No.
"The priesthood of all believers," has been mishandled so as to teach that the laity is welcomed to all the responsibilities of the ordained. Such a position results in disintegration not because of a simple violation of order but because of disobedience.
Today we are being inundated with jargon-pious sounding "buzz words"; e.g., words like witness, testimony, ministry, fellowship, growth, discipling, sharing, as well as evangelizing. All of these words have been turned into "trigger words" which subtly mark the boundaries of an at attempt at a new orthodoxy. If someone questions the accepted usage, he is immediately suspect, as if the distinction between laity and clergy was a meaningless concept in Scripture. :AMR:
The Great Commission was originally given to the apostles, not to every single believer. This means that while it is admirable and encouraged for all Christians to be witnesses to Christ in their lives (and in their speech when the opportunity arises), there is a specific context in which gospel preaching enjoys a promised blessing by the Holy Spirit, and that context is the pulpit each Lord’s Day (See Romans 10:13-15, 17). It seems inconceivable in Paul’s mind that the preaching that produces faith would be done outside the context of a duly ordained minister whom the church has sent out on this holy errand. Yes, Paul did rejoice even when the gospel is preached by unworthy and self-serving men (Philippians 1:15-18), but that is far different from saying that the ordained ministry of the Word is in some way unnecessary or dispensable.
It was of the church that Jesus was speaking when he issued the promise that the gates of hell would not prevail against it, and it was of this church that Paul wrote to Timothy, calling it the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth (see Matthew 16:18; 1 Timothy 3:15). Thus, while all believers are called to faithfully glorify God by fulfilling their earthly callings, it is not incumbent upon them to also fulfill the Great Commission. That holy task is given to men set apart from worldly endeavors—men who, like Paul are separated to the gospel of God (Romans 1:1).
We find in 1 Cor 14:26, 33, 40, that everything in the church is to be done decently, in order, peacefully, and for edification. Elsewhere we read the office of elder was charged with the leadership and the governance of the church, and to do so they formed a presbyterium (1 Tim. 4:14).
There can also be no doubt that Christ founded the church and entrusted it with certain powers. After all, our Lord spoke of the church as being based on a rock such that even Hell could not prevail against it! To the church community, Christ gave offices, ministries, institutions, and gifts (see Romans 12:6 and forward, Ephesians 4:11, and 1 Cor. 12-14). Power, too, was given to the church. Power to determine what will and will not be in effect, that is what is permitted and what is prohibited, what will or will not be allowed in the kingdom of heaven established here on earth, the center of which is the church. This power (exousia), the power of the keys, was the ministry of Word and sacrament (Matthew 28:19). The ministry of Word and sacrament necessarily also implies the power to teach, govern, and to discipline.
The sacraments (the Supper and Baptism) are holy, visible, signs and seals instituted by God so that (1) He may make the believer more clearly understand and to reassure the believer of the promises and benefits of the covenant of grace; and (2) that the believer might confess and confirm their faith and love before God, the elect angels, and mankind.
From Scripture we find ordinary (and extraordinary) offices that were instituted by Christ: Mark 3:14; Luke 10:1; Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11
These ordinary offices were given power for the:
1. proclamation of the gospel (Matthew 10:7; Mark 3:14; 16:15; Luke 9:2)
2. administration of the sacraments (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24-26)
3. feeding of the flock (John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28)
4. exercise of discipline (Matthew 18:17; 1 Cor. 5:4)
5. serving of tables (Acts 6:2)
6. right to earn a living from the gospel (Matthew 10:10; 1 Cor. 9:4 and forward; 2 Thess. 3:9; 1 Tim. 5:18)
Extraordinary power:
performing miracles (Matthew 10:1; 10:8; Mark 3:15; 16:18; John 20:23)
No person can take the honor of these unless they have been called and sent (Romans 10:15; Hebrews 5:4). These powers are for (1) building up, not for destruction, (2) the perfection of the saints, and (3) building up of the body of Christ.
For example, baptism is administered by Christ. But, in the administration of baptism, our Lord employs those whom He has charged with the distribution of the mysteries of God (1 Cor. 4:1). The testimony of the Scripture is clear in that in the New Testament baptism was administered only by those men who held offices.
Further, the teachings from Scripture about the elder and/or teaching elder are clearly directed towards men who were called, tested, examined, and laid hands upon, and sent to offer the means of grace of Word and sacrament. Folks, even our Lord was appointed to His office (Heb. 5:4-5)!
