Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531):
[1] “Catabaptists assume to themselves all, the office of preaching, and of others who are legitimately set apart by Christian churches they inquire, Who elected you? For they are not sent even by their evil church. But here they do not regard Scripture. It has no force. We do not read that any of the true apostles assumed to himself the ministry of the word. So no one ought to assume it to himself. When Paul asks: How shall they preach unless they are sent? [Rom. 10:15] let him hear, Catabaptists. By what authority, pray? That of the father of lies and strife” (Ulrich Zwingli: Selected Works, ed. Samuel Macauley Jackson [Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1972], pp. 256-257).
[2] “Not all of us ought to be preachers, as Paul indicates in 1 Cor. 12:29, ‘Are all of us apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?’ etc., as if to say, ‘No.’ Therefore it is gross arrogance of these self-appointed preachers to appropriate all offices to themselves and despise whatever they themselves can’t do … There were several thousand believers in Jerusalem, but no more than twelve messengers. Here all of them are messengers” (“On The Preaching Office,” in Huldrych Zwingli Writings, Volume 2: In Search of True Religion: Reformation, Pastoral and Eucharistic Writings [Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 1984], p. 174).
[3] “Our Lord Christ Jesus himself proves to the Jews in a lengthy speech that he was sent by the Father, John 8:12-58. In John 6:57 he says, ‘As the Father has sent me into the world, so have I sent them.’ In John 20:21, ‘As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ Gal 4:4, ‘God sent his Son into the world,’ etc. From all these texts we may see that the sending is essential before anyone may publicly assume the task of preacher, that Christ Jesus himself makes frequently known the authority of his own calling by what he says and through other means” (Ibid., p. 176).
[4] “When Judas removed himself out of this life by hanging himself and broke the fellowship of the apostles, no one dared elevate himself to his place; instead, the entire congregation chose in Acts 1:15-26. Likewise, when there was a shortage of ministers, no one asserted himself by elevating himself to be a minister which might possibly have been to his advantage. Rather, the entire congregation chose the seven ministers according to Acts 6:1-6; all this was merely to look after temporal matters. Later, when the apostles learned that Samaria had accepted the word of God because of Philip’s preaching, not everyone ran off to assist them; rather, they sent two, Peter and John in Acts 8[:14]. When self-appointed servants came to Antioch and confused the believing community on the matter of circumcision (just as the rebaptizers do now), no one ran off to Jerusalem on his own account, but they delegated Paul and Barnabas, along with others, to go to Jerusalem, Acts 15:1-21. Similarly, when they were sent a second time, only those went with them who were delegated to do so” (Ibid., p. 177).
[5] “This same Paul speaks generally of all servants of the word in Romans 10:15, ‘How are they to preach unless they have been sent?’ By these words we clearly see that no one should undertake to preach unless he is sent. Not even at the time of the apostles did anyone set himself up to that. Those who set themselves up have always been looked upon as heretics; i.e. sectarians” (Ibid., p. 178).
[6] “Therefore we must now speak of being commissioned or chosen. This may be readily learned from the above-quoted texts. It is certain from Christ’s word [John 20:21], ‘As my Father has sent me, so I send you,’ that all who presume to preach ought to have been sent by God, or else they are those wicked labourers of whom Paul speaks in Phil. 3:2. Furthermore, the one who is sent by God is, in addition, marked by external signs such as miracles or a clear election. For example: God chose Paul as his messenger, not only in his heart, but he marked him also by a wondrous conversion, while Mathias was chosen through election by lot by the entire congregation of Christians, Acts 1:26. Thus, without exception, from the time of the apostles to our own day, no one has elevated himself to the office of bishop until and unless he was chosen. I speak solely of genuine bishops or ministers who preach. Of the other tyrants, some of whom have instigated great bloodshed, I do not speak” (Ibid., p. 178).
[7] “Therefore, no one ought, under any condition, appropriate the office of evangelist to himself, except the one who has been appointed and marked by God inwardly and externally. Not everyone is a bishop instantly just because he has expounded Scripture in the congregation, or else Paul would not have needed to make the many distinctions of office which he indicated not only here in Ephesians 4:11, but also in 1 Cor. 12:28 and Romans 12:7, 8” (Ibid., p. 181).
