Sacerdotalism Or Every-Member Ministry?

Here’s something to chew on:

One’s understanding of the nature of the church is a test or expression of one’s understanding of Christ and the Bible.

For example, why do we use the terms “minister” and “ministry” synonymously with “pastor” and “pastorate”? Or why do some use “priest” for an official minister when the term in the New Testament is used for any believer?

We must honestly admit that there is in the New Testament not the faintest hint of a clergy-laity distinction. The various gifts of the Holy Spirit were bestowed by Jesus on all His followers for the purpose of building up His church. New Testament ecclesiology can be realized only when the congregation is filled with the Spirit and when each member is exercising his or her spiritual gift.

In Rom. 12:4-8 and 1 Cor. 12:12-31 (key passages – read them!), Paul insists that in the church no class distinction is found. Although there are functional differences, every part of the Body is important; if one part is lacking, the Body cannot function as it should. “The body should work together as a whole with all the members in sympathetic relationship with one another” (1 Cor. 12:23-25 summarized). The immediate effect of Christ’s ascension and exaltation is to make it possible for the individual believer to present his or her body as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God. The practical effect of such consecration is twofold: All believers are priests by virtue of the fact that they comprise a royal priesthood, and all Christians are truly ministers and servants of God. Every member of the congregation is therefore useful and necessary for the common good.

Thus in the church there can be no sacerdotalism, no apostolic succession, no one-man rule. Here the rigorous volunteerism of the Anabaptists is worth emulating. In Anabaptist thinking, the church is a voluntary association of converted and committed Christians. The “official ministry” is but a representative ministry, and therefore true ecclesiology can only be realized by a congregation in which all the members are exercising their gifts. The apostle Peter writes, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet. 4:6). Any appointed ministry must function within the total framework of the church as the Body of Christ, of which He alone is the Head (Col. 1:18).

But we must not stop there. There are important tasks to be performed. We need courage both intellectually and spiritually to acknowledge in our practice the priesthood of all believers. We need meetings that are more participatory. We are to act, not on the basic of some grandiose plan, but on a point-by-point basis. Contrary to most modern theologians, we do not have to settle for the status quo.

We have been given, by God and through Him, the perennial possibility of starting anew.

January 31, 2010

David Alan Black

Taken from: [url=http://www.daveblackonline.com/sacerdotalism_or_everymember_mi.htm]http://www.daveblackonline.com/sacerdotalism_or_everymember_mi.htm[/url]

Amen. The whole class distinction is a myth. The "fancy" 5-fold ministry only exists to equip the "commoners" for the work of the ministry.

Eph 4:11-12 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; [b]For[/b] the perfecting of the saints, [b]for [/b]the work of the ministry, [b]for[/b] the edifying of the body of Christ.

This is a great truth, Jimmy. Each of us has a
testimony of truth and saving grace and each of us
bears witness of GOD'S love and GOD'S spirit within!!
We are to be ministers of the gospel by manifesting
GOD'S presence and His purpose here on earth!!

What's awesome to see consider about this article is that it is written by one of the greatest NT Greek scholars in the world, David Alan Black. Our seminary professors are not all dead :-)

We must honestly admit that there is in the New Testament not the faintest hint of a clergy-laity distinction.

Clearly the biblical form is that of individuals gathering together in local church bodies, each endowed with gifts of the Spirit for the purpose of building up the whole.

But I believe that it is incorrect to say there is not the faintest hint of distinction. We know the church had offices, Acts 14:23 reads, "And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed." Missionaries on missionary journeys produced not only individual Christians, but also churches with officers.

Paul, when speaking to church elders in Acts 20:28 said , "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Notice how the elders are given a double charge. They are to watch out for those who will bring in false doctrine. They are called to exert church discipline but this is not all, they are also to feed the flock. They have a responsibility to see that the church is not anemic. The elders are not to forget either side: Both are necessary. This clearly has the implications of teaching.

Paul implies in 1 Timothy 5:17 that there were two kinds of elders: "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine." This is an indication that in the early church some elders gave special attention to preaching and teaching. That is, there are elders who are especially committed to preaching and teaching the people.

Also, The qualifications for elders and deacons are given in both 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9. These give what the elders and deacons should be like. The church has no right to diminish these standards for the officers of the church, nor does it have any right to elevate any others as though they are then equal to these which are commanded by God himself.

So I think there are some forms that the church should take that are defined in the New Testament but beyond that there is also much freedom for change to be excersized under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

In Christ,

Ron