A preacher’s awesome responsibility.

I was talking with a friend of mine about how little people in the church know and love the gospel of God’s grace in Christ. He mentioned the greatest confusion and worry came in understanding the relationship between law and gospel; and preachers added to the confusion.

This reminded me of a minister’s great responsibility to preach Jesus Christ in order to help God’s people know and love the gospel. I then read this excerpt from George H. Tavard’s work, The Starting Point of Calvin’s Theology. In this quote Tavard summarizes Calvin’s view of the ministry. It’s a great encouragement to press on to help God’s church mature in the knowledge of God, even the relationship between law and gospel. Now I think we should be aware Calvin does not promote the CEO, the facilitator, or the ‘be a winning leader’ model. He says be a shepherd, a father, a leader, a guardian and back it all up with a life filled with the love of the gospel. Here is the quote.

"Rather, a true bishop is a guardian of the people of God, entrusted with its care, watching over its salvation. His administration is geared to the dispensation of the divine mysteries and the building of the house of God. Since preaching is itself call 'power of God for salvation to every believer' (Rom 1:16), and 'kingdom of God' (Mt 4:17), the chief duty of bishops is to proclaim the Word of God. They must give the people 'the taste of the word of God,' not any kind of taste, but the one that the Lord wants. They have also to become the providence of the people, their voice, and 'the eyes of the church.' As 'shepherds' they must be more than 'father, president, leader, or guardian.' Or rather, 'the shepherd not only has the task of leading, ruling, and serving, but somehow also being father.' This may be summed up in three functions: 'to feed the church with the food of the word, to protect it from Satan's incursions with the resources of the word, and then through holiness of life to show the way that should be followed by those who aspire and strive after the Kingdom of God.'" G.H. Tavard, The Starting Point of Calvin's Theology. Pg, 147.

The work of a pastor and the theologian.

Just read a great post on the pastor as theologian.  Theology is the fuel that keeps a minister going, which is say God and his revelation in Jesus Christ is the real joy of pastoral work.  Speaking about him to people, not people brings the smile to ministry.  People are actually more encouraged and helped when God is spoken of then when we try to comfort them with some sentimental, scientific, or psychological advice.
This post is a great encouragement to ministers. Read it here.
http://cruciality.wordpress.com/2009/12/14/theology-for-the-community/

Calvin's advise: Preachers, step down and serve the Lord together.

Calvin's advice to ministers, given in his commentary on 1 Corinthains is needed as much today as it was back then. Pride and self ambition puts a preacher in hall of mirrors where all they see and think about is themselves. Even when they preach using the name of Jesus, it's to see how they are doing. How aweful, how divisive, and how this has damaged the church.


Here is what Calvin said.


"The aim of good ministers is this, that they may all in common serve Christ, and claim for him exclusively power, authority, and glory - fight under his banner - obey him alone, and bring others in subjection to his sway. If any one is influenced by ambition, that man gathers disciples, not to Christ, but to himself…In short, the unity of the church consists more especially in this one thing - that we all depend upon Christ alone, and that men thus occupy an inferior place, so as not to detract in any degree from his (Jesus') pre-eminence." John Calvin. Commentary on 1 Corinthians. Pg, 66-67.