Thursday, March 17, 2022

William G. T. Shedd on Ephesians 4:11-12, Post-Ascension Prophets and Apostles, and High Ecclesiology

  

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)