Having “ascended far above all
heavens” and being seated upon the mediatorial throne, the mediator “gave some
to be apostles and some to be prophets and some to be evangelists and some to
be pastors and teachers: for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the
ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Accordingly, the preaching
of the gospel by his ministers is called Christ’s preaching: “Then the deputy
Sergius Paulus, when he saw what was done to Elymas the sorcerer, believed, being
astonished at the doctrine of the Lord” (Acts 13:12). In 1 Cor. 1:6 and Rev.
1:2 the preaching of the gospel is denominated “the testimony of Christ.” In 2
Cor. 5:20 Paul represents himself and his colaborers as ambassadors for Christ and
beseeches men in Christ’s stead to be reconciled to God. In 1 Pet. 3:19 and
Eph. 2:17 the preaching of Noah and the apostles is called Christ’s preaching.
Again, the mass of the church, as
well as the Christian ministry, are represented as an agency by which the
mediator executes his prophetic office. After the death of Stephen, all the
church “excepting the apostles” were scattered by persecution and “went
everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). The church is represented as “a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood,” to “show forth the praises of him who
has called it out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). The Holy
Spirit dwelling in the church, in all the fullness of his graces and gifts,
enriches it with wisdom and knowledge, so that it is capable both by word and
example of proclaiming Christ crucified to the sinful world of which it is said
to be the light (Matt. 5:14-16). The superiority of the church to the secular
world, in regard to the comprehension of religious truth and of everything relating
to the eternal destiny of mankind, is boldly and strongly asserted by St. Paul:
“We speak wisdom among them that are perfect; even the hidden wisdom of God
which none of the princes of the world knew. The natural men cannot know the
things of the Spirit of God, because they are spiritually discerned. He that is
spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man” (1 Cor. 2:6-15).
The Christian mind is qualified to be a critic of secular knowledge; but the
secular mind is not qualified to be a critic of Christianity. Christ crucified
is foolishness to the Greek; yet this foolishness of God is wider than men
(1:23, 25). . . . The Romish theory of an ecclesiastical priesthood acting,
since God’s ascension, as the delegates and agents of the great high priest has
no support in Scripture. Had Christ intended to discharge his sacerdotal
office through a class of persons in his church, he would have appointed and
commissioned such a class and provided for its continuation. He did this
in regard to his prophetic office. He appointed “apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors, and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints and the
work of the ministry” (Eph. 4:11-12). (William G. T. Shedd, Dogmatic
Theology: Complete and Unabridged, Volumes 1-3 [Reformed Retrieval, 2021], 600,
602, emphasis added)
