The Office of Bishop As Understood Historically in Lutheranism by Pr
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Publication of the Communications Committee, Synod of Alberta and the The Forum Territories, ELCIC April 2006, Number 13 The Office of Bishop as Understood Historically in Lutheranism By Pr. Ron Mayan congregations voluntarily, and rom the beginnings of the Christian increasingly, put themselves under the Fchurch at Pentecost, offices of authority of the bishop of Rome. As ministry have been a fact of the church’s Roman Catholicism emerged and life. Leadership in the Christian organized, a hierarchy of ecclesial offices communities was entrusted by the apostles took shape and the voluntary submission to elders, deacons, pastors and bishops. to the bishop disappeared— especially Kenneth Scott Latourette, the Christian when the bishops of Rome took on civic historian, notes that before the first administrative duties to organize the city century of its existence was out, the after the sackings of Rome (beginning in church began to display certain 410 AD). organizational features which, developed, Since Bishops existed when the and have persisted, with modifications, Reformation started, the conservative into the twentieth century. We hear of reformers at the beginning favored the offices and officials. Prominent among retention of bishops. It was, however, them were deacons, elders, and bishops.1 repeatedly emphasized that bishops and Initially, these terms were used pastors were one and the same thing, with interchangeably and were essentially regard to their primary function.2 Indeed, descriptive of the pastoral function. In for the Reformers, who were intent on fact, the New Testament recognizes no calling the one universal church back to superiority of bishops over pastors of its true faith and confession, the bishops congregations. were part of the problem rather than part In the first quarter of the second of the solution, precisely because they had century, Ignatius, bishop of the church in forgotten their primary task. It should In this Issue Antioch, acting as though it were his also be said that just as theologians, princes and pastors aligned with the The Office of Bishop acknowledged right to address himself by Pr. Ron Mayan ........1 with authority to other churches, wrote Reformers, there were also Evangelical What is a Bishop? letters to several churches in Asia Minor. bishops who did so, too. Nevertheless, by Pr. John Theiss .......4 The bishop of Antioch seems to have because of the prevailing situation in Jesus Calls Us Roman Catholicism in the beginning by Margaret Sadler.......5 assumed this right unilaterally, rather than decades of the sixteenth century, the Some Thoughts on being granted it by the congregations. Electing a Bishop Coincidentally, Ignatius was also the first Reformers spoke with a good deal of by Pr. Ted Jacobson ....7 to describe the church as Catholic. The clarity about the function and role of Editorial story goes that the bishop of Rome did not bishops. by Pr. Brad Everett.......8 act in the same way as the bishop of Notably, the Lutheran understanding of Antioch. In that case, it is reported that who a bishop is and what a bishop does is The Office of Bishop... Lutherans that bishops are pastors, should not obey bishops, even if expressed in The Augsburg just as pastors are pastors. In both they have been regularly Confession, Article XXVIII cases, this is a ministry of Word and elected, when they err or teach Bishops; Apology of the Augsburg Sacrament. The difference is only in and command something con- Confession Articles XIV Church terms of the congregation being trary to the holy, divine Order and XXVIII Ecclesiastical served. A pastor serves a local Scripture. Power; Treatise on the Power and congregation. A bishop serves a Primacy of the Pope The Power and Whatever other power and ju- group of pastors and congregations. risdiction bishops have in vari- … our people teach that Therefore we have a simple ous matters… they have them bishops do not have the definition of the bishop’s role as by virtue of human right. (AC “pastor to pastors and Art. XXVIII: Bishops power to institute or congregations.” How that role is p. 94.22, 28-29) lived out is as varied as the establish something The Confessions put limits on personalities, styles and spiritual contrary to the gospel what bishops can do, just as they put gifts of those elected to the limits on what pastors can do: episcopate, just as these same Jurisdiction of Bishops; and The … our people teach that bishops characteristics shape the ministry of Smalcald Articles The Fourth do not have the power to insti- a pastor. Further regarding the office Article.3 tute or establish