Such proof does not give permission to disrespect either the office or person. It gives the right to the church to judge and remove the person from office. Never should the body of Christ including also individual members of the church have the right to disrespect any man who was created in the image of God. As James says so well, blessing and cursing cannot flow from the same tongue.. To do so is wrong.

3. Who the Ministers Are and of What Sort God Has Given the World. And even from the beginning of the world God has used the most excellent men in the whole world (even if many of them were simple in worldly wisdom or philosophy, but were outstanding in true theology), namely, the patriarchs, with whom he frequently spoke by angels. For the patriarchs were the prophets or teachers of their age whom God for this reason wanted to live for several centuries, in order that they might be, as it were, fathers and lights of the world. They were followed by Moses and the prophets renowned throughout all the world.

The calling out of those whom God has chosen to be the spiritual leaders, fathers of His people, is ancient. Like the prophets of the Old Testament so stand the ministers of the present assemblies of God’s chosen people. The focus is upon the duty of forth telling the Word from God, not as a psychic fortuneteller. In this sense, the modem prophet has before Him the complete revealed Word more clearly presented than any single prophet of the Old or New Testament had. The individual member of the church has in his hands the means to test the spirits as commanded by God. Do not take the word of any man for granted despite his heavenly title as if it is the only truth. Search out these matters in the Bible. The words of a minister called of God will stand the test. This does not mean godly men being in the flesh do not make mistakes.