The Three-fold Office of the Minister

It was, I believe, John Calvin who first articulated the idea of the three-fold office of Christ: that of Prophet, Priest and King. This three-fold description is a tidy short-hand for the work, obligations and duties of Christ, but it is my opinion that as an archetypal pattern it also describes the role or office of the Minister or Pastor within the Protestant Church. The office of Minister is patterned after that of Christ and was ordained by Him, by way of the apostles.

Forgive me, but I like the tidiness of this approach. I guess it appeals to my natural tendency to two-pile (dialectical) thinking. And certainly one can easily find Biblical warrant for each aspect described, especially in the Gospels.

If you don't mind, I’d like to take a few lines of digital type to explore a little the idea of Prophet, Priest and King as it is embodied in the office of Minister or Pastor within congregations. Please understand this is entirely a subjective opinion and carries no authoritative weight.

Firstly then, Ministers hold the office of Prophet. A prophet was a truth-teller, but not necessarily a fortune-teller or futurist. He proclaimed God’s truth about Himself, His purposes and His promises as God made them evident to him. Prophetic proclamation in the OT is often signalled by the phrase, “Thus saith the LORD." In the Gospels, Christ alerts us to many of His prophetic utterances by the similar phrase, “Verily, verily, I say unto you.” So as prophet, the Minister must simply and directly proclaim God’s truth which of course is summarized in the Gospel, the good news, found in both testaments. This is the first and foremost duty of the office of Minister within the Protestant Church. This is part of the Great Commission, or the spreading of the Gospel to “all the nations.” It is a solemn duty and yet a joyous privilege to proclaim the Gospel to a perishing world. It is the ordained task of every Minister to undertake this in his official role of prophet. In this role the Minister speaks from God to the people. But additionally, teaching is also an aspect of this office. The Minister is the teacher of God’s Word. I personally believe that anyone who is not a practicing Minister or Elder within his own congregation (or who is not a student Minister in training) does not automatically have the authority to teach God’s Word. (I have in mind here many scholars and so-called experts in theology. However, anyone has the right to receive delegated authority from office bearers such as the Elders, enabling them to teach if they have the recognized gift to do so.)

Secondly, and importantly, ministers are obligated in their role as “under-shepherds of Christ” to care for and nurture other believers in the same way Christ cared for and nurtured His disciples and now cares for His Bride, the Church. This the Minister does in his official role as Priest. This is an aspect of ministry that many people don’t fully appreciate, especially in Reformed congregations, which can be so oriented to the dual role of Prophet/King. In this priestly role they are properly called “Pastors” or shepherds. The Pastor edifies or encourages believers of his flock in their faith. He supports those who are confused or whose faith may be in a weakened condition. He fends off the wiles of the devil (primarily but not exclusively through prayer and counselling) fencing his flock from evil. It is for these reasons, among others, that it is of utmost importance for a congregation to have a settled Minister, one who is part of the community of believers. Just as the shepherd lives with his flock and they know his voice, so the under-shepherd of a congregation of believers lives with them, forms relationships with them, becomes trusted by them and so is able to minister—to serve—them as their spiritual protector, confidant and counsellor. Congregations that do not have a settled Minister do not have the benefit of pastoral protection and strength.

Thirdly, the protestant minister holds Kingly authority as the governor within the congregation. His authority within the congregation, or the Church at large, is a delegated kingship or authority as he is acting as governor, representative and ambassador of the true King, Jesus Christ. In his kingly duties he is responsible for the rule and government of the congregation. This responsibility he shares with his Elders. In his role as governor, the Minister must use his wisdom and courage to make decisions concerning the welfare, direction, faithfulness etc. of the congregation for which he is responsible. In this role he is sometimes called to discipline those in his flock who are going astray through sinfulness or rebellion.

I believe that in his office as Christ’s governor he will be more effective if he can augment the duties of government with those of his pastoral office. He will find that the more he serves, the less he will need to govern. His government will be based on love and caring for those in his charge and so will less frequently need to resort to discipline. His standing orders are these, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28).

But a congregation without her own Minister is going to be seriously deprived in this area. A congregation without a Minister will be more susceptible to error, complacency, worldliness and back-sliding. As well, individual members who need the reassurance of one they know, trust and indeed love will be more vulnerable to the wiles of the flesh, the world and the devil. It is of greatest importance therefore, for each and every congregation to have her own Pastor who is able and authorized to care for their entire well-being.

One final note: it could be that, for whatever reason, Christ may withhold a Minister from a particular congregation for a time. Since every flock must have a shepherd, so every congregation must have a Pastor or under-shepherd; I take this to be axiomatic of God’s will for His church and His people. If it is the case that a congregation has been without a settled minister for one or more extended periods of time, that congregation should do some serious soul-searching, going to God in prayer and perhaps even fasting in order to determine the underlying cause of this problem. In any event, the lack of a Minister should not be taken lightly by the congregation as it could be a sign of a very serious underlying problem of sin within the congregation. So much for the three-fold aspect of Ministry.

Soli Deo Gloria