The Ministry of All Christians
Presently, I am reading through Arthur Pink's "An Expostion of the Sermon on the Mount" and I intend to here begin a series of posts offering commentary on Matthew chapters 5-7. I'll be studying these three chapters with the aid of Pink's exposition (and probably some others), while sharing what I learn through posts on this weblog. It is my hope that the result will be some enlightening messages.
Since I had already read through the Introduction and the first four chapters, and had not come up with this idea until now, I am beginning with chapter five. Perhaps I shall backtrack later and cover the other chapters, if I do not end up abandoning the project altogether before I get to the end of the book. The Lord willing, I shall press on to the end if I believe the posts are likely to be beneficial to some.
As I said, I am beginning with chapter five. This chapter is entitled "The Ministerial Office," and is an exposition of the following Scripture passage:
"Ye are the salt of the earth but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16)
As is apparent from the title of the chapter, Pink believes that this passage of Scripture applies particularly to those who are ministers of the gospel. That is, those who, in Pink's words "act as His mouthpiece and interpret His will." He acknowledges that many believe it to be spoken to God's people at large, but this he believes to be a mistake based primarily on the context. He points out that the Lord uses the pronoun "they" in verses 5:1-10, but then changes to "ye" in verse 11 and onward. Pink believed that in Matthew 5:10 Christ gave a general principle, "blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake," but then in verse 11 He began to apply that principle particularly to those who would be ministers of the Word. As Pink put it: "persecution is the usual experience of God’s people, but it is the special portion of His servants." And he finds clear confirmation of the distinction he is drawing in Matthew 5:12, where a comparison is made between the persecuted servants of Christ and the same treatment of the prophets which came before them.
Pink finds additional confirmation of this delineation in two points that immediately follow. First, he points out that after Christ designated them "the light of the world", He added, "a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid." This, Pink believes, was a figure that aptly applied to church officers who are made a spectacle of the world. Secondly, he believes that what is said in Matthew 5:15 plainly pertains to ministers of the gospel rather than their hearers, because the candle on a candlestick is representative of official dignity and, in his view, the fact that it is said to give "light to all that are in the house" is symbolic of one man ministering the light of the Scriptures to many.
Now, I cannot say that I entirely agree with Pink's delineation -- at least not to the degree that he draws it. I think it is more accurate to say that this passage more specifically applies, rather than exclusively applies, to those "who labour in the word and doctrine" (1 Tim. 5:17). It is true, as Pink points out, that they are more prone to persecution. But he himself once said: "The older we grow, the less do we approve the drawing hard and fast lines through the Scriptures, limiting their application by insisting that certain parts belong only to such and such a class..." I think Pink might be doing exactly that in this case. A careful study of the Scriptures will reveal that Christian ministry is something in which all Christians have some role, and persecution is something which "all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer" (2 Tim. 3:12) to some extent. Furthermore, there is the witness of the parallel passage in Luke 6 where the second person ("ye," "you," "your") is used throughout. In Luke's account, there is no indication that our Lord was making the distinction that Pink makes.
Pink states: "It is only in recent generations, when the spirit of socialism has invaded the religious realm, that this passage has been promiscuously applied to Christians." It is true that there is a danger of having the notions of modern egalitarianism pervade one's thinking to the extent that he discounts all concepts of authority in the church. And there are many in modern Evangelicalism who are taking on teaching and leadership roles which they have no ability, training, or even right to perform. Nevertheless, the professing church has most often tended to drift into the opposite, and equally anti-biblical, error of maintaining a clergy/laity distinction which exalts a certain class of men above the "ordinary" members of the congregation. I think that Mr. Pink's limitation of Mat. 5:13-16 to only ministers of the gospel, is an error which helps to support this sort of unbiblical delineation.
I, for one, object to the term "minister" being applied exclusively to those who publicly preach and teach doctrine. The word, both in its English definition and in its Biblical use, seems to have a much broader meaning. In the New Testament, it is most often used to translate the Greek word "diakonos" which is also translated using the English word "servant." I admit that I have not done an in-depth study of the issue but I don't believe that the underlying Greek supports such a limited meaning.
