Neogillist
Puritan Board Freshman
I have officially become a high-churchman. By this I mean that my view of church office has become higher than it was as I now see the great benefits of belonging to a faithful and solid church federation, and have been taking a course on office-bearers at church. I would basically define high-churchmanship by the following:
1. The church consists of three ministerial offices including, ministers, elders and deacons. The role of the minister is to preach the gospel, and administer the sacraments, and he alone has the prerogative to do so through lawful ordination. Thus, it is unlawful for non-ministers to administer the Lord's Supper privately or baptize new converts, or preach the gospel. While lay-people may share the gospel with others and invite unbelievers to church, they may not attempt to preach to others or teach apart from the church's consent and authority. This especially means that no one has the right to pronounce himself a 'pastor' or 'evangelist' and start his own independent church. That is at the essence of sectarianism.
2. The church has Christ as the head and is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets to which the keys of the kingdom of heaven have been given to bind or loose (Mat. 18, 19). Thus any attempt to by-pass the authority of the church is an attempt to by-pass Christ. This means that so-called ministries that attempt to fulfil the role of the church (making new disciples, preaching the gospel, teaching, etc.) have no right to exist if they are not supported by one or more church federations that possess the marks of the true church. This means that while a ministry may be inter-denominational or non-denominational, it must be endosed and/or supported by one or more federations (such as URCNA, PCA, OPC, etc.) for it to have the right to exist. Thus for instance, Ligionier Ministries have the right to exist because all their teachers are ordained ministers or doctors from true church federations/seminaries and are supported by those federations. On the other hand, Campus Crusade for Christ has no right to exist because they try to fulfil the role of a church but are only a collection of lay-people trying to make new converts and equip believers apart from the church's consent and authority.
I trust that all Presbyterians and Reformed on this board will recognize that these two principles flow naturally out of the proper biblical form of church government. Those of you who hold to a two-office view may disagree with some of what I said, but note that the differences are minor if you distinguish between ruling vs teaching elders. In the case where you have only 'elders' the office of minister and elder is joined, and in this case, the elder works really as a minister.
1. The church consists of three ministerial offices including, ministers, elders and deacons. The role of the minister is to preach the gospel, and administer the sacraments, and he alone has the prerogative to do so through lawful ordination. Thus, it is unlawful for non-ministers to administer the Lord's Supper privately or baptize new converts, or preach the gospel. While lay-people may share the gospel with others and invite unbelievers to church, they may not attempt to preach to others or teach apart from the church's consent and authority. This especially means that no one has the right to pronounce himself a 'pastor' or 'evangelist' and start his own independent church. That is at the essence of sectarianism.
2. The church has Christ as the head and is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets to which the keys of the kingdom of heaven have been given to bind or loose (Mat. 18, 19). Thus any attempt to by-pass the authority of the church is an attempt to by-pass Christ. This means that so-called ministries that attempt to fulfil the role of the church (making new disciples, preaching the gospel, teaching, etc.) have no right to exist if they are not supported by one or more church federations that possess the marks of the true church. This means that while a ministry may be inter-denominational or non-denominational, it must be endosed and/or supported by one or more federations (such as URCNA, PCA, OPC, etc.) for it to have the right to exist. Thus for instance, Ligionier Ministries have the right to exist because all their teachers are ordained ministers or doctors from true church federations/seminaries and are supported by those federations. On the other hand, Campus Crusade for Christ has no right to exist because they try to fulfil the role of a church but are only a collection of lay-people trying to make new converts and equip believers apart from the church's consent and authority.
I trust that all Presbyterians and Reformed on this board will recognize that these two principles flow naturally out of the proper biblical form of church government. Those of you who hold to a two-office view may disagree with some of what I said, but note that the differences are minor if you distinguish between ruling vs teaching elders. In the case where you have only 'elders' the office of minister and elder is joined, and in this case, the elder works really as a minister.