[8] “For there would not be a little error if everyone in a city who is a citizen wanted to be mayor. And it is not at all in order when they object here with 1 Pet. 2:5, 9, ‘We are all priests,’ for I do not speak here of being consecrated or not being consecrated, but of the office of teacher. It is true enough, of course, to say that we are consecrated to the kind of priesthood which in the New Testament offers sacrifices, for that is none other than everyone offering up himself, Rom. 12:1. Yet we are still not all apostles and bishops, 1 Cor. 12:29” (Ibid., p. 182).
John Calvin (1509-1564): “God has repeatedly commended its dignity by the titles which he has bestowed upon it, in order that we might hold it in the highest estimation, as among the most excellent of our blessings. He declares, that in raising up teachers he confers a special benefit on men, when he bids his prophet exclaim, ‘How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace’ (Isa. 52:7), and when he calls the apostles the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13-14). Nor could the office be more highly eulogised than when he said, ‘He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me’ (Luke 10:16). But the most striking passage of all is that in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, where Paul treats as it were professedly of this question. He contends that there is nothing in the Church more noble and glorious than the ministry of the Gospel, seeing it is the administration of the Spirit of righteousness and eternal life. These and similar passages should have the effect of preventing that method of governing and maintaining the Church by ministers, a method which the Lord has ratified for ever, from seeming worthless in our eyes, and at length becoming obsolete by contempt … Now seeing that in the sacred assembly all things ought to be done decently and in order (I Cor. 14:40), there is nothing in which this ought to be more carefully observed than in settling government, irregularity in any respect being nowhere more perilous. Wherefore, lest restless and turbulent men should presumptuously push themselves forward to teach or rule (which might otherwise happen), it was expressly provided that no one should assume a public office in the Church without a call (Heb. 5:4; Jer. 17:16). Therefore, if any one would be deemed a true minister at the Church, he must first be duly called; and, secondly, he must answer to his calling; that is, undertake and execute the office assigned to him. This may often be observed in Paul, who, when he would approve his apostleship, almost always alleges a call, together with his fidelity in discharging the office. If so great a minister of Christ dares not arrogate to himself authority to be heard in the Church, unless as having been appointed to it by the command of his Lord, and faithfully performing what has been entrusted to him, how great the effrontery for any man, devoid of one or both of them, to demand for himself such honour” (Institutes 4.3.3, 10).
Guido de Brès (1522–1567): “If it were lawful for us to boast, it should not be in our sanctity, perfection, and mortification, as they do; but onely in the pure mercy of God through Jesus Christ: if so be that gravity and honesty of life, were the true sign of the vocation to the Ministry, it would follow, that all honest and good people should be Ministers of the Church; but that is well known to be false, 1 Cor. 7.10. nor can it be; for there is a command for every one to walk in the calling wherein he is called, 1 Cor. 12.29. He asketh also, Are all Apostles? are all Prophets? are all Teachers? Every Christian may or ought to reade, and discourse of Scripture; it followeth not therefore that all Christians are Preachers and Ministers of the Churches, but onely those which are lawfully called; nor doth the calling cease for any failing that may be found in the life of the Called (which is not spoken to give occasion to make Ministers negligent; (God forbid:) but the exhortation of the Apostle Paul, is alwayes necessary to the Ministers) no more then Peter ceased to be a true and lawful Apostle [Acts 6:6], when he so grosly failed, Gal. 2.11, 12. It is well known our Ministers are called to Office by the voice and common consent of all the Church; and that after fasting and calling upon the Name of God, according to Apostolical institution, and are confirmed in their Office by imposition of hands: what reason is there for these Sectaries to say, That their Ministers are called of God, but ours only by the world and men? if their Ministers have