The Body of Christ collectively selected seven, and the Apostles ordained them through the laying on of hands. Rather, the institutional Church – here, the Apostles – saw a need, and called for seven men to be brought forward. Philip and the others didn’t just go to the Church and say “we’re deacons now,” or demand to be recognized as deacons or ordained as deacons.
These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them.
WORDIFY ANSWERS LEADERS FULL
But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Proch′orus, and Nica′nor, and Timon, and Par′menas, and Nicola′us, a proselyte of Antioch.
Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Look at the calling of the very first deacons, for example (Acts 6:1-6): The Biblical teaching on this is entirely clear. You don’t just unilaterally decide that you’re going to be ordained and then declare yourself (or demand that the Church declare you) ordained, any more than a man can declare himself married to a woman who is refusing him. Consider two cases: first, those who complain that it’s a violation of women’s “rights” that the Church doesn’t ordain women second, those Protestant preachers who simply started their own church because they saw a gift in themselves.įrom a Biblical perspective, both of these people are entirely in the wrong. It’s a good question, and points to a Biblical reality to which the modern Christian world is largely oblivious. When I shared this on Facebook, one of my friends asked why it was necessary to be called by a bishop. He’ll then respond (hopefully!) officially asking me to present myself for ordination to the diaconate this fall. Yesterday, I hit one of the last major milestones on the journey to becoming a priest: I finished a handwritten letter to my Archbishop, called a “petition for orders,” asking him to call me to the Order of Deacons. Pietro Antonio Novelli, Priesthood (1779)
0 kommentar(er)
