25. The Christian Ministry

"He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ," etc. For the establishment of the Christian institution, extraordinary officers were needed. So it was in the Jewish institution, and so it is in every institution, human and divine. But once an institution is established, it only requires an ordinary ministry or administration of its affairs. All the extraordinary gifts granted to Moses, and to the Apostles and Prophets of the gospel institution, ceased when these institutions were fully developed and established. Still, a regular and constant ministry was needed among the Jews, and is still needed among Christians; both by divine authority.

Natural gifts for a natural state of things, and supernatural gifts for a supernatural state of things, are, in the wisdom of both God and man, appropriate and necessary. Hence, even in the apostolic age, there were officers both with and without miraculous endowments. "Having then gifts differing according to the grace given to us — if prophecy, let us prophesy according to the measure of our faith; or ministry, let us attend to our ministry; he who teaches, to teaching; he who exhorts, to exhortation; he who gives, with simplicity; he who leads, with diligence." God has therefore given various gifts to the church for the effective administration of its affairs. He has placed in it "helps and governments," as well as Apostles and Prophets.

The permanent and unchanging ministry of the Christian community is composed of Bishops, Deacons, and Evangelists. Each of these has only one order, though possessing a wide variety of gifts. There have been bishops, deacons, and evangelists with both ordinary and extraordinary gifts. Still, the office is now, and always was, the same. In ancient times, official and unofficial persons sometimes possessed miraculous gifts. Those in high office were also generally among those most eminently gifted with extraordinary powers. Superficial readers have therefore sometimes concluded that, since bishops, deacons, and especially evangelists, frequently possessed these manifestations of the Holy Spirit, with the ceasing of those gifts, the offices themselves also ended. This is a great mistake. There must be officers as long as there are offices or services to be performed. Just as long as the human body needs sight, hearing, and feeling, there will be eyes, ears, and hands. Likewise, as long as the Christian body is an organized body with many services to perform, it must have organs or officers through which it functions and operates in society.

Indeed, there are necessarily as many offices in every body as there are services to be performed for it or by it. This is the root and reason for all offices in all of God's universe. Our planet needs various celestial services to be performed for it. Hence, the sun, moon, and stars are celestial officers ministering to it. The eye, the ear, the tongue, the hand, the foot are, for the same reason, officers in the human body, essentially serving it in its vital interests and enjoyments; and by means of these organs, it performs important functions for other bodies.

Experience, as well as observation, has taught us that "practice makes perfect," and that "whatever is everybody's business is nobody's business." Hence arose the custom among people of assigning certain offices to particular individuals. The philosophy of such elections and appointments is found in the fact that special services are best performed by special organs or agents whose specific role and duty is to attend to them.

As the Christian system is a perfect system, it wisely provides for its own perpetuity and prosperity by creating all necessary offices and filling them with suitable persons. We have said these offices are three, and of perpetual existence because of their necessity. Bishops, whose office it is to preside over, instruct, and build up the community — to feed the church of the Lord with knowledge and understanding — and to watch over their souls as those who must give an account to the Lord at his appearing and his kingdom, compose the first class. Deacons, or servants — whether called treasurers, almoners, stewards, doorkeepers, or messengers — constitute the second. The term deacon originally included all public servants, though now it is most commonly limited to one or two classes; and improperly, no doubt, to those only who attend to the mere temporal interests of the community. They are distinguished persons, called and commissioned by the church (and consequently always responsible to it), to serve in any of these capacities. Evangelists, however, though a class of public functionaries created by the church, do not serve it directly; rather, they are sent out by it into the world and constitute the third class of functionaries belonging to the Christian system.

Since there is more concern among some about the third class of Evangelists than about either Bishops or Deacons, we will take the opportunity to speak more explicitly and fully about the nature and necessity, as well as the authority, of this office. Evangelists, as the term indicates, are persons devoted to preaching the word, making converts, and planting churches. It is, indeed, found only three times in the New Testament; but the verb from which it comes — to evangelize — is found in some of its forms almost sixty times in that volume. "To evangelize" and "to do the work of an evangelist" are phrases of equal meaning, indicating the same duties, rights, and privileges.

Among the offices included in the apostleship, none required more varied endowments than that of the Evangelist. The gift of tongues was among the qualifications necessary for those who, after the ascension, first undertook this work. But the qualifications for this office, as far as the gift of tongues or knowledge of languages is concerned, are not permanently fixed. It depends on the field of labor the Evangelist is to occupy, whether he must speak one language or more. His work is to proclaim the word clearly and persuasively — to baptize all the believers or converts of his ministry — and to plant and organize churches wherever he may have occasion; then teach them to keep the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.