a special calling as the Apostles had, let them prove it by signs, miracles, gifts of tongues, and Apostolical Doctrine, as they did: The Church hath no need of your Ministers; for the Doctrine of Repentance, Amendment of life, and of Remission of sins in the Name of Christ, is abundantly declared in the Church of Christ: to teach the same thing is superfluous; if you teach any other Doctrine, then you and your Doctrine is accursed, and not to be heard … It will appear then, that they have lost their spiritual senses, who say, That our Ministers are not called of God: God hath put singular honour upon the Ministers; yea, what greater could he put upon them, then by saying, He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that rejecteth you, rejecteth me? the Lord not only by words, hath recommended the Ministers unto the Church; but also by example, hath shewn what honour and reverence all ought to have them in. The Holy Ghost could have taught the Ethiopian Eunuch without the Ministry of man [Acts 8], but he would maintain this order. So Cornelius, God could have taught him by the Angel [Acts 10:5], but he is bid to send for Peter. When our Lord called Paul, he could have instructed him himself, yet he is sent to a mortal man, to receive the Doctrine of Salvation, and Baptism: behold, a case which fell not out by rashness, that an Angel of God should withdraw from entring upon the Ministry [Acts 9:6], and should send him to a man, a Minister, to preach unto him. Who with a good Conscience dare then despise the true Ministry, so highly honoured of God; and to disgust men from the same, and to cause men to run after those which were not lawful Ministers, but thieves, robbers, and grievous Wolves, which spare not the flock of our Lord Jesus Christ?” (The rise, spring and foundation of the Anabaptists, or re-baptized of our time, trans. Joshua Scottow (1565; Cambridge MA: Marmaduke Johnson, 1668), pp. 35-37).
Synod of Debrecen (1567): “XVIII. No one is to be admitted to the service of the church without the scrutiny and appointment of the church. We admit no one without ordination and examination in doctrine and morals under the scrutiny of the church, for as it is written, ‘First let them be examined and afterwards serve’ (1 Tim. 3:10; Titus 1:5ff.). ‘They have run, and I have not sent them’ (Jer. 23:21). ‘Elect for me Paul and Barnabas’ (Rom. 8-10; Acts 11:30; 13:2). Therefore, no one runs without the calling, but let all elected to office be called, ordained, and examined. For none of the prophets and apostles taught without lawful calling. ‘Let no one usurp the office of teacher unless he is appointed as was Aaron’ (Heb. 5:4; 7-8; 1 Cor. 11, 13) (James T. Dennison, Jr. (ed.), Reformed Confessions of the 16th and 17th Centuries in English Translation [Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2012], vol. 3, p. 111).
Westminster Larger Catechism (1647), Q. & A. 158:
“Q. By whom is the word of God to be preached?
A. The word of God is to be preached only by such as are sufficiently gifted, and also duly approved and called to that office.”
Robert Baillie (1602-1662):
[1] “The second question I propounded, concerneth the dogmatick power, so to call it, of their Church-members. They teach that the power of prophesie or publike preaching both within and without the Congregation, belongeth to every man in their Church who hath ability to speak in publike to edification. The Reformed Churches give this power only to Pastors and Doctors who are called by God and the Church to labour in the Word. They do not deny to every Christian all true liberty in private as God gives them occasion, in an orderly way to edifie one another, nor do they deny to the sons of the Prophets who are fitting themselves for the pastorall charge, to exercise their gifts in publike for their preparation and triall; but publike preaching they do not permit to any who are not either actually in the Ministry or in the way unto it. The Socinians and Arminians, the better to advance their design of everting the publike Ministry, do put it in the hand of any able man to preach the Word and celebrate the Sacraments. The Brownists upon the mistake of some Scriptures, give liberty to any of their members whom their Church thinks able to preach” (A dissuasive from the errours of the time wherein the tenets of the principall sects, especially of the Independents, are drawn together in one map, for the most part in the words of their own authours, and their maine principles are examined by the touch-stone of the Holy Scriptures [London: Samuel Gellibrand, 1645], p. 174).
