Threefold office

Last updated
Stained glass window of Christ the King, Tipperary, Ireland Toomyvara St. Joseph's Church Window Tu Rex Gloriae Christe by William Earley 1933 2010 09 08.jpg
Stained glass window of Christ the King, Tipperary, Ireland

The threefold office (Latin : munus triplex) of Jesus Christ is a Christian doctrine based upon the teachings of the Old Testament of which Christians hold different views. It was described by Eusebius and more fully developed by John Calvin.

Contents

The doctrine states that Jesus Christ performed three functions (or "offices") in his earthly ministry – those of prophet, [1] priest, [2] and king. [3]

In the Old Testament, the appointment of someone to any of these three positions could be sanctioned by anointing him by pouring oil over his head. Thus the term messiah, meaning "anointed one", is associated with the concept of the threefold office. While the office of king is that most closely associated with the Messiah, the role of Jesus as priest, which involves intercession before God, is also prominent in the New Testament, being most fully explained in chapters 7 to 10 of the Book of Hebrews.

The three offices

Eusebius worked out this threefold classification, writing: "And we have been told also that certain of the prophets themselves became, by the act of anointing, Christs in type, so that all these have reference to the true Christ, the divinely inspired and heavenly Word, who is the only high priest of all, and the only King of every creature, and the Father’s only supreme prophet of prophets." [4] During the Reformation this concept played a substantial role in scholastic Lutheran Christology and in the christology of Reformed theologians such as John Calvin [5] as well as that of John Wesley. [6]

The entry in the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology claims that Christian theologians view all the other roles of Christ as falling under one of these three distinctions. [7]

Prophet

Christ is the mouthpiece of God as the Prophet, speaking and teaching the Word of God, [8] infinitely greater than all prophets, who spoke for God and interpreted the will of God. [9] The Old Testament prophet brought God's message to the people. Christ, as the Word, the Logos, is the source of revelation. [10] Accordingly, Jesus Christ never used the messenger formula, which linked the prophet's words to God in the prophetic phrase Thus says the Lord. [11]

The Bible refers about the prophetic nature of Christ in the following verses, among others:

There are several instances in the Bible that suggest that Jesus' contemporaries regarded him as a prophet:

Priest

Icon of "Christ the Great High Priest", vested as a bishop, on a bishop's cathedra, blessing as a priest Icon of Christ, Sergey Radonezhsky and Evfimy of Suzdal.jpg
Icon of "Christ the Great High Priest", vested as a bishop, on a bishop's cathedra, blessing as a priest

Christ, whom believers draw near to in confidence, offered Himself as the sacrifice for humanity as High Priest. [19] Old Testament priests declared the will of God, gave the covenant of blessing, and directed the processing of sacrifices. [20] The priest represented humankind before God. While humankind took the office of priesthood in their weakness, Jesus holds the position with an indestructible power that overcomes the weakness of humanity as described throughout the book of Hebrews. [21] The atoning death of Christ is at the heart of his work as High Priest. Metaphors are used to describe his death on the cross, such as, "Christ, the Lamb of God, shed his blood on the cross as the sin offering for humankind." Christ made one sin offering as High Priest in contrast to the Old Testament priests, who continually offered sacrifices on behalf of humanity. Because of the work of Christ on the cross, humanity has the opportunity to have a living relationship with God. Conversely, the individuals that deny the work of God are described as dead in sin, without God and without hope. In traditional Christianity (the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican Church, Oriental Orthodox, and Assyrian Churches), it is believed that a priest, having received the Sacrament of Holy Orders through the laying on of hands, shares the one priesthood of Christ, and thus it is only priests (and their superiors in Holy Orders, the bishops) who can offer the Eucharistic Sacrifice.

King

Christ, exalted High Priest, mediates the sin that estranges humankind from the fellowship of God. In turn, he has full rights to reign over the church and world as King. Christ sits at the right hand of God, crowned in glory as "King of kings and Lord of lords". [22] "God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church." [23] So priest, prophet and king are the threefolds.

Reformed and Presbyterian traditions

The Heidelberg Catechism interprets the title "Christ" in terms of the threefold office, in Lord's Day 12, Question and Answer 31:

Q. Why is he called "Christ," meaning "anointed"?

A. Because he has been ordained by God the Father

and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit to be
our chief prophet and teacher
who perfectly reveals to us
the secret counsel and will of God for our deliverance;
our only high priest
who has set us free by the one sacrifice of his body,
and who continually pleads our cause with the Father;
and our eternal king
who governs us by his Word and Spirit,
and who guards us and keeps us
in the freedom he has won for us.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism explains the role of Christ as redeemer in terms of the threefold office:

Q. 23: What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer?

Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation.

Q. 24: How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?

Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by his word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.

Q. 25: How doth Christ execute the office of a priest?

Christ executeth the office of a priest, in his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us.

