As I mentioned last week, I was pleased to discover recently a collection of Luther’s sermons on St. John 20:19-31, included in Volume 69 of Luther’s Works (CPH, 2009). Reading through this collection is fascinating in any number of ways, not least of all in providing a window into the development of Luther’s thought and demonstrating the variety of his exegetical and homiletical approaches to the same text over the span of many years.
One of those Luther sermons was of particular interest to me, for a couple of reasons (Luther’s Works AE 69, pages 349-372). Preached in Wittenberg on Easter Tuesday morning, 30 March 1529, Dr. Luther helpfully distinguishes between the gift of the Holy Spirit for one’s personal faith and life and salvation, and the gift of the Holy Spirit for the sake of one’s office and vocation. He then goes on to stress the importance of the Divine Call to the Office of the Holy Ministry, much as he does in his Lectures on Galatians of 1535 (there commenting on Galatians 1:1, Luther’s Works AE 26, CPH 1963, pages 15-21). Martin Chemnitz highlights exactly this point in his Examination of the Council of Trent (Part II, First Topic, Section VIII, “Concerning the Ministers of the Sacraments,” CPH 1978, pages 96-98).
The distinction between the gifts of the Holy Spirit for personal faith and for public office is quite significant and important. It stands behind our condemnation and rejection of Donatism in Article VIII of the Augsburg Confession, affirming instead that “both the Sacraments and the Word are effectual by reason of the institution and commandment of Christ even if they are administered by evil men” (AC VIII.2, Tappert, page 33). Although the Church does not knowingly place or retain an impious and unfaithful man in the Office of the Holy Ministry, we take great comfort in knowing that the Lord is actively present and at work through the Office by and with His Word and Holy Spirit, even where the piety and sanctification of the pastor may be lacking. The Holy Triune God accomplishes His purposes through us – sometimes in spite of us!
In the case of the Divine Call to the Office of the Holy Ministry, the Holy Spirit is bestowed for the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments in the Name and stead of Christ Jesus. That is at the forefront of what is happening in St. John 20:22-23, when the Lord Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit upon His Apostles and entrusts them with the Office of the Keys. Of course these men are also recipients of the Holy Spirit through the forgiveness of their own sins, but in this case the point is that the Spirit will be with them in bestowing forgiveness on others, not by their own qualities or character, but by virtue of their Office as servants of Christ.
Martin Chemnitz, again in his Examination of the Council of Trent, makes a related point in addressing the question of Ordination, which the Roman Council numbered among their seven Sacraments. Echoing the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Chemnitz acknowledges that, if Ordination is understood in its connection to “the Ministry of the Word and the Sacraments,” it may be called a “sacrament,” because of the divine institution of the Office of the Holy Ministry and the divine promises given to the Office and to those who are called, ordained, and sent in that Office in accordance with the Word of God. Yet, even so, it differs from the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, because Ordination does not bestow the forgiveness of sins upon the one ordained, but it bestows the Office upon a man for the administration of the Gospel in Word and Sacrament to others (Examination of the Council of Trent, Part II, Ninth Topic, “Concerning Holy Orders,” Section III, CPH 1978, pages 691-695).
On the Day of Pentecost, likewise, whereas all 120 disciples who were gathered together on that occasion were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in various languages, declaring the mighty deeds of God as a sign to the devout men from every nation gathered in Jerusalem, it was St. Peter who took his stand with the other eleven Apostles (now including St. Matthias) in order to preach the Law and the Gospel to the assembled crowd. And those who were convicted by this preaching were called to repent and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit through these means. In this we have a beautiful example of the way the Church and Ministry of Christ receive the gift of the Spirit for the outpouring of the same Holy Spirit upon others through the preaching of the Word of Christ. And this divine ordering of the Church continues what Christ Jesus Himself has accomplished; for having received the Holy Spirit in His Baptism and in His Resurrection from the dead, He pours out the same Spirit generously upon His Church through the Ministry of His Gospel.
To this day, and even to the close of the age, the Lord Jesus bestows the gift of the Holy Spirit upon men whom He calls, ordains, and sends in His Name and stead to preach His Word and to administer His gifts – unto repentance and faith in His forgiveness of sins. For those who have received this blessed responsibility of the Office of the Holy Ministry, let us also pray that they would themselves be kept steadfast in the Word and faith of Christ by the working of His Spirit.