[2] “The reasons we bring for our tenet, are these. First, Who ever have power to preach the word ordinarily, have also power to baptise. But only Ministers have power to baptise: Ergo, only Ministers have power to preach the Word ordinarily. The Minor how ever the Arminians and some few of the late Brownists deny, yet all the Independents grant it; but they deny the Major, which we prove by two Scripturall reasons; first, Christ conjoyns the power of baptism with the power of preaching; Ergo, who have the power of preaching have also the power of baptising, which Christ hath anexed to it, Matth. 28.19. Go and teach all Nations, baptising them. Their Reply that Christ speaks here of Apostles and not of ordinary Ministers, is not satisfactory; for he speaks both of Apostles and ordinary Ministers because of such officers who were to remain in the Church unto the end of the world, and with whose Ministry he was alwayes and ever to be present as it followeth in verse 20. But the Church from that time to the worlds end, was not to be served by Apostles only, who soon after were removed, but by ordinary Pastors also, the Apostles Successors. Moreover, there is no reason for the connexion of baptism and Preaching in the person of the Apostles that will not hold as well if not better in the person of ordinary Ministers. Our other proofe of the major, is this. The power of preaching is more then the power of baptisme; Ergo, who have the first, have the second also. The antecedent is manifest from 1 Cor. 1.17. Christ sent me not to baptise but to preach; to intimate the excellency of the one above the other; the Apostle declares not only his seldome practice of the one, but denyeth his commission for it in comparison of the other” (Ibid., p. 175).
[3] “Who ever have power to preach are sent of God to preach. But, these who have no office in the Church are not sent of God to preach, Ergo: They that have no office in the Church have no power to preach. The major is grounded on Rom. 10.15. How shall they preach except they be sent? The minor may bee proved, not only from the nature of the thing, the calling of God to preach, and a mans ordinary preaching on Gods call importing an office and charge to do such a work: but also from the place in hand compared with its fountaine, whence it is derived Isay 52.8. Thy watchmen shall lift up the voyce, where it is cleare that these whom the Lord sends to preach are watchmen, from whose hand the blood of them, that die without warning will be required, Ezek. 33.6. Who watch for the peoples soules as they who must give an account, Heb. 12.17. which is not true of any man who hath no charge” (Ibid., pp. 175-176).
[4] “Every ordinary preacher labours in the word and doctrine; no man out of office labours in the word and doctrine; for labouring in the word and doctrine, is the character and specifick difference of the Pastor and Doctor, whereby they are distinguished from the ruling Elder, 1 Tim. 5.17. This character and form of the prime Officers cannot be given to men out of all office. The major is proved from the very terms of the proposition, for no man can acquire an ability to preach ordinarily the Word in the Congregation and to exercise that gift for the Churches edification without great and constant labouring in that Word” (Ibid., p. 176).
[5] “It was unlawfull for men out of office to sacrifice; Ergo, it is unlawfull for men out of office to preach. The consequence lieth in the parity of preaching to sacrificing, the one being as great an honour if not a greater then the other; for I suppose it will be granted that the Sacraments of the New Testament are in many respects more excellent then the Sacrifices of the old. Now preaching as we have proved before, is more excellent then baptism, a Sacrament of the New Testament. The antecedent is proved from Heb. chap. 5. v 3, 4, 5. No man taketh this honour to himselfe, viz. to offer up Sacrifices, but he that is called of God as was Aaron; so also Christ glorified not himselfe to be made an High Priest; Here it is made unlawfull both for Aaron and Christ to offer up Sacrifices before they had a calling to be Priests” (Ibid., pp. 176-177).
[6] “None may lawfully preach but such as the Apostles appointed to preach. But, the Apostles appointed no man out of office to preach. The minor alone is questionable; which thus we prove. The Apostles appointed no others to preach but Elders; Ergo, none out of office. The antecedent we have from Titus 1.5. That thou shouldest ordaine Elders in every City as I had appointed thee” (Ibid., p. 177).
[7] “[T]he permitting of private men out of office to preach, is a great meanes of confusion in the Church and breeding of errors and strife; Ergo, its not of God. The antecedent is made too cleare by daily experience; the consequence is builded upon the nature of God who is a God and Author of truth and order; what is from him, is conduceable to these ends, not to the contrary“ (Ibid., pp. 177-178).
