The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum HowWouldYouAnswerThis?

hisalone,

VERY briefly, this is a matter of the biblical teaching re: "ecclesiology", the doctrine of the Church. Most Reformed believers, at least in the past as this is not the case now unfortunately, held to a high view of the Church. The Bible provides the definition of the Church as well as how it is to function (aka: church order). One of the elements of that order is the ordination of men to the offices of Elder and Deacon. It is through these men that the Holy Spirit works. It is through these men that the Word is preached and taught, worship is to be conducted and the sacraments (notice the terminology here) are to be administered. They are responsible for proper worship and practice in their respective assemblies over which God has appointed them "overseers" and "under shepherds".

It matters not, in regard to administering the sacraments; not ordinances as some would prefer to call them, whether the man has a seminary education nor that he is in your estimation "qualified". I may agree that many men should not even be Elders/Pastors today. But nonetheless, it is God's will that such men administer the sacraments as part of the official corporate worship of God; either as preparatory to entrance into the visible Church or for the edification of true believers who are already members of the Church.

In His grace,