PASTORAL THEOLOGY

LECTURE 4

ORDINATION & COMMISSIONING

First, before we analyze what the Bible says on the subject, it is important to clear up some of the misconceptions out there concerning ‘ordination’ and ‘commissioning’.

1. Ordination misconceptions:

A. Usually, there will be an ‘ordination council’ set up to ‘critically evaluate’ (grill) the ‘candidate’ to see if he is correct material for the pastorate. This council is often made up of area pastors of like faith, and not the pastors or members of his own church. They typically ask somewhat ‘controversial’ leading questions of the candidate in order to try and ‘stump’ him, or at least ‘rattle his cage’. The council members often have different views amongst themselves on some of these controversial questions, interestingly enough. The council will give the approval to the church on whether or not to accept this candidate for the pastorate. These men are not part of the church though! They are used to help give ‘advice’ to a church; but, a church doesn’t need advice from outside sources…not even a baby church. They are equipped with the Holy Spirit of God and a God called pastor to lead them. Ordination councils reek of Catholicism and Popery! The supervising pastor should verify that the ‘candidate’ is of proper character and knowledge and then recommend him to the church for ‘ordination’… that is, for voting him (appointing him to, ordaining unto) as a pastor of the church. Ordination is an authoritative vote of a church to the appointment as either a pastor, deacon, evangelist, or, I assume, a preacher.

B. It is common practice to ordain a man to the office of the pastorate in a type of perpetual, permanent status; meaning, the man is a pastor until he ‘retires’. However, being ordained as a pastor is not permanent. Following the Biblical guideline, a man is ordained to the position of pastor and that position is within a specific church (same church as is doing the ordaining) and not in a generic sense. That man then can only serve as a pastor of that specific church, and not others also (bishops, metropolitans, popes).

C. The ordination of a man to the pastorate typically is quite vague. Many times it will be stated something like: “ordained to the Gospel ministry”, or “ordained to be a preacher of the Gospel”. A church can ordain a man for such, but, if ordaining for the pastorate, there needs to be a statement specifically to the office of the pastorate for the specific church. It needs to specify what capacity he will be serving in (Senior pastor, pastor, associate, assistant, assistant to the, evangelist, missionary, etc); though, I believe ordaining to the pastorate gives that man the rights, priviledges, and responsibilities of a full fledged pastor, and not in some ‘half pastor’ type of role (associate, assistant). I feel that the terms ‘associate’, ‘assistant’, etc., are demeaning and unscriptural.

The actually ordination involves the vote of the church, not just a statement by the Senior Pastor. Understanding how it was done in Acts in the ordaining of 7 Deacons and 1 apostle to replace Judas is paramount; it was involving the church body.

2. Commissioning misconceptions:

A. Many times, and maybe rightly so, the ordination and commissioning are one in the same. But, the common practice is that they are different entities all together…totally separate events. Often, the man is commissioned to a field to plant a church, and then at some distant time period, when ‘enough’ families are faithfully attending the new work, the man is officially ordained as that mission work’s (or church’s) pastor. I feel that the commissioning is all part of the ordination, the appointing, the church vote. The specific differences would be in that the ordination is the church voting the man to a specific position (i.e pastor), and the commissioning is the charge, prayer, laying on of hands, and the official sending of that man to fulfill the work God has called him to in that newly ordained (appointed) position.

B. Who commonly is the entity involved in the commissioning of pastors, preachers, evangelists, missionaries? Pretty much anything but a church of the Lord Jesus Christ’s! Denominational boards, Missionary boards, Seminaries, para church Bible colleges, para church Ministries, and even one’s own self! These typically are the ones who grant authority in the commissioning (official sending, placing) of a pastor. Of course, as we know, these entities have absolutely no God given authority to do such a thing. The only entity that does is God’s churches (via the empowerment of the Holy Spirit).

C. The commissioning by a true church (or other unscriptural entities for that matter) often is a generic, generalized, vague, open ended, non-specific charge, or commission, to the new pastor. Oftentimes they are commissioned, as stated earlier, to ‘the gospel ministry’; it being treated in the rhealm of having ‘a license to preach’. The commission is specific in the Bible (though generic, Mt 28, etc). A church’s commission of a man is to be very specific. For example, John Smith is being commissioned by His church to go to AntArtica to church plant until every major village has a solid Baptist church with its own pastor. Vice, John Smith is being commissioned by His church to be a pastor in the Northwest Territories.

D. When one is commissioned they need to then go! But, the common practice seems to be to commission them and then they start the deputation trail 3 or so months later, and then finally act on that commission 2 to 3 years later! In Acts 13 we see the commissioning of Barnabas and Saul to be involving them immediately being sent out…and to immediately be doing the work that they were commissioned to do!

BIBLICAL ANALYSIS OF ORDINATION AND COMMISSIONING

John 15:14-16 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

*Go from ‘servant’ status to ‘friend’ status

*You are chosen by Jesus Christ

*You are ordained (appointed) by Jesus Christ to bring forth fruit and that it should remain

*You will have your needs met in order to accomplish this ordination

Acts 1:21-26 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

*Those ordained have been part of the church for a while

*Ordained to be a witness of the Lord

*May choose between two qualified men

*Can be ordained to take the place of an open pastorate

Acts 14:21-23 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

*Pastors can have authority to ordain out in the ‘field’

*The commissioning involves prayer and fasting

*They are commended to the Lord’s care and direction

1 Tim 2:5-7 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.

*Ordained to a specific position and to a specific people group

Titus 1:5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

*Every city should have a good church and a good pastor ordained to it

Luke 6:12-13 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve , whom also he named apostles;

*Jesus Christ chooses from His disciples; those that are closely following Him and being taught by Him

*It may be wise to have an all night prayer service prior to the ordaining and commissioning

Mark 3:13-15 And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

*Those whom the Lord calls should leave everything and ‘be with the Lord’ prior to being commissioned; a full-time preparing prior to actually going.

*Sent forth to preach

Luke 10:1-2 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

*Ideally sent out 2 by 2 (men)

*Sent into every city and place of a certain area

*To be sent forth as labourers into the Lord’s harvest

Matt 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

*Go ye therefore because all power has been given unto Jesus

*Go to teach the Gospel, baptize the converts into the church membership, and teach them to observe the N.T.

Acts 13:1-4 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

*Certain prophets (preachers?) and teachers might be the ones chosen

*The ones busy ministering (serving) and fasting (getting close to God) are the most likely to be chosen

*The Holy Ghost speaks to the church; maybe specifically to the leadership

*The leaders of the church lay their hands on those being sent out

*They are sent forth by the Holy Ghost

Acts 14:21-28 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia: And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. And there they abode long time with the disciples.

*They at some point will fulfill (finish, complete) what they have been ordained unto

*They may eventually return to their sending church to potentially be ordained elsewhere

SUMMARIZING WHAT HAS BEEN GLEANED FROM THESE PASSAGES

Holy Spirit does the calling

He does the calling as Representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. His calling is done in one’s heart (spirit), not audibly.

It is important to understand how the Holy Spirit works. It is important to have learned to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading.

Who does the Holy Spirit typically call and ordain?

Certain prophets (preachers?) and teachers might be the ones chosen

Jesus Christ chooses from His disciples; those that are closely following Him and being taught by Him

The ones busy ministering (serving) and fasting (getting close to God) are the most likely to be chosen

The one that is called has been part of the church for a while

Someone who isn’t that busy serving in a church and who doesn’t have a real close walk with God, I would assume is not being called forth right then for ordination.

The ones that get called and sent are the ones that are the most godly, the most active, the most well known in the church; thus, it is often hard for a pastor and the church to want to let them go.