Ordination and Church Offices

Dear Church Family,

During our continuing introduction to “Church Membership 101,” in the adult Sunday school class this past Sunday, we had a tangential discussion about the different ordained offices in the PCA: teaching elders, ruling elders, and deacons. As a follow-up to that discussion, and since we’ll be having an installation service at the church this coming Sunday evening, September 7^th, at 5:00 pm, I thought it might be helpful to review the broad strokes of the biblical doctrine of ordination. But first, just a couple of brief points of information and time-sensitive announcements:

Carl Trueman on Confession of Sin and Assurance

At the beginning of our worship service this past Sunday, I read a quote from Carl Trueman regarding the importance of corporately confession our sins as a church and then hearing the word of assurance of forgiveness to all those who repent of their sins and trust in Christ. If you’re interested, you may read the entirety of that article online here: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/article/a-word-to-the-conscience/.

Ordination and Church Offices

Among Christians, there are several views concerning the offices of the church. Painting with a broad brush, most Christians agree that the Scriptures describe various offices with various roles which God has given as gifts to the New Testament church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, elders, deacons (Ephesians 4:11-13; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3; Titus 1). Some may add or take away from this list, but in general, these are agreed upon among most all Christians.

Foundational Offices in the Church

The disagreement comes when one asks the question: Are any of these offices extraordinary and foundational, and therefore no longer applicable in the church today? Here, there is a continuum of opinion. Again, painting with a broad brush, on one end of the continuum are those who believe that all of these offices continue into the present day. Typically, these are the charismatic and Pentecostal churches, along with those churches which have been influenced by their theology and doctrine.

On the other end of the continuum are those who believe that the Scriptures teach that some of these offices were temporary and foundational and therefore do not continue into the present day. The Reformed and Presbyterian tradition, along with those churches influenced by their theology and doctrine fall in this latter category.

Here’s some of the biblical precedent for the Reformed view concerning the difference between temporary and foundational offices (apostle and prophet) and continuing offices (pastor, elder, and deacon). At the end of the second chapter of Ephesians, the Word of God tells us that the offices of apostle and prophet are foundational offices of the church (Ephesians 2:19-22). Then, in the beginning of the next chapter, the Word of God tells us that one of the distinguishing characteristics of apostles and prophets is that they received special revelation concerning the mystery of Christ and the gospel which was not revealed to others (Ephesians 3:1-7). In the Pastoral Epistles, there is no mention of raising up apostles and prophets anymore. These pastors were to establish only the offices of elder and deacon in the church (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1).

The Doctrine of Ordination

One of the things that sets confessional churches apart from other churches is our understanding of the importance of these offices and the doctrine of ordination. Negatively, we deny the view of those who believe that the offices of prophet and apostle are continuing offices in the church (e.g., charismatic and Pentecostal churches); and, we deny the view of those who reject church government altogether (e.g., anabaptists and the Plymouth Brethren). But our doctrine of ordination (or any doctrine to which we hold) cannot, and is not, based simply on a set of denials.

Positively, we believe that the Scriptures teach that God has gifted certain men in His church to be stewards of the mysteries of God (elders) and stewards of the giftings of the church (deacons). Surely there are a myriad of responsibilities which God gives to the elders of the church (shepherding, comforting, exhorting, and caring for God’s people), but guarding and teaching the doctrines of the faith are at the center. Though there be no more apostles and prophets to whom God gives new revelation, pastors and elders are to guard the gospel and doctrines of the Christian faith which have been entrusted to them (1 Timothy 6:20-21; Titus 1:9).

In a world marked by egalitarianism and the democratization of opinion and authority through political processes and technology, the idea that not everyone has the same authority and responsibility is anathema, but it is a clear teaching of Scripture (1 Corinthians 12:28-31).

Conclusion

We have only scratched the surface on the biblical doctrine of ordination, but I wanted to close by sharing with you a passage of Scripture which causes me, as a minister of the gospel, to tremble.

In 1 Timothy 4:16, Paul writes to his young protégé, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” The phrase “you will ensure salvation” is the rendering of one word in the original language. That word is simply the future tense of the verb “to save” (sozo). Literally, Paul says, “Guard yourself and your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

Of course, God in Christ is the only author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2); faith and salvation are the gift of God’s grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). Yet, the Lord uses human agents – men called by God and the church – to be stewards of the mysteries of God – to guard and distribute gifts from the very storehouse of heaven, the gospel promises of God (Matthew 13:52).

Commenting on 1 Timothy 4:16, John Calvin writes,

“It is by the preaching of the gospel that we are gathered to Christ. And as the unfaithfulness or carelessness of the pastor is ruinous to the Church, so the cause of salvation is justly ascribed to his faithfulness and diligence. True, it is God alone that saves; and not even the smallest portion of his glory can lawfully be bestowed on men. But God parts with no portion of his glory when he employs the agency of men for bestowing salvation. Our salvation is, therefore, the gift of God alone, because from him alone it proceeds, and by his power alone it is performed; and therefore, to him alone, as the author, it must be ascribed. But the ministry of men is not on that account excluded.”

Please pray for your pastor and elders that they may persevere in guarding themselves and their teaching, as God uses faulty, human instruments to accomplish His saving work.

The Lord be with you! 

Pastor Peter M. Dietsch