Q.26: How doth Christ execute the office of a king?

Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies.

Lutheranism

(a) The prophetical office (munus, or officium propheticum) includes teaching and the miracles of Christ.

(b) The priestly office (munus sacerdotale) consists of the satisfaction made for the sins of the world by the death on the cross, and in the continued intercession of the exalted Savior for his people (redemptio et intercessio sacerdotalis).

(c) The kingly office (munus regium), whereby Christ founded his kingdom, defends his church against all enemies, and rules all things in heaven and on earth. The old divines distinguish between the reign of nature (regnum naturae sive potentiae), which embraces all things; the reign of grace (regnum gratiae), which relates to the church militant on earth; and the reign of glory (regnum gloriae), which belongs to the church triumphant in heaven.

The theologians who followed Luther and Melanchthon down to the middle of the seventeenth century treat Christ's saving work under the two heads of king and priest. Calvin, in the first edition of his Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536), did the same, and it was not till the third edition (1559) and the Genevan Catechism that he fully presented the three offices. This convenient threefold division of the office of Christ was used by the theologians of both confessions during the seventeenth century. Ernesti opposed it, but Schleiermacher restored it.[ citation needed ]

Roman Catholicism

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "Jesus fulfilled the messianic hope of Israel in his threefold office of priest, prophet, and king." [24]

In his 5th century Gospel harmony book Harmony of the Gospels Saint Augustine viewed the variations in the gospel accounts in terms of the different focuses of the authors on Jesus: Matthew on royalty, Mark on humanity, Luke on priesthood and John on divinity. [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ (title)</span> Title meaning "anointed"

Christ, used by Christians as both a name and a title, unambiguously refers to Jesus. It is also used as a title, in the reciprocal use "Christ Jesus", meaning "the Messiah Jesus", and independently as "the Christ". The Pauline epistles, the earliest texts of the New Testament, often refer to Jesus as "Christ Jesus" or "Christ".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christology</span> Theological study of Jesus Christ

In Christianity, Christology, translated literally from Greek as 'the study of Christ', is a branch of theology that concerns Jesus. Different denominations have different opinions on questions such as whether Jesus was human, divine, or both, and as a messiah what his role would be in the freeing of the Jewish people from foreign rulers or in the prophesied Kingdom of God, and in the salvation from what would otherwise be the consequences of sin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eucharist</span> Christian rite observed by consuming bread and wine

The Eucharist, also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instituted by Jesus Christ during the Last Supper; giving his disciples bread and wine during a Passover meal, he commanded them to "do this in memory of me" while referring to the bread as "my body" and the cup of wine as "the blood of my covenant, which is poured out for many".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Resurrection of Jesus</span> Christian belief that God raised Jesus after his crucifixion

The resurrection of Jesus is the Christian belief that God raised Jesus on the third day after his crucifixion, starting – or restoring – his exalted life as Christ and Lord. According to the New Testament writing, Jesus was firstborn from the dead, ushering in the Kingdom of God. He appeared to his disciples, calling the apostles to the Great Commission of forgiving sin and baptizing repenters, and ascended to Heaven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anointing</span> Ritual act of putting aromatic oil on a person

Anointing is the ritual act of pouring aromatic oil over a person's head or entire body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Priesthood of all believers</span> Christian doctrine

The priesthood of all believers or universal priesthood is a biblical principle in most Protestant branches of Christianity which is distinct from the institution of the ministerial priesthood found in some other branches, including the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox. Derived from the Bible and elaborated in the theology of Martin Luther and John Calvin, the principle became prominent as a tenet of Protestant Christian doctrine, though the exact meaning of the belief and its implications vary widely among denominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Confession (religion)</span> Acknowledgment of ones sins

Confession, in many religions, is the acknowledgment of one's sins (sinfulness) or wrongs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesus in Christianity</span> Jesus as viewed in the Christian tradition

Jesus is called the Son of God in the Bible's New Testament, and in mainstream Christian denominations he is God the Son, the second Person in the Trinity. He is believed to be the Jewish messiah who is prophesied in the Hebrew Bible, which is called the Old Testament in Christianity. Through his crucifixion and subsequent resurrection, God offered humans salvation and eternal life, that Jesus died to atone for sin to make humanity right with God.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament</span> Designations for Jesus used in the New Testament

Two names and a variety of titles are used to refer to Jesus in the New Testament. In Christianity, the two names Jesus and Emmanuel that refer to Jesus in the New Testament have salvific attributes. After the crucifixion of Jesus the early Church did not simply repeat his messages, but focused on him, proclaimed him, and tried to understand and explain his message. One element of the process of understanding and proclaiming Jesus was the attribution of titles to him. Some of the titles that were gradually used in the early Church and then appeared in the New Testament were adopted from the Jewish context of the age, while others were selected to refer to, and underscore the message, mission and teachings of Jesus. In time, some of these titles gathered significant Christological significance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Substitutionary atonement</span> Postulation about the significance of Christs death

Substitutionary atonement, also called vicarious atonement, is a central concept within Christian theology which asserts that Jesus died "for us", as propagated by the Western classic and objective paradigms of atonement in Christianity, which regard Jesus as dying as a substitute for others, "instead of" them.