Take, for example, the sketch given us by Luke of the labors of Philip the Evangelist, one of the first to bear that title. One of the seven ministers of the Jerusalem church, after his diaconate was vacated by the dispersion of that community, he began his evangelical work. He turned toward Samaria and preached and baptized among the Samaritans: for we are told, when the Samaritans believed Philip preaching about the kingdom of God and the Lord Jesus, they were baptized, both men and women. He also converted the Ethiopian Eunuch; then, passing from Azotus, he "preached in all the cities until he came to Caesarea," where he later lived. The next mention we have of him is found in Acts 21:8. "We," says Luke, who were with Paul, "went on to Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied." It is clear, then, that he earned the title Evangelist from his itinerant gospel work and converting people. His possession of the gift of the Holy Spirit was no more unique to him as an evangelist than as a deacon of the Jerusalem church; for while serving as a deacon of that church, he seems to have been as full of the Holy Spirit as when traveling through all the cities from Azotus to Caesarea.

Gathering converts into societies and organizing them into worship assemblies are inseparably connected with the right of converting them. Briefly, in his letters to Timothy, Paul seems to define the work of an Evangelist. He says, "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction; endure hardship; do the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry." "Let no one despise your youth. Until I come, devote yourself to reading, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you." "Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely; persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."¹ This seems to be the office of an Evangelist that the Lord gave the church after his ascension.

Setting things in order in the churches — appointing faithful men to the same office who will be able to teach others — ordaining elders, and generally overseeing the affairs of churches, also seem to have been entrusted to Timothy and Titus as agents of the Apostles. How far these tasks are still necessary, and how far the oversight of them may be safely entrusted to select Evangelists with respect to new communities, may be a matter of some debate. But that Evangelists are to separate their own converts into communities, teach and oversee them until they are able to care for themselves, is as unquestionably part of the office of an Evangelist as praying, preaching, or baptizing.

But we may be asked, 'Isn't preaching and baptizing, and even teaching, the common privilege of all disciples, as they have opportunity?' And we also ask in response, 'Isn't it the privilege of all fathers to teach their own children and to lead their own families?' But who would infer from that that all fathers are teachers and leaders? That would shock common sense more than someone who infers that all disciples, simply because they have the privilege in certain cases to preach, baptize, and teach, are evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Every citizen of Christ's kingdom has, by virtue of citizenship, equal rights, privileges, and immunities. So does every citizen of the United States. Yet not all citizens are legislators, magistrates, judges, governors, etc. Before any community, civil or religious, is organized, every person has equal rights to do what seems right in their own eyes. But once organized, and persons appointed to office, then whatever rights, duties, and privileges are conferred on particular persons cannot rightfully belong to those who have transferred them; just as a person cannot both give and keep the same thing. But there are some duties and privileges we cannot fully delegate to others. Parents cannot completely transfer the education of their children to others; neither can a master delegate all his duties to a steward or overseer. Likewise, the citizens of Christ's kingdom cannot fully transfer their duties to preach and teach Christ. To enlighten the ignorant, to persuade the unbelieving, to encourage the disobedient when they come our way and we have the ability or opportunity, is an inalienable duty. Even the church of Rome, with all her clerical pride, commands and authorizes lay baptism when a priest is not available. A Christian is, by profession, a preacher of truth and righteousness, both by teaching and example. He may rightfully preach, baptize, and administer the Lord’s Supper, as well as pray for all people, when circumstances require it. This concession, however, does not remove the necessity of having evangelists, bishops, and deacons; nor, having them, does it authorize any individual to assume what has been entrusted to them. Liberty without licentiousness, and governance without tyranny, is the true spirit of the Christian institution.

While the Christian system allows every person "as he has received a gift, to minister as a good steward of the varied grace of God," it provides for choosing and setting apart qualified individuals for all its specific services, necessary for its own edification and comfort, as well as its effectiveness in the world. It ensures its own continuity and growth in the wisest and most practical way. Its entire wisdom consists of four points: — 1st. It establishes the necessary offices for its continuity and growth. 2nd. It selects the best-qualified individuals for those offices. 3rd. It consecrates or sets those individuals apart to those offices. 4th. It commands them to devote themselves entirely to the work, so their development may keep pace with the growth of the body and be evident to all. Can anyone point out a flaw in this plan? — !

All its officers, whether for its services at home or abroad, when fully tested, are to be formally and solemnly set apart by the laying on of hands by the presbytery or eldership of the church. The whole community chooses — the elders ordain. This is the apostolic tradition. Let those unfamiliar with the Scriptures examine the apostolic law and practice; Acts 6:2-6. This is how the Christian system began in its elections and ordinations. It is unchangeable. Therefore, this system applies in all cases. The qualifications for any office are always based on the nature of the office. They are generally detailed, but not always, because the work to be done is the best guide in determining the qualifications of the person doing it.