something con- of bishop, the Confessions teach us: A careful reading of the trary to the gospel, as is Consequently, according to di- Confessional writings yields a indicated above and as is taught vine right it is the office of the simple truth: there is one office of by canon law throughout the bishop to preach the gospel, to the ministry. Pastors and bishops ninth distinction. (AC Art. forgive sin, to judge doctrine have identical roles and XXVIII: Bishops p. 96.34) responsibilities, as illustrated by the and reject doctrine that is con- trary to the gospel, and to ex- St. Peter prohibits the bishops following excerpts from the to rule as if they had the power Augsburg Confession: clude from the Christian community the ungodly whose to force the churches to do According to the gospel the ungodly life is manifest—not whatever they desired [1 Peter power of the keys or of the bish- with human power but with ops is a power and command of God’s Word alone. (AC Art. It is not what the bishops God to preach the gospel, to for- XXVIII: Bishops p. 94.21-22) teach that has a right to give or retain sin, and to admin- ister and distribute the Here another nuanced task of the be heard, but only what bishop is given—to oversee the sacraments1 (AC Art. XXVIII Christ himself teaches. theology of the pastors and Bishops p. 92.5) congregations, and to teach what is 5:2] [Latin Text: Peter prohibits It is universally acknowledged, proper—which today is referred to bishops from domineering over even by our opponents, that this as “the teaching office” of the and coercing the churches.]. power is shared by divine right bishop. We read further: by all who preside in the (AC Art. XXVIII: Bishops That is why parishioners and churches, whether they are p. 102.76) churches owe obedience to bish- called pastors, presbyters, or Therefore, bishops have the ops, according to this saying of bishops. (Treatise The Power power of the order, namely, the Christ (Luke 10:16): “Whoever and Jurisdiction of Bishops ministry of Word and sacra- listens to you listens to me.” p. 340. 61) ments. They also have the …St. Augustine writes in the power of jurisdiction, namely, This has given rise to the letter against Petilian that one historical understanding amongst the authority to excommunicate 2 The Office of Bishop... proclaim and impose God’s will on those who are guilty of public Such regulation belongs right- the people for whom they are offenses or to absolve them if fully in the Christian assembly responsible. If bishops confuse their they are repentant and ask for for the sake of love and peace, will with God’s will, the task of absolution. Bishops do not have to be obedient to bishops and God’s pastors and people is to the power of tyrants to act apart pastors in such cases, and to correct them, and if they will not be keep such order to the extent corrected, then to not acknowledge that no one offends another—so But why the office of them as bishops - for the sake of that there may not be disorder or bishop anyway? being faithful to God’s Word. unruly conduct in the church. Consider Luther’s words in the (AC Art. XXVIII: Bishops Smalcald Articles: from established law, nor regal p. 98.53,55) power to act above the law. Therefore the church cannot be Conrad Bergendoff, in his history Bishops have a definite com- better ruled and preserved than of the Lutheran Church, offered an mand, a definite Word of God, if we all live under one head, excellent, accessible and easily read which they ought to teach and Christ, and all the bishops— history of the development of according to which they ought equal according to the office Lutheranism into the mid-twentieth to exercise their jurisdiction. (although they may be unequal century. He does not spend a great (Apol. AC XXVIII: Ecclesiasti- in their gifts)—keep diligently deal of time tracing the history of cal Power p. 290.13-14) together in unity of teaching, the office of bishop. He does note faith, sacraments, prayers, and Bishops must not create tradi- that it was consistently a preferred works of love, etc. (Smalcald tions contrary to the gospel nor title in the Scandinavian churches, Articles: The Fourth Article interpret their traditions in a and he further noted that as the p. 308.9) manner contrary to the gospel. various Lutheran mission fields in (Apol. AC XXVIII: Ecclesiasti- But why the office of bishop cal Power p. 291.20) anyway? Why do Lutherans do The bishop has the same anything of this nature in the first The gospel bestows upon those duty for the synod as the place? We do it because we believe who preside over the churches pastor has for the in this good and time-tested the commission to proclaim the Lutheran principle, that everything congregation.