[8] “The opposite Arguments are many … First, in the Church of Corinth, men out of office did ordinarily preach in the Congregation; Ergo, it is lawfull to doe so still. Answ. We may either deny, or distinguish the antecedent: They that preached in the place alledged, were Prophets, and so not out of office. Secondly, they who preached there, were men endued with extraordinary gifts, whose practice can be no pattern to the Churches now a dayes, where these gifts are ceased. That it is so, vers. 30. makes cleare, where the Prophets doe preach extemporary Revelations” (Ibid., p. 178).
George Gillespie (1613-1648): “The act of ordination stands in the mission to the deputation of a man to an ecclesiastical function with power and authority to perform the same; and thus are pastors ordained when they are sent to a people with power to preach the Word, minister the sacraments, and exercise ecclesiastical discipline among them. For ‘How shall they preach except they be sent?’ … If it were an intolerable usurpation, in a man’s own family, if any man should take on him the steward’s place to dispense meat to the household, not being thereunto appointed, how much more were it an intolerable usurpation in the church … Suppose they be well gifted, yet they may not preach except they be sent … Thus sending needs be ordination, not the church’s election; a people may choose to themselves, but they cannot send to themselves … There are five necessary means and ways which must be had and used by those who look to be saved: (1) calling on the name of the Lord; (2) believing on him; (3) hearing his Word; (4) a preaching ministry; (5) mission or ordination. If the first four be perpetually necessary to the end of the world, so must the fifth be; for the apostle lays almost as great necessity on this last as on the rest … There can be no ministerial office without a mission or ordination” (Aaron’s Rod Blossoming).
John Owen (1616-1683):
[1] “… for a public, formal, ministerial teaching, two things are required in the teacher: — first, gifts from God; secondly, authority from the church (I speak now of ordinary cases). He that wants either is no true pastor. For the first, God sends none upon an employment but whom he fits with gifts for it, 1. Not one command in the Scripture made to teachers; 2. Not one rule for their direction; 3. Not one promise to their endeavours; 4. Not any end of their employment; 5. Not one encouragement to their duty; 6. Not one reproof for their negligence; 7. Not the least intimation of their reward, — but cuts off ungifted, idle pastors from any true interest in the calling. And for the others, that want authority from the church, neither ought they to undertake any formal act properly belonging to the ministry, such as is solemn teaching of the word; for, — 1. They are none of Christ’s officers, Ephesians 4:11. 2. They are expressly forbidden it, Jeremiah 23:21; Hebrews 5:4. 3. The blessing on the word is promised only to sent teachers, Romans 10:14-15. 4. If to be gifted be to be called, then, — (1) Every one might undertake so much in sacred duties as he fancies himself to be able to perform; (2) Children (as they report of Athanasius) might baptize; (3) Every common Christian might administer the communion. But endless are the arguments that might be multiplied against this fancy. In a word, if our Saviour Christ be the God of order, he hath left his church to no such confusion” (Works, vol. 13, p. 43).
[2] “… God distinguisheth persons with respect unto office. He … puts them into the ministry. This of old Korah repined against … But the office is honourable; and so are they by whom it is discharged in a due manner. And it is the prerogative of God to call whom he pleaseth thereunto. And there is no greater usurpation therein than the constitution of ministers by the laws, rules, and authority of men. For any to set up such in office as he hath not gifted for it, nor called unto it, is to sit in the temple of God, and to show themselves to be God” (Hebrews, vol. 5, p. 362).
Thomas Manton (1620–1677): “Christ himself had his call to authorise him: ‘Thou hast sent me into the world;’ therefore much more should you have a call to authorise you. If the work doth not lie within the compass of your office, you do not glorify God, and cannot please him; and it will be ill for your account; you cannot, when you die, say as Christ, ‘I have glorified thee upon the earth, I have finished the work which thou hast given me to do’ (John 14:7). You do not glorify God with anything but that which He hath given you to do. It is notable that Christ would not intermeddle out of his calling. When one came to entreat him to ‘speak to his brother to divide the inheritance with him,’ He said to him, ‘Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?’ (Luke 12:4). Who was fitter to judge than Christ? Yet this was not the work He came about” (Exposition of John 17, pp. 328-329).