We say the elders always ordain. Popery says, 'Only those on whom apostolic hands have been laid can rightfully ordain.' Such an idea is not part of the Christian system. The elders always lay on hands, whether hands have been laid on them or not. This is true Protestantism. Better yet, it is true biblical teaching. Indeed, it is the Christian system. The apostles laid on hands because they were elders, not because they were apostles. This is the core of a controversy that has lasted fifteen hundred years. It has been widely, almost universally, misunderstood and overlooked. Protestants are as much Papists in this regard as Papists are Protestants in rejecting Protestantism. It is assumed by Romanists, and conceded by Protestants, that "holy hands" are official hands by a divine right. Sometimes they are, but not always. But Christian elders (and I do not mean merely old men), who have long walked in the ways of the Lord, have holy hands and much more power with and from the Lord than ever dwelt in any pontiff or supposed vicar of Christ in twelve hundred and sixty years.

To prove that elders lay on hands, we point to Acts 6:1-15, where the apostles were the oldest converts in Jerusalem. We also point to the fact that the presbytery or eldership laid hands on Timothy and gave him the gift or office of an evangelist. Are there two rules of ordination in one system? Paul and Barnabas, though apostles, were themselves ordained by the church of Antioch through its presbytery. Therefore, elders in Christ, as such, can, by divine authority, lay hands on any person for any office to which the church has elected them. It must also be done with prayer and fasting. See Acts 6:6; Acts 13:3; Acts 14:23.

People may be young in years and mature in Christ. Timothy, Paul says, "Do not lay hands on anyone hastily." This implies that those ordained were juniors in the Lord; and until they had gained some character and standing as elders (even Timothy himself), they were not to be ordained. Perhaps it is necessary to say that a classic presbytery and the presbytery of a single church are very different institutions. The apostles ordained elders (a presbytery) in every church. They did not make young men old, but set apart those who were mature in the Lord to the office of overseers. They did not make juniors elders, but made elders bishops.

The community, the church, the multitude of the faithful, is the source of official power. This power flows from the body itself — not from its servants. Servants made by servants are servants of servants; and such are all the clergy of the Man of Sin. But the body of Christ, under him as its head, animated and led by his Spirit, is the source and spring of all official power and privilege. How much more certain and pure is ecclesiastical authority thus derived from Christ the head, directly through his body, than when derived through a long, uncertain, corrupt dynasty of bishops or pontiffs! The church is the mother of all the sons and priests of God; and to seek authority from her servants or creations, as all kinds of Papists do, whether Catholic or Protestant, is to worship and serve the creature more than the Creator — a form of idolatry worthy only of the darkest night of the darkest day of the dark ages.

But the church needs messengers for special occasions — not only her regular deacons and ministers, but extraordinary ministers. These too are selected by the church or churches in a given district and commissioned by their letters. They are not consecrated by laying on of hands, but approved by letters from the community. Are we asked for authority? We gladly provide it. 1 Cor. 16:3 is right on point: "And," says Paul to the saints in Corinth, "when I come, whomsoever you approve by letters, them I will send to bring your gift to Jerusalem." This is the apostolic practice in such cases. In the second epistle, Paul says, "We have sent Titus the brother (Luke, we believe) whose praise is in the gospel (written by him) throughout all the churches — who was also chosen by the churches to accompany us on this collection," etc.

The Christian system requires, for its continuity and prosperity at home and abroad, bishops, deacons, and evangelists. Its bishops teach, preside, and enforce the laws of Christ in all its gatherings. The deacons, a large and varied group of functionaries, including stewards, treasurers, almoners, doorkeepers, etc., as needed, continually attend to its various services. Its evangelists, possessing proper qualifications, ordained and consecrated to the work of the Lord in converting sinners and planting churches by a presbytery or a board of elders competent to prudently discharge the duty, are constantly engaged in increasing its membership. These ministers of the word are commanded to devote themselves entirely to this work and, consequently, to be fully supported by their fellow believers. They are accountable to all the holy brethren and to the Lord at his coming and his kingdom for the faithful discharge of that sacred trust entrusted to them.

What an efficient institution is that over which Christ presides, when well understood and fully carried out in all its details! With its bishops and deacons at home, and its evangelists abroad, wholly devoted to faithfully carrying out their respective responsibilities; men of experience, faith, piety, morality, full of zeal, energy, and kindness, cooperating with all similar institutions, supported by the prayers and free-will offerings of all the united people, having the love of God in their hearts and heaven in their sight, what might they not accomplish for the glory of God, the good of people, and honor to themselves! Of such an army of faith, in full operation and harmony, one might indeed ask, "Who is this that looks forth like the morning, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners!"

1 1 Timothy 4; 2 Timothy 4