Christians should always be mindful of the fact that every one of them has been called into the servanthood of God. And it is a notable fact that, in the Scriptures, the great prophets are referred to as "doulos" (slaves), while all of the saints are said to be made "kings and priests" unto God. So "let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: but the rich, in that he is made low." (James 1:9-10) And understand that all of God's people have been given gifts to varying degrees along with a corresponding responsibility to exercise those gifts. Therefore, let none of us be like that wicked and slothful servant who thought it no crime to bury his talent in the ground until his lord's return. (Mat. 25:14-30)
Since I had already read through the Introduction and the first four chapters, and had not come up with this idea until now, I am beginning with chapter five. Perhaps I shall backtrack later and cover the other chapters, if I do not end up abandoning the project altogether before I get to the end of the book. The Lord willing, I shall press on to the end if I believe the posts are likely to be beneficial to some.
As I said, I am beginning with chapter five. This chapter is entitled "The Ministerial Office," and is an exposition of the following Scripture passage:
"Ye are the salt of the earth but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16)
As is apparent from the title of the chapter, Pink believes that this passage of Scripture applies particularly to those who are ministers of the gospel. That is, those who, in Pink's words "act as His mouthpiece and interpret His will." He acknowledges that many believe it to be spoken to God's people at large, but this he believes to be a mistake based primarily on the context. He points out that the Lord uses the pronoun "they" in verses 5:1-10, but then changes to "ye" in verse 11 and onward. Pink believed that in Matthew 5:10 Christ gave a general principle, "blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake," but then in verse 11 He began to apply that principle particularly to those who would be ministers of the Word. As Pink put it: "persecution is the usual experience of God’s people, but it is the special portion of His servants." And he finds clear confirmation of the distinction he is drawing in Matthew 5:12, where a comparison is made between the persecuted servants of Christ and the same treatment of the prophets which came before them.
Pink finds additional confirmation of this delineation in two points that immediately follow. First, he points out that after Christ designated them "the light of the world", He added, "a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid." This, Pink believes, was a figure that aptly applied to church officers who are made a spectacle of the world. Secondly, he believes that what is said in Matthew 5:15 plainly pertains to ministers of the gospel rather than their hearers, because the candle on a candlestick is representative of official dignity and, in his view, the fact that it is said to give "light to all that are in the house" is symbolic of one man ministering the light of the Scriptures to many.
Now, I cannot say that I entirely agree with Pink's delineation -- at least not to the degree that he draws it. I think it is more accurate to say that this passage more specifically applies, rather than exclusively applies, to those "who labour in the word and doctrine" (1 Tim. 5:17). It is true, as Pink points out, that they are more prone to persecution. But he himself once said: "The older we grow, the less do we approve the drawing hard and fast lines through the Scriptures, limiting their application by insisting that certain parts belong only to such and such a class..." I think Pink might be doing exactly that in this case. A careful study of the Scriptures will reveal that Christian ministry is something in which all Christians have some role, and persecution is something which "all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer" (2 Tim. 3:12) to some extent. Furthermore, there is the witness of the parallel passage in Luke 6 where the second person ("ye," "you," "your") is used throughout. In Luke's account, there is no indication that our Lord was making the distinction that Pink makes.
Pink states: "It is only in recent generations, when the spirit of socialism has invaded the religious realm, that this passage has been promiscuously applied to Christians." It is true that there is a danger of having the notions of modern egalitarianism pervade one's thinking to the extent that he discounts all concepts of authority in the church. And there are many in modern Evangelicalism who are taking on teaching and leadership roles which they have no ability, training, or even right to perform. Nevertheless, the professing church has most often tended to drift into the opposite, and equally anti-biblical, error of maintaining a clergy/laity distinction which exalts a certain class of men above the "ordinary" members of the congregation. I think that Mr. Pink's limitation of Mat. 5:13-16 to only ministers of the gospel, is an error which helps to support this sort of unbiblical delineation.
I, for one, object to the term "minister" being applied exclusively to those who publicly preach and teach doctrine. The word, both in its English definition and in its Biblical use, seems to have a much broader meaning. In the New Testament, it is most often used to translate the Greek word "diakonos" which is also translated using the English word "servant." I admit that I have not done an in-depth study of the issue but I don't believe that the underlying Greek supports such a limited meaning.
Christians should always be mindful of the fact that every one of them has been called into the servanthood of God. And it is a notable fact that, in the Scriptures, the great prophets are referred to as "doulos" (slaves), while all of the saints are said to be made "kings and priests" unto God. So "let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: but the rich, in that he is made low." (James 1:9-10) And understand that all of God's people have been given gifts to varying degrees along with a corresponding responsibility to exercise those gifts. Therefore, let none of us be like that wicked and slothful servant who thought it no crime to bury his talent in the ground until his lord's return. (Mat. 25:14-30)
posted by Stuart DiNenno at 11/25/2004 09:21:00 PM
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