Pastor Terrie Beede's "Studies in Theology" series, grounded in the anchor text of 1 Timothy 4:16, continued its exploration with The Doctrine of The Church Part 12: Ministerial Jurisdiction, The Priesthood of the Believer, and the Church's Purposes. Pastor Beede reiterated Paul's charge to Timothy to "take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine" and "continue in them," emphasizing that faithful conduct and accurate teaching of doctrine ensure both the minister's own salvation and that of their hearers, by preaching "the pure word of God" and "not the ideas and the doctrine of men". The series uses the Calvary Chapel Milwaukee's statement of faith as its framework, asserting that doctrine is a "living and vibrant" truth relevant to daily life, not a "dry and dead thing".
This session built upon the previous week's discussion of the ministries and offices of the church. While the New Testament mentions a "five-fold ministry" (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers), Beede clarified that only the offices of apostle, elder/pastor, and deacon had designated ongoing requirements and functions in scripture. Other roles like prophet or evangelist were described more as functions or tasks rather than fixed, hierarchical titles.
The discussion then explored the jurisdiction of ministry offices, or church government. Pastor Beede contrasted hierarchical forms (like Episcopalian or Presbyterian models, where authority extends over many churches) with autonomous or local forms. Calvary Chapel practices the Pastoral/Eldership model, where a New Testament pastor's authority is only over his local congregation. This structure is important because it safeguards against the spread of heresy, which often originates in the "upper echelons of the church hierarchy and it gets forced down upon the local churches". The biblical purpose of all ministry gifts (Ephesians 4:12) is the "perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry" and the "edifying of the body of Christ," meaning believers are meant to do the work of ministry, not merely be recipients.
The session introduced the priesthood of the believer, an often-overlooked ministry. Drawing from 1 Peter 2:5, 9, Pastor Beede emphasized that all believers are a "holy priesthood". This priesthood grants direct access to God but is more than just a personal benefit; it is a "trust and a stewardship" intended for active ministry to others. Israel, for example, was called a "kingdom of priests" to minister to the nations around them.
The ministry of the believer was then broken down into several components:
• Ministry of Sacrifice: Presenting people to the Lord through witnessing and drawing them to give their lives to Him, and presenting one's "own bodies a living sacrifice" through holy living.
• Ministry of Witness: "Show forth the praises of him" (1 Peter 2:9) by verbally proclaiming the gospel and living a "sanctified and separated life" that glorifies God.
• Ministry of Teaching: All believers "ought to be teachers" (Hebrews 5:12) and move beyond merely consuming "milk." While pastors and elders feed the flock, believers are also responsible for teaching one another.
• Ministry of Intercession: Praying for all men, including kings and those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-4), because God desires "all men to be saved". Believers function as priests to introduce others to God.
The role of pastors and elders is to equip believers for this work of ministry, not to do all the ministry themselves.
Finally, the session outlined the three purposes of the church, derived from Acts 2:42-47:
1. Ministry to God: Praising God and demonstrating unity.
2. Ministry to the Body: Fellowship, breaking bread, prayers, sharing, mutual edification, exhortation, admonition, and receptive listening to the Word and to one another.
3. Ministry to the World: Through signs, wonders, evangelism, and attracting new believers.
Pastor Beede stressed that believers are not merely "consumers" of spiritual services but are called to "go and give," to "contribute to the body" in all three of these ministries. This session concluded the study of the doctrine of the church, with future sessions planned to cover "the doctrines of hell and then the return of Jesus Christ".