Covenant Reformed News – December 2007 • Volume XI, Issue 20
This article from Covenant Reformed News examines the biblical office of pastor/teacher as distinct from both the temporary extraordinary offices (apostle, prophet, evangelist) and the permanent offices of elder and deacon. The author argues that the pastor/teacher office is permanent, local in scope, and centered on teaching the Word, with no biblical support for papal or other unbiblical ecclesiastical offices. This resource provides a Reformed Presbyterian perspective on church governance and the proper understanding of pastoral ministry.
The Office of Pastor/Teacher Unlike the offices of apostle, prophet and evangelist (which we considered in the last News) that of pastor and teacher (the other church office listed in Ephesians 4:11) is not an extraordinary office (though it is a special office). First, the extraordinary offices (apostle, prophet and evangelist) involved all or some of the following: an extraordinary call, direct revelation and miracle working. None of these extraordinary gifts are part of the office of...