Book 4 - Chapter 3 (Parts 1-2)
THE DOCTORS AND MINSTERS OF THE CHURCH, THEIR ELECTION AND OFFICE
Part 1
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In this chapter, Calvin examines the roll of leadership in the church. What we need to remember as we move through this section is that Calvin essentially offered a radically different view and form of church leadership from any that existed during his lifetime. He defends these changes on both Biblical and theological grounds.
Summary: Calvin begins by asking a key question, “Why does God need men’s service?” In other words, if God is sovereign, as Calvin claims God to be, why does God need our help at all to draw people to God and to teach them about God. Couldn’t God just do it? Calvin’s answer is “…because he (God) does not dwell among us in visible presence we have said that he uses this ministry of men to declare openly his will to us by mouth, as a sort of delegated work…just as a workman uses a tool to do his work…he takes some to serve as ambassadors in the world to be interpreters of his secret will and, in short, to represent his person” (pg. 1053). For this reason, he argues, people should be reverent and respectful to those who teach, even though each is simply “a puny man risen from the dust…” (pg. 1054). The office of pastor is for Calvin, the “sinew by which believers are held together in one body” (pg. 1055). This is so not because of the person of the minister, but because they are the ones gifted by God to interpret the Word of God for the congregation. And it is the Word that orients people to the Spirit and to eternal life. The leading of the church however is not limited to ministers. Those who preside over the government of the church are “…first Apostles, then prophets, thirdly evangelists, fourthly pastors and finally teachers” (pg. 1056). Calvin comments that while pastors and teachers have ongoing positions in the church, God raises up apostles, prophets and evangelists only when the times demand it. In fact, those three occasional offices “…were not established in the church as permanent ones, but only for that time when churches were to be erected where none existed before or…to lead the church back from the rebellion of Antichrist. Nonetheless I call this office ‘extraordinary’, because in duly constituted churches it has no place” (pg. 1057). This is a reference to Martin Luther whom Calvin believed to be a modern Apostle called to lead the church away from the Papacy. Returning to the role of the pastor, Calvin states that pastors have three particular functions. They are to “…proclaim the gospel and to administer the sacraments…and exercise upright discipline” (pg. 1059). This teaching is to be done publicly and privately. In terms of where pastors serve, they are to be assigned to one church, but are to be available to assist other churches. In so doing however they are not to be “…dashing about aimlessly without an assignment, rashly gathering together in one place, and forsaking their church at pleasure, because they are more concerned about their own advantage than about upbuilding the church…that each person, content with their own limits, should not break into another man’s province” (pg. 1059). This concept is important because pastors, as ordinary people, are often tempted to become overly involved in another pastor’s church, or perhaps even “stealing” another congregation. Reflections: the role of the minister in the modern church carries the same functions as it did in Calvin’s time. They are to preach, teach, counsel and help to maintain a sense of order in the life of the church. Thus, ministers, in the Reformed tradition, are trained in Bible, theology, preaching, teaching and counseling. In addition, as the church has taken on more of the trappings of the corporate world, pastors are often seen as the CEOs of the church, which requires an additional set of gifts. In terms of pastors quickly moving from church to church, or interfering in the lives of congregations not their own, most denominations have rules which attempt to minimize these situations. Questions:
Part 2
In this chapter, Calvin examines the roll of leadership in the church. What we need to remember as we move through this section is that Calvin essentially offered a radically different view and form of church leadership from any that existed during his lifetime. He defends these changes on both Biblical and theological grounds.
Summary: Calvin opens this part of his discussion with an examination of the Biblical words that the Apostle Paul uses to describe church leaders. These include “’bishops’, ‘presbyters’, ‘pastors’ and ‘ministers’” (pg. 1060). Calvin argues that Paul uses these terms interchangeably as he describes those who are called to the ministry of the Word (meaning those called to tell people about Jesus through preaching and teaching). In addition, there are other leaders, Calvin notes, to which scripture refers, whose roles include governing and caring for the poor. Those who are called to govern are “…elders chosen from the people, who were charged with the…exercise of discipline along with the bishops…this office of governance is necessary for all ages” (pg. 1061). The care of the poor is given to the deacons. Calvin believed that there were two kinds of deacons; those who distribute money (alms) and those who do the physical care for the poor. “If we accept this...there will be two kinds of deacons: one to serve the church in administering the affairs of the poor; the other caring for the poor themselves…” (pg. 1061). In an interesting note, Calvin mentions women as those who can be deacons because the only role (as he reads scripture) in which women were allowed to engage in the church was that of caring for the poor. Calvin next addresses the “calling” of persons (in his case men) to the ministry of the Word. He believes that because “…there is nothing in which order should be more diligently observed than in establishing government…if a man were to be considered a true minister of the church, he must first have been duly called, then he must respond to his calling, that is he must undertake and carry out the tacks enjoined” (pg. 1062). Calling involves for Calvin four points. 1) that minsters should have a sincere fear of God and desire to build up the church as well as the proper education 2) that ministers must be carefully chosen by the church 3) that ministers should be called and elected by the people of the church 4) that ministers are ordained and installed by the laying on of hands. These points were in many ways a radical departure from the practices of the medieval Roman Church. In the Roman Church, it was bishops who chose and ordained priests, and priests (and even bishops) did not have to have any theological education. Calvin’s views were not a reaction to these practices, but were based on a careful reading of scripture. In the scriptures Calvin notes that those called to leadership were to be people of faith and knowledge and were to be called by a vote of the people (Acts 14:23). Reflections: The concepts of ministry offered in this chapter are still in effect in the life of the Presbyterian Church today. Deacons are still those tasked with caring for the poor. Elders are still those tasked with governing the church and are elected by the church members. Ministers (today men and women) must be able to demonstrate both adequate education and calling, have that call verified by the wider church, and must be ordained (along with deacons and elders) by the laying on of hands. This practice has served the church well and insured that as Calvin puts it, all things are done decently and in order. Questions:
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