Archlute
Puritan Board Senior
"...but on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit."
I came across this passage today while completing a more detailed outline of the book of Romans for personal study. It struck me that while much is made in modern evangelical circles of "every member ministry" using Peter's statement that the Church as a whole is a "holy/royal priesthood" (1 Pt. 2:5,9), very little is made of the priestly role of the minister as Paul might have understood it. The language of the priesthood as applied to ministers of the Gospel is generally avoided in Protestant circles due to the RC misappropriation of that term as it is applied to the offering up of the mass, and this along with the modern egalitarian spirit within our evangelical bodies seems to eliminate any discussion of this passage and its implications from common ecclesiological discourse.
I believe that the translation given above by the ESV fits best, as it more clearly renders the participial form of hierourgeoas "in the priestly service of", rather than the KJV's less pointed "ministering the Gospel of", which does not distinguish this second priestly use of "ministering" from the first use of "minister" in the verse which has a differing verbal stem which refers to public service, but not necessarily priestly duties (could that have been a translation choice based upon a prevailing anti-RC sentiment?). Clearly, Paul is identifying his role between God and the Gentiles to whom he ministered as a mediatorial/priestly role in some sense.
Is this something that has been forgotten by evangelicals in over-reaction to Rome? Is this a role that was unique to Paul, or does it apply by extension from him as a minister of the Gospel to every other minster? What bearing does this have upon questions being raised in the church regarding what role women or unordained men can have in leading in prayer and reading Scripture? Does it conflict with the ideal in many churches today of every-member ministry (but see v.14, preceding)?
Have at it.
I came across this passage today while completing a more detailed outline of the book of Romans for personal study. It struck me that while much is made in modern evangelical circles of "every member ministry" using Peter's statement that the Church as a whole is a "holy/royal priesthood" (1 Pt. 2:5,9), very little is made of the priestly role of the minister as Paul might have understood it. The language of the priesthood as applied to ministers of the Gospel is generally avoided in Protestant circles due to the RC misappropriation of that term as it is applied to the offering up of the mass, and this along with the modern egalitarian spirit within our evangelical bodies seems to eliminate any discussion of this passage and its implications from common ecclesiological discourse.
I believe that the translation given above by the ESV fits best, as it more clearly renders the participial form of hierourgeoas "in the priestly service of", rather than the KJV's less pointed "ministering the Gospel of", which does not distinguish this second priestly use of "ministering" from the first use of "minister" in the verse which has a differing verbal stem which refers to public service, but not necessarily priestly duties (could that have been a translation choice based upon a prevailing anti-RC sentiment?). Clearly, Paul is identifying his role between God and the Gentiles to whom he ministered as a mediatorial/priestly role in some sense.
Is this something that has been forgotten by evangelicals in over-reaction to Rome? Is this a role that was unique to Paul, or does it apply by extension from him as a minister of the Gospel to every other minster? What bearing does this have upon questions being raised in the church regarding what role women or unordained men can have in leading in prayer and reading Scripture? Does it conflict with the ideal in many churches today of every-member ministry (but see v.14, preceding)?
Have at it.