I am not denying the believer should refrain discussing their faith with others. This is not the issue. Of course we are to share our experiences of faith with others, even having a ready defense for that which we hold dear. But there is a limit on the authority each person may claim for themselves, else we have anarchy. Making disciples is not about "witnessing", "sharing testimonies", etc. In Matthew 28:19, disciples are made. How? By baptizing and teaching. This is the proper grammar of the passage.
I maintain that this view of "sharing the gospel" by any and all is not what the Great Commission is about. Rather it is about identifying the proper responsibility for the ministry of Word and sacrament and the commands contained thereto. If a person honestly believes that the Lord's commands in the Great Commission apply strictly to themselves, then they need to get busy traveling to nations, teaching, discipling, and baptizing. These are not either-or options and we cannot ignore James 3:1!
For more see
here.
AMR
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My dear AMR this must be a record post for you and no links....those of us who admire you always knew you had it in you. :chuckle:
Now I am in the library and on a time constraint, alas, but let's make a start.
Is "laity" at all a scripture term? Here is the great commission "Go ye [those disciples who were present, not just the twelve but more like the 500 who Paul said saw Him alive at one time, men and women ] into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. These signs will follow those who believe.
They will
in My name they will lay hands on the sick and they shall recover, they will cast out devils and speak in new tongues......."
My dear do you suppose that any of these things are possible without preaching?
In acts we see that because of the persecution after Stephen the disciples went everywhere both men and women preaching the gospel as they went, we know that Philip stayed in Samaria with his four daughters who were preachers. Paul stayed with them breifly.
Come come AMR I think when Paul preached at the shrine to the unknown God at Athens he did so with all due order and decency, just as the Lord had on the mountainside and from a smelly ol' fishing boat.
These ideas of yours I must say are very Catholic, and indeed my beef against the reformation [as wonderful as it was] is that they did not reform sufficiently the ministry whereby the new doctrines should be administered.
Merely calling a Priest a Presbyter is no reformation. Was Calvin ordained after the fashion you speak of?
Witness, testimony, ministry, growth, evangelising etc are all thouroughly NT words, what possible objection can you have to the gentle word "sharing?" I believe in proclamation preaching above all other.
We need a new orthodoxy, we need to come out of the 16th and 17th centuries, we do not want new doctrines but we need more light upon the grand old doctrines of the early Puritans [a much warmer and more gentle sort of Puritanism that followed later with it's politicisation....not unlike the christian far right of today]
As I have said the 16th century reformed the doctrines but left the ministry largely unreformed.
God the Holy Ghost is a congregationalist, He gives His gifts to just whosoever He pleases, as a free grace believer you have slipped back into the bad old ways of the Catholics with their college and seminary produced candidates for the ministry. That is the way of free will believers, they get an idea that they have somme ability to serve in the church so they take that as a call from the Holy Ghost....subconsciously maybe they did not wish to dig the road.
The genuine calling and anointing and enabling is being and has been lost from among free grace churches, their doctrines [oft times] are free grace but their practices are [oft times] free will.
What you say about baptism is plain nonsense, for Jesus did
not baptise neither did Paul but left it to others not especially appointed but disciples. I have not my bible with me but I do believe you will find that elders are to be appointed by the assembly. In the NT the assembly is all, the assembly is everything, even Paul when called upon to discipline in the matter of grave sin at Corinth commanded the assembly to take the neccesary action.
The problem with the church from the very earliest times after the apostles is THEY DO NOT TRUST that the Holy Ghost is able to govern in the assembly. It is true that bishops and elders are Divine ordinances and ministries but not to lord it over the people's faith. Even Paul did not, not even over churches he had planted.
Aw I could take you task my brother, quoting Ephesians about the ministries God has appointed for the church....which of these ministries do you approve of and believe are still availiable for the assembly today?
And where are they.....let me tell you something if they were operating as they did in the NT testament, preaching the gospel that was preached in the NT in the same way it was preached in the NT [with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven] you would have NT results....make no mistake about that, God has not lost His power, what He did in Wesley/Whitefield's day He can do today.
But dear AMR people HAVE gone into all the world, men and women, whole cities and nations have been won to the Lord...Africa is ALIVE with the gospel, did you know that the Chinese church, I mean the house churches not the state church has more members than N. America.....where did they come from? I can tell you it was not the ICM or WEC. And women have been at the forefront.
No, no share, preach, tell out, witness, who cares? if God be with us folks will get saved.