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- A theological seminar presented on behalf of the Training and Recording
Committee of Wilmington Yearly Meeting
- By David Goff
- April 17, 2004
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- The History of the Church is generally recognized as having the
following major divisions, periods, or ages.
- Apostolic Period
- Patristic Period
- Medieval Period
- The Reformation Period
- The Modern Church
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- In this portion of our seminar, we will examine how “the ministry” as we
know it today came to be as it developed through each of the major
periods of church history.
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- Hopefully, we will be able to draw some conclusions as to where our
churches should go from here in considering possible new forms and
structures for doing the work of God in our time.
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- The church was originally
organized on the synagogue model. The leadership consisted of a council
of respected laymen “presbyters” or “elders.”
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- Though there may have been some
sort of “chief elder” in some instances, as in the synagogues, the
apostolic gift was recognized as the primary way of conveying a degree
of universal recognition of ministry among the churches.
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- The elders seemingly had differing gifts of ministry, and
in their leadership function were usually referred to jointly.
- (cf. Acts 14:23; 15:2, 4, 6, 22-23; 16:4; 20:17, 21:18. 1 Tim. 5:1, 2, 17, 19. Titus 1:5. Heb.
11:2. Jas. 5:14. 1 Pet. 5:1,5. 2 John 1. 3 John 1.)
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- The apostles (sent-out ones) had
the highest level of authority. Though originally applied to the Twelve,
others gained recognition as apostles including Paul, Barnabas,
Andronicus, Junia, & Epaphroditus. James & Jude, the brothers of
Jesus MAY have been among the original 12, but may NOT have been and are
regarded as apostles.
- (cf. Acts 14:14, Rom. 1:1, 11:13,
16:4. 1 Cor. 1:1, 4:9, 9:1-6, 12:28-29, 15:9. 2 Cor. 1:1, 11:5,
12:11-12. Gal. 1:1,19. Eph. 1:1, 4:11. Phil. 2:25. Col. 1:1. 1 Tim. 1:1,
2:7, 2 Tim 1:1, 11. Titus 1:1.)
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- In addition to being an apostle
(see previous slide) Paul also calls himself or is called a preacher, a teacher,
a servant (or minister or deacon — same word in the Greek!), a slave or bondservant,
and a prophet.
- (cf. Acts 13:1; 15:35; Rom. 1:1;
1 Cor. 3:5; 2 Cor. 3:6, 6:4, 11:23; Eph. 3:7; Col. 1:7, 23, 25; Titus
1;1.)
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- The role of a teacher was
considered an important ministry gift in the early church. James
stresses that it is a serious responsibility, and not to be taken
lightly.
- (cf. Acts 13:1. 1 Cor. 12:28-29. Eph. 4:11. 1 Tim. 2:7, 2 Tim 1:11, Jas.
3:1.)
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- The role of a prophet was an
important ministry gift in the early church, and was regarded by Paul as
the greatest of spiritual gifts. The elders at Antioch seem to have been
primarily prophets and teachers.
- (cf. Acts 11:27, 13:1, 15:32, 21:10; 1 Cor. 12: 28-29, 14: 29-37; Eph.
2:20, 3:5, 4:11.)
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- The ministry of an evangelist was
apparently a less common, though important ministry gift in the early
church. It is only mentioned three times, and only one man (Philip) is
specifically designated as possessing the gift, though Timothy is
exhorted to do the job. It is possible that Paul himself claimed the
gift, as he repeatedly uses the term Evangelion (usually translated
Gospel) in reference to his work of ministry.
- (cf. Acts 21:8; Eph. 4:11; 2 Tim. 4:5.)
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- The ministry of a pastor,
(shepherd) which has become the most common term for ministry today, was apparently a
less common term to describe a ministry gift in the early church,
perhaps because the term was so frequently applied to Christ.
- (cf. Eph. 4:11.)
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- The TASK of pastoring, (feeding
or shepherding) is however, assigned to all the elders of Ephesus who
are also called overseers (bishops or episcopates from Greek episkopos).
- (cf. Acts20:17, 28.)
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- The ministry of the overseers (bishops or episcopates from Greek
episkopos) seems to originally
have been a synonym for any elder, including an apostle.
- (cf. Acts 1:29; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:1-2; Titus 1:7; 1 Peter 5:1-3.)
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- Therefore, we can draw the
following conclusions about “the ministry” during the Apostolic Period:
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- It was a “charismatic” ministry,
based on the recognition of spiritual gifts rather than an appointment
to a position.
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- It was a “lay” ministry, with no
financial involvement in the earliest days, though it quickly grew to be
a position which received some financial remuneration.
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- It was a shared ministry, with
elders sharing mutual responsibility for ministry to God’s people.
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- The adoption of Christianity as an instrument of the state under
Constantine marked the end of charismatic leadership in the church.
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- The following notable changes began taking place in the Patristic
Period, setting the stage for the corruption of the Medieval Church.
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- The rise of the episcopacy (rule by “professional” priestly bishops)
- Permission to own property (creation of church buildings) and exemption
of church property from taxes
- Designation of a holy day
- Development of a formal creed
- The rise of Monasticism
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- It was during the Patristic Period that the idea of a Professional
Clergy took firm root within the church. Also, the concept of ordination
conveying a higher level of grace or a superior spiritual condition
became common.
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- The Medieval Period, while a time of great temporal power for the
church, was a time of great corruption and spiritual poverty. The
Medieval Church was characterized by the following problems:
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- Power struggles with secular rulers
- Excessive temporal wealth & property
- Rule by a Hierarchical Priesthood
- Adherence to formal creed and rituals replace commitment to a personal
relationship with Christ
- Infusion of false doctrines
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- “Ministers” during the Medieval Period were “Princes of the Church” with
great wealth and power. These institutionalized clerics existed to
perpetuate the church’s power, wealth, and prestige rather than the
Kingdom of God which is not of this world!
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- During the Renaissance, people began to demand their liberation from
both secular oppression (the Monarchy) and religious oppression (the
institutions of the Church). This led to a twin reform movement called
the Protestant Reformation.
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- The Reformation was characterized by:
- Loosening of ties between Sacred and Secular Power
- Rejection/limitation of a hierarchical priesthood; development of
alternative leadership patterns
- Emphasis on personal salvation
- Emphasis on authority of Scriptures
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- Some “Radical Reformers” felt that the Reformation needed to go farther
in it’s scope, including the following:
- Reform practices as well as doctrine
- Reform the ministry
- Reject creeds and rituals
- Emphasize personal salvation and DO evangelism and missions
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- The Modern Church has changed little since the Reformation. The
challenges set forth by the Radical Reformers have gone largely
unnoticed. Note the following patterns:
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- A single Pastor leads most modern congregations, and the ministry of the
so-called “Laity” is largely ignored.
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- Pastor’s tend to be treated as (and sometimes called) Priests or Holy
Men (“Reverend”).
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- The Church seems to exist primarily as an agent of its own
self-perpetuation rather than as the agent of God’s love.
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- Doctrinal purity and adherence to creeds (written or unwritten) is
viewed as more important than missions or evangelism.
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- The Quaker Movement began as an attempt to return to the Apostolic
approach to ministry, but is in serious decline.
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- WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
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Notes
