# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1953_S1042
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

292

This necessity of the “call” to the ic mini wroteon

the following Passages of Scripture: public ny is clear from
How, then, shall they call on Him i

H they preach exce
i pt they be sent?”
dari ‘And God hath Set some in the Ch
nan Prophets; thirdly, teachers; after that mirac] eo
“ings, helps, governments, diversit; AN
tles? Are all Prophets? Are all
miracles?” (1 Cor. 12:28, 29.)
‘ave not sent these Prophets, ye.
» yet th
to ‘hem, yet they prophesied” (Jer: 23:21)”
those a Postles were called directly by the Lord H
0 had been called through the instrumentality ofa also
4 congre.

gation are represented as having been called by God
e heed therefore unto yourselves, and unto all the 4
you overseers” (Acts

ran; I have not Spoken

be
Let a man so account of us [Paul, Sosthenes

“ of Christ and stewards o poroe] nee

f the mysteries of God” (1 Cor,

one gives to th
evangelists, teachers, and other ministers Apostles P

There is however
, » No detai
4 servant of the Word. ae ont fee

fends a call. Compare Acts 1:23
cts 6:6, 7, the election of Stephen and his

word of the Greek languag eis of elders. One and the same

(cheirotoneo ).

PARISH EDUCATION 298

#% clear from these and other passages that it is God’s will that
Christian deal with His Word. Each one is to be concerned
ithe spread of the Gospel. Each one has the Office of the
* Fach one is to make use of the Word in teaching and ad-
1g. When Christians are thus engaged in the use of the
they do not act in the name of the congregation, but are
ising their responsibility as individual Christians.
1 The men who publicly (i.e., officially, for the congregation
in the name of the congregation) exercise the duties of the
inistry of the Word are not a special spiritual order apart from the

y Sirce of all Christians; rather the incumbents of the public ministry
* ge officials and servants under the authority of Christ and His

7 Church.

' The basic truth that Christ through His Word is the only Ruler

of the Church regulates the relationship of one servant of the Word

to another.
According to the Scriptures, all believers and only the believers

are priests, as has been previously stated (1 Peter 2:9). They are

all one in Christ (Gal.3:28). They are all brethren (Matt. 23:

8-12). Luther speaks of all being made priests by Holy Baptism.
The relation of the called ministers to the members of the congre-
gation is that of servants (diakonoi) acting for the congregation and
for Jesus’ sake.

Since the relation of one servant of the Word to another is
regulated by the Lord of the Church, there never ought to be a
question of who is great or greater. There ought only to be the
question of how to serve best the interests of the Church, the body
of Christ.

“But be not ye called Rabbi, for one is your Master, even
Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon
the earth, for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye
called masters, for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is
greatest among you shall be your servant (diakonos). And who-
soever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble
himself shall be exalted” (Matt. 23:8-12).

“But Jesus called them unto Him, and said; Ye know that the
princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that
are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so
among you; but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your
minister [diakonos — servant], and whosoever will be chief among
you, let him be your servant [the word doulos means slave]: even
as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister
and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20: 25-28).

“For ‘we preach not ourselves, but Christ. Jesus the Lord and
ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5).