Here we will examine what the Bible teaches about apostles, the pastoral ministry, and their duties. What is the basis for the position of the pastor in Lutheran theology?

At the Lord's service

"And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him."
(Mark 3:13-19, ESV)

The New Testament is written in Greek. In that language, an apostle is "apostolos", which means 'sent' or 'ambassador'. In church language, apostle basically refers to the 12 messengers of Jesus mentioned in our text, and Matthias, who replaced Judas, and Paul, who uses the title for himself:

"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus,
called to be an apostle,
set apart for the gospel of God..."
(Rom. 1:1, ESV)

The position of apostle was unique. Christ called them personally, and through them God gave part of his infallible revelation, the Holy Scriptures. In the broader sense of the word, other ambassadors of Christ have also been called apostles, for example Timothy in 1 Thessalonians (1 Thess. 2:6–7: "Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.")

This reminds us of an important dimension: the pastoral ministry of Christ's Church is apostolic in nature. Today we reflect on the position of our contemporary pastors in the apostolic tradition through three themes that emerge from our text:

1. Christ calls
2. Christ equips and
3. Christ sends.

1. Christ calls

The third chapter of Mark's Gospel tells us: "And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him."

So the apostles didn't choose their position, but Jesus chose and called them. Their position was a gift of God's grace - not a self-chosen task that would give them a leading position in the Church. Saint Paul teaches this in the 4th chapter of the Letter to the Ephesians:

"But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift." (…) "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers" ...
(Eph. 4:7, 11, ESV)

Christ gives His Church shepherds even today. First, in holy baptism, He chooses and calls all Christians to the common priesthood. In this way, He makes us spiritual priests who bear witness to Him. This is what Saint Peter speaks of in the second chapter of his 1st letter:

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."
(1 Peter 2:9, ESV)

All Christians share in the common priesthood. All are called to bear witness to Christ – including you. You are needed too!

From among the baptized, Christ chooses and calls men through his Church to a special priesthood, the priesthood. This office is ordained by God Himself; for our Lord gave the command through Paul to appoint shepherds in the churches. In the first chapter of the Epistle to Titus we read:

"This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you"...
(Tit 1:5, ESV)

The pastoral ministry is essential to the Church - one of the seven marks of the Church, as our Reformer Martin Luther reminds us. I will quote him briefly:

“The fifth outward sign of the Church is that the Church ordains or calls ministers to its activities, or that it has offices which it fills. For it must necessarily have bishops and priests or preachers, who publicly and privately administer (…) the holy ordinance for and in the name of the Church, and above all on the basis of the commandment of Christ, as St. Paul says in Eph. 4:11 (…) Now where there are such offices (…) then know that there must truly be a holy, Christian people: for the Church cannot exist without such bishops, vicars, preachers, priests, and conversely they cannot exist without the congregation, but both must be together.”
(On the Councils and the Church, pp. 158-9, 169–70.)

Through his call through the Church and his ordination through the bishop, God joins priests to the apostolic succession, makes them partakers of the apostolic office. Like the apostles, they receive the gift of pastoral ministry when they are called and ordained to their office.

2. Christ equips

The Gospel of Mark tells us: “And he appointed twelve so that they might be with him” (Mark 3:14). Christ called the apostles to a “theological faculty” where God himself taught. The twelve were allowed to sit at the feet of their Lord and listen to him. Jesus would open to them the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. He equipped them for their mission by teaching them.

This is how our Lord works today. A pastor must be "able to teach,” writes Paul in 1 Timothy 3:2. In Titus 1, he reminds us that a pastor “must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” (Titus 1:9).

A priest must therefore receive sufficient training for his duties. God gives this through his holy word. Those preparing for the ministry of a pastor must diligently study the word of God and the confession of the Evangelical Lutheran Church that correctly explains it, under the guidance of reliable teachers. In this way, the candidates for the priesthood sit at the feet of their Lord and listen to him. This is the way in which our Chief Shepherd equips the shepherds of our time for the holy ministry.

All others called to be witnesses of Jesus also need teaching. Every Christian must study the Word of God in order to grow as a Christian and fulfill his or her role as a witness - including you. So seek to listen to God's word often. That's where your Lord speaks to you. Through it he equips you.

3. Christ sends

The Gospel of Mark tells of the sending of the apostles: "And he appointed twelve so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons." (Mark 3:14-15)

Called and equipped, the apostles were sent to teach and cast out demons. The Word of God, Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper were given to them as tools. This is what the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20: "Jesus came and said to them: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you") and the biblical texts on baptism and communion tell us.

The apostles were to teach, baptize, and gather to celebrate the mystery of the body and blood of Christ. They fulfilled their ministry by communicating God's revelation and by serving as instruments of grace through which Christ is present and comes into the hearts of sinners.

This was precisely the purpose of the apostleship: to bring the gospel of grace to all men as ambassadors for Christ and in his stead. Paul summarizes this when he writes about his own apostleship in 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (ESV):

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation.
The old has passed away;
behold, the new has come.
All this is from God,
who through Christ reconciled us to himself and
gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself,
not counting their trespasses against them,
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ,
God making his appeal through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God."
(2 Corinthians 5:17-20, ESV)

The apostles shared God's grace with people in the Word and the Sacraments. They preached that the world has been reconciled in Christ; that all sins have been forgiven; that God does not count their transgressions against people as guilt. They declared that heaven is open! They baptized sinners in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, so that they became partakers of forgiveness, received the gift of the Holy Spirit and were freed from the power of the Evil One. They celebrated the Holy Communion, in which Christ gives his body and blood as the medicine of immortality to his children born again in baptism. They cast out evil spirits by the power of the Word of God. This is how the apostles act as authorized by Christ and on his behalf.

This is what the apostolic ministers do today. Christ sends pastors to carry out their ministry on his behalf.

In "The Apology of the Augsburg Confession", written by Philip Melanchthon (1531) and included in "The Book of Concord", it is said that priests...

“…by the call of the church they represent the person of Christ. They do not represent their own person, as Christ testifies: ‘He who hears you hears me.’ When they preach the word of Christ and administer the sacraments, they do so for Christ and in his place.”
(The Apology of the Augsburg Confession, VII & VIII, 28.)

4. Christ works through the ministry of the shepherd

Pastors do not represent themselves in their ministry, but Christ. Christ teaches and distributes the sacraments through them. They act as the mouths and hands of Christ. Therefore, you may receive the forgiveness and eternal life that are given to you in the Word and the Sacraments in the sure confidence of faith.

Jesus atoned for your sins too with his sacrifice on the cross. He has freed you too from the power of the devil through his servant and given you a new birth in the sacrament of holy baptism. He teaches you his word through the pastor so that you may trust in him and grow in faith. He proclaims to you absolution from all your sins. He also nourishes you with his body and blood in every mass.

You belong to your Lord. Do not reject him with unbelief. Do not remain outside the Church of Christ. That path leads to perdition, for no one can get to heaven on their own merits. We get there because of Jesus. His blood brings atonement for all to receive in faith. No matter what sins you have fallen into, no matter how weak you are, no matter what your problems, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses you from all sin. Trust in him alone. He will never abandon you. As a believer in him, you will make the journey to heaven - and fulfill your mission as a witness.

It is a great privilege. You may tell your neighbors that we have a God who loves and forgives all sins for Jesus' sake. You may tell them that we have a God who understands and helps us weak sinners. You can tell others that we have a God who takes everyone to heaven who trusts in him.