Bearing Office

Read Heidelberg Catechism, Q. 31

As the Anointed One, Christ is Office-bearer. What is an office? And what does it mean to bear office?

Office is of Latin derivation and signifies any special trust, duty, or obligation laid upon one person to perform (1) in the name of another and (2) on behalf of another. To bear office implies serving — not being served. With regard to Christ, His task is to accomplish the salvation of all given to Him by the Father. In the Father’s name He bears office on behalf of the living church as their Prophet, Priest, and King.

Whereas Old Testament office-bearing looked forward to Christ’s coming, present-day office-bearing looks backward to His sufficiency and qualifications. Still today Christ is pleased to carry out His prophetical, priestly, and royal administrations through sinful men whom He appoints and qualifies in the church, the nation, and the family to bear office in His stead.

Ministers, elders, and deacons are called to live out of Christ as the Office-bearer. They bear office in His name and on behalf of the congregation. Ministers must be teaching prophets; elders, governing kings; deacons, compassionate priests. Pray much for your office-bearers that they may be given grace to reflect faithfully the office-bearing character of the Servant of God.

Political leaders bear office. They are called to serve in the name of God and on behalf of their citizens. They must uphold the principles and morality of God’s Word. They too are worthy of your prayers.

But you too, dear father and mother, are called to bear office in your home. As father, are you a teaching prophet, interceding priest, and governing king in your home in God’s stead on behalf of your wife and children? As mother, are you a teaching prophetess, interceding priestess, and governing queen in your home in God’s stead on behalf of your children, and in subjection to your husband? Parents, are you doing all in your power to raise your children in accordance with biblical truth as you promised at baptism? Are you leaning on Christ for your parental office-bearing capacities and qualifications?

Finally, every child of God is called to bear office, belonging to the priesthood of all believers. Without Christ, this is impossible. Do you need Him experientially as Prophet to enlighten your ignorance? To sacrifice, intercede, and bless on your behalf as Priest? To rule, preserve, and discipline you as King?

Christ shall have dominion over land and sea,
Earth’s remotest regions shall His empire be;
They that wilds inhabit shall their worship bring, Kings shall render tribute, nations serve our King.

— Psalter 200:1

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 6:1-10

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen