Feature
Seeking Pastoral
Identity
by John E. Johnson
(Continued from page 4)
Conclusion
These four offices define the essence of Christ's ministry as well as His identity. In His role as shepherd of the sheep all four offices were brought together perfectly. It is important to note, as well, that He imparted His model of ministry to those He discipled (Jn. 20:21). This would suggest that ministers today should find their identity in the offices.
As Christ was sent, so He sent His future ministers (Jn. 17:18). In particular, He called Peter to shepherd His flock, thereby imitating His ministry, with love being the principal requirement (Jn. 21:15-17). Peter then transferred this shepherding model of ministry to those called to be pastors (1 Pe. 5:1-4). In this way Jesus established the bridge between the offices of the Old Testament and contemporary pastors.
THE FOUR OFFICES IN TODAY'S PASTORS
The Old Testament “pastors” provide a balanced definition of pastoral identity, harmonized perfectly in Christ. Hence, any confusion as to one's pastoral identity can be sorted out by examining Jesus' ministry, but beyond this, by examining the ministry of the four offices. Pastors, too, have been called to a prophetic, priestly, sagely, and governing role. If, as Oden puts it, the “bold intention” of Christian ministry is to combine the various Old Testament offices into a single public office,(35) how is the pastoral role to be understood?
TO BE A PROPHET
As a contemporary spokesman for God, a pastor is called to the following three roles.
To be God's mouthpiece. Should not pastors today, like Old Testament prophets, sense the conviction that God is speaking through them, that they too have been moved by the Holy Spirit? Should not the people have the same expectation—that they have come to hear a word from God? Should not pastors aspire to serve as a divine conscience, much as one finds in the lives of Isaiah and Jeremiah?
As a contemporary prophet, the pastor is called to declare God's word (1 Co. 15:3; Ga. 1:11; 1 Th. 2:13). As Chrysostom put it, “Sermons are not occasions for literary criticism, but rather a unique moment of expected divine address.”(36) Of course, this is not to suggest that a pastor's sermons are to be equated with the words of the Almighty, as if some original revelation were given to him. However, as a trustee of God's mysteries he is to expound the Scriptures as the living word of God. That is his “prophetic task.”(37)
To carry the Word like a burden. Like Old Testament prophets, the apostles were resolute and passionate in proclaiming God's Word. Also, Paul viewed himself as a man under divine constraint. When he wrote, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Co. 9:16), he was echoing those in the prophetic office who, like Jeremiah, felt compelled to preach.
Recognizing their prophetic identity, pastors today need to sense divine compulsion within their hearts like burning bones if they choose to keep His word inside. Too often sermons become mechanical, but as Packer put it, pastors should preach each sermon as if it were their last.(38)
To bear the price. To be a prophet demands courage, for a prophet of God is called to confront the evil of his day (Am. 3:7-8). Just as prophets of old paid a high price (Is. 6:11; Je. 16; Da. 6; Ho. 1-3; Hab. 3:1-2) so will today's “prophets.” This demands a bold and dauntless faith. At times pastors must have the courage to stand up, to be the conscience of the community.(39) A vote on a moral issue, a stance against a powerful, yet unethical parishioner, and a message that will be widely unpopular, yet critical for the moment, will all face today's prophets.
The price may be as subtle but as painful as the small talk in the church foyer, which festers into a cold and distancing congregation. It may be as overt as personal attacks by a community that hates the light. Prophets were not popular in Israel, and pastors today are often not popular, especially in an environment that places a premium on comfort and soothing words.
The minister who never cries “Who is sufficient for these things?” does not understand Christ's calling. To be entrusted with the very oracles of God, to shepherd and feed the flock of Christ, to stand before an amused or hostile world with the folly of the gospel—this is not to choose a profession; it is to choose the crucified.(40)
This challenge has led some pastors to disregard this part of their identity. Refusing to be prophets, they have become bland and indirect. The need to proclaim the word of God and to view proclamation as an opportunity to promote spiritual change is as critical as ever. Peterson wrote, “I am convinced that we must take seriously a prophetic role for the church in our society. Woe to us, and our nation and our world—if we do not.”(41)
TO BE A PRIEST
To declare that the pastor's identity, in part, is sourced in the Old Testament priest may be questioned by some. Evangelicals shy from a priestly orientation, fearing that such an emphasis may encourage a pastor to create an unhealthy distinction between himself and the laity.
History argues for such concern. When leaders of the early church began to apply the term of priest to themselves, a title that reached full flower by the medieval period, the priesthood of all believers became obscured.(42) The distinction between laity and clergy was amplified by the assumption of a sacerdotal caste. This has led Grudem to warn, “To try to perpetuate such a 'priesthood' distinct from the rest of believers is to attempt to maintain an Old Testament institution which Christ has abolished once and for all.”(43)
Furthermore, when such an identity is fostered, some may fear that a pastor will usurp the mediatorial role of Christ—and people will look to the minister for absolution from sin rather than to Christ. “There is an entire silence about priestly functions; for the most exalted office in the Church, the highest gift of the Spirit, conveyed no sacerdotal right which was not enjoyed by the humblest member of the Christian community.”(44)
The New Testament never applies the word “priest” to ordained ministers. Instead, it notes that all believers are priests (1 Pe. 2:5, 9; Re. 1:6). As Wright concludes, “There is no New Testament warrant for ascribing any special qualification of priesthood to ordained persons within the common priesthood of the church.”(45)
Yet, while these concerns are legitimate, and while pastors share a priestly identity with all believers, there is a legitimate as well as essential link with the Old Testament office that must not be overlooked. Like Old Testament priests, pastors are part of a formally designated and consecrated ministry, the nature of which calls for priestly acts at their deepest levels.
To come alongside. Pastors are called to come alongside, to console and comfort. Following the incarnational pattern of Christ, pastors must enter the depths of human experience, seeking to understand it.(46) That is, the “priestly” pastor is keenly sensitive to his people's spiritual needs. And no matter how deep may be their pain, he is willing to be there with them. Under the shadow of the Old Testament priest, who empathized with his people and stood as their representative before God, the New Testament pastor stands with his congregation.
This reflects itself in several ways. First, he is called to intercede. While all believers have a responsibility to pray for each other (1 Ti. 2:1-2; Ja. 5:16), the ministry of intercession is at the very center of a pastor's calling—what might be referred to as the central priestly act. Paul modeled this more than any minister of God, for his epistles are filled with pastoral prayers, as he interceded for the flocks God called him to shepherd (Ro. 1:8-10; 2 Co. 13:7-9; Eph. 1:15-23; Ph. 1:3-11; Co. 1:3-14; 2 Th. 1:11-12; 2 Ti. 1:3-7; Phm. 4-7). His letters reveal a heart that was completely and resolutely committed to people. In similar fashion, he wrote his pastoral epistles, instructing future pastors to do the same (1 Ti. 2:1-2, 8).
Second, where there is sin, the pastor enters alongside, seeking to encourage reconciliation with God and with others. Tidball calls this the central thrust of ministry,(46) and it is one of the pastor's most demanding tasks. It costs sleepless nights, great emotional energy, and the pain of potential abandonment. It also requires great intercession. The ministry of reconciliation (2 Co. 5:19) demands nothing less than a priestly intercessory heart.