Francis Turretin (1623-1687): “… no one, unless sent by God, ought to usurp the office of teaching in the church, whether a new doctrine is proposed or an old one, because it is always evident that no one ought to assume the part of a … minister unless he is sent by the Lord. And as many as teach in the church without being called or sent are said ‘to teach in their own name’ and not in the name of Christ (John 5:43) (i.e., not sent by God), by themselves and their own authority and thrust in by themselves, who on that account deserve the name of thieves and robbers and not of true shepherds (John 10:8)” (Institutes of Elenctic Theology, vol. 3, p. 212).
Wilhelmus à Brakel (1635-1711): “Question: Is a divine commission necessary for the office of minister? Answer: Socinians and others answer negatively; however, we answer affirmatively. The need for a divine commission is first of all evident from several clear texts … Ephesians 4:11, ‘And he gave some, apostles … and some, pastors and teachers.’ As you can observe, Christ has given pastors and teachers as well as apostles ‘for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ’ (Eph. 4:11-12) … Consider also Romans 10:15, ‘And how shall they preach, except they be sent?’ It is as much as being stated that no one can or may preach without being sent. One cannot evade the issue here …” (The Christian’s Reasonable Service, vol. 2, p. 118).
John Gill (1697–1771): “[Preachers] must have a call both from God and men to this work; ‘No man takes this honour to himself, but he that is called of God;’ which is the inward call, and is known by the kind of gifts bestowed upon a man, fitting for such service; and by the providence of God, inclining and directing the church to separate him to the work to which he has called him; and the outward call is by the church itself, upon trial of his gifts … They must be sent forth, they must have a mission from Christ, and that by the church (Rom. 10:15), the apostles of Christ were sent forth by him, as he was by his Father (John 20:21), there were some in [Jeremiah’s] time who ran, and were not sent; prophesied, though not spoken to; but these were not true prophets and ministers of God” (Doctrinal and Practical Divinity, vol. 2, p. 666).
John Brown of Haddington (1722–1787): “… none, without being regularly called to it, however well qualified, ought to exercise any part of the ministerial office. (1) The Scripture plainly distinguishes between gifts for, and a mission to that office (John 20:21, 23; Isa. 6:6-7, 9). (2) It most expressly declares a call absolutely necessary to render one a public teacher (Rom. 10:15; Heb. 5:4, 6; Jer. 23:21, 32). (3) The characteristics of preachers, heralds, ambassadors, stewards, watchmen, angels, messengers, etc. necessarily import a divine call (I Cor. 9:17; II Cor. 5:20; I Cor. 4:1-2; Heb. 13:17; Rev. 1:20). (4) Rules prescribed for the qualifications, election, and ordination of gospel ministers, are declared binding until the second coming of Christ (I Tim. 3:1-8; 5:21-22; 6:13). (5) God severely punished Korah, Saul, Uzza, Uzziah and the sons of Sceva, for their intermeddling with the work of the sacred office (Num. 16:3-11, 32-38, 40; I Sam. 13:8-14; I Chron. 13:9-10; II Chron. 26:16-18; Acts 19:13-16). (6) To rush into the ministerial office without a proper call is inconsistent with a proper impression of the awful nature of the work of it (II Cor. 3:5-6; 2:16; Eze. 3:17-21; 33:1-20; Rom. 1:1; Gal. 1:15-16; John 3:27-28; Heb. 13:17; 5:4-5) and introduces wild disorder and error (Gal. 2:5). (7) Christ’s manifold connection with this office—in his being the author of it (Eph. 4:11-12), his suspending much of the order and edification of his church on it (Acts 20:28; I Peter 5:1-3), his including such power and authority in it (Mat. 16:19; 18:18), his committing such an important trust to ministers (Col. 4:17; I Tim. 6:20), his enjoining his people to honour and obey them (I Tim. 5:17; Heb. 13:7, 17), and his promising present assistance in, and future gracious rewards to, their faithful discharge of their work—manifests the necessity of a divine and regular call to it (Matt. 28:20; I Peter 5:4)” (Systematic Theology, p. 566).
R. L. Dabney (1820-1898): “[Christ] has taught [his] church that her public organic functions are all to be performed through these officers, whose names and places he has himself assigned … It was thus the highest evangelists were appointed (Acts 16:1-3; I Tim. 4:14; II Tim. 1:6). Thus the ordinary ministers of the church are to be perpetuated (II Tim. 2:2). We thus see that Christ has not left anything to human invention, as to the instrumentality for preaching his gospel; that matter is distinctly settled. It should be enough for the humble Christian that thus Christ has ordained. Hence, we are as sure that Christ’s plan is the wisest, as any human experience can make us; we do not need the lessons of church history, so often repeated, where the betterments which man’s officious zeal has insisted on making upon Christ’s plan have borne their regular fruits of mischief and confusion, to make us content with the ordained method. Amidst all the plausibilities and excitements of the human inventions, we remain quiet in the conviction that Christ knows best … If, for instance, such laymen as the late Mr. Brownlow North and Mr. Moody have the qualifications and the seal of the divine blessing which their friends claim for them, this is, to our mind, a demonstration that God calls them into the regular ministry, and they should seek a regular ordination like other ministers, each in that branch of the church which has his conscientious preference … Let all Presbyterians, then, bear in mind, as one ‘fixed fact,’ that the recognition of laypreaching means broad-churchism” (Discussions: Evangelical and Theological, vol. 2, pp. 78-79).
A. W. Pink (1886-1952): “It is true, blessedly true, and God forbid that we should say a word to weaken it, that all believers enjoy equal nearness to God, that every one of them belongs to that ‘holy priesthood’ who are to ‘offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ’ (I Peter 2:5). Nevertheless, all believers are not called by God to occupy the same position of ministerial honour, all are not called to be preachers of His Gospel or teachers of His Word (James 3:1). God calls and equips whom He pleases to engage in His public service, and bids the rank and file of His people ‘obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves’ (Heb. 13:17). Yet, sad to say, in some circles the sin of Korah is repeated. They demand an ecclesiastical socialism, where any and all are allowed to speak. They ‘heap to themselves teachers’ (II Tim. 4:3). This ought not to be” (Exposition of Hebrews, p. 374).
Gordon Clark (1902-1985): “Exercising the office without ordination is a sin … Ordination confers authority to preach, administer the sacraments, and exercise discipline … The dunamis or ability of gifts is one thing; the exousia or authority to it is another thing … Ordination … is not simply an apostolic function to cease with the first century. Preaching is ordinary and regular. Therefore, mission or sending is too. The Great Commission of Matthew 18:19-20 shows that mission is perpetual, and thus sending likewise. To the same effect Luke 12:42. Since the illustration describes the work of a steward, its lesson is not applicable to all Christians. The immediate application is to the disciples or apostles themselves. The extended application is to future stewards. The steward of the parable and the minister of a church have therefore been appointed with authority. The connection between a steward and a bishop is made in Titus 1:7 … Hebrews 6:1-2 list some elementary teachings, such as might be required of catechumens before baptism or even before a church was organized. One of these elementary points is ordination, clearly necessary to the organization of a church. Thus in addition to repentance and faith, ordination ranks as an elementary doctrine … I Timothy 4:14 shows that ordination is an act of presbytery. I Timothy 5:22 warns against laying hands suddenly on some attractive neophite. And Titus 1:5, by the words ‘in every city,’ shows that ordination is regular and ordinary … Ministers of the Gospel are called shepherds, entering by the door and not breaking in; they are called angels, ambassadors, and rulers. But men do not give themselves the position of ambassador or even of shepherd. They must be appointed and sent … Paul calls himself a steward in I Corinthians 4:1, and calls all bishops so in Titus 1:7. Ministers are therefore servants; they invite guests to the wedding feast. But clearly no one can properly invite guests to a lord’s wedding feast, unless the lord has previously appointed him. Paul was so appointed: ‘Wherefore I am ordained a preacher and an apostle’ (I Timothy 2:7), in which phrase we note that Paul was ordained a preacher as well as an apostle. He repeats this in II Timothy 1:11. Preachers, therefore, are to be given authority to preach by ordination” (“The Presbyterian Doctrine of Ordination,” in The Church Effeminate, pp. 192-201).