Sacerdotalism is the belief in some Christian churches that priests are meant to be mediators between God and humankind. The understanding of this mediation has undergone development over time and especially with the advent of modern historical and biblical studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Priesthood of Melchizedek</span>

The priesthood of Melchizedek is a role in Abrahamic religions, modelled on Melchizedek, combining the dual position of king and priest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eucharist in the Catholic Church</span> Catholic liturgy

Eucharist here refers to Holy Communion or the Body and Blood of Christ, which is consumed during the Catholic Mass or Eucharistic Celebration. "At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood, … a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet 'in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.'" As such, Eucharist is "an action of thanksgiving to God" derived from "the Jewish blessings that proclaim – especially during a meal – God's works: creation, redemption, and sanctification."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scholastic Lutheran Christology</span> Lutheran theology of Jesus Christ

Scholastic Lutheran Christology is the orthodox Lutheran theology of Jesus, developed using the methodology of Lutheran scholasticism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic theology</span> Study of the doctrines of the Catholic Church

Catholic theology is the understanding of Catholic doctrine or teachings, and results from the studies of theologians. It is based on canonical scripture, and sacred tradition, as interpreted authoritatively by the magisterium of the Catholic Church. This article serves as an introduction to various topics in Catholic theology, with links to where fuller coverage is found.

The Feast of Christ the Priest is a Roman Catholic moveable liturgical feast celebrated annually on the first Thursday after Pentecost. Approval for this feast was first granted by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in 1987. In 2012 the Congregation sent a letter to all conferences of bishops, offering the feast to be inscribed in their respective liturgical calendars if they ask for it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian theology</span> Study of Christian belief and practice

Christian theology is the theology of Christian belief and practice. Such study concentrates primarily upon the texts of the Old Testament and of the New Testament, as well as on Christian tradition. Christian theologians use biblical exegesis, rational analysis and argument. Theologians may undertake the study of Christian theology for a variety of reasons, such as in order to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intercession of Christ</span>

Intercession of Christ is the Christian belief in the continued intercession of Jesus and his advocacy on behalf of humanity, even after he left the earth.

In Christianity, the title Son of God refers to the status of Jesus as the divine son of God the Father. In Trinitarian Christianity, it also refers to his status as God the Son, the second divine person or hypostasis of the Trinity.

<i>Book of Common Prayer</i> (1549) 1st Anglican liturgical book

The 1549 Book of Common Prayer (BCP) is the original version of the Book of Common Prayer, variations of which are still in use as the official liturgical book of the Church of England and other Anglican churches. Written during the English Reformation, the prayer book was largely the work of Thomas Cranmer, who borrowed from a large number of other sources. Evidence of Cranmer's Protestant theology can be seen throughout the book; however, the services maintain the traditional forms and sacramental language inherited from medieval Catholic liturgies. Criticised by Protestants for being too traditional, it was replaced by the significantly revised 1552 Book of Common Prayer.

References

  1. Deuteronomy 18:14–22
  2. Psalm 110:1–4
  3. Psalm 2
  4. Hist. eccl. 1.3.8, in Philip Schaff, ed., Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series (New York, 1890), 1:86.
  5. Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2.15
  6. H. Orton Wiley, Christian Theology Chapter 22 [resource online] (Nampa, Idaho: 1993-2005, accessed 3 June 2006); available from http://wesley.nnu.edu/holiness_tradition/wiley/wiley-2-22.htm
  7. Reymond, R. L. (2001). "Offices of Christ". In Elwell, Walter A. (ed.). Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic. p. 858.
  8. Letham 1993, p. 143
  9. Brown 1986, p. 1107
  10. John 1:1–18
  11. LaSor 1996, p. 221–230
  12. John 17:4
  13. John 14:24
  14. Acts 2:22
  15. Mark 6:4
  16. Luke 4:43
  17. Luke 7:16
  18. Luke 24:19
  19. Hebrews 4:14
  20. Matthews 1993, p.187-198
  21. see Hebrews 2::17, 3:1, 4:14, 4:1–16, 5:1; 6:20; 7:1, 8:3, 9:1–10:39, and 13:11.
  22. Rev 19:16 (NRSV).
  23. Eph 1:20–23 (NRSV).
  24. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 436, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 1994 ISBN   0-89870-482-0
  25. Christology, Controversy and Community by David G. Horrell and Christopher M. Tuckett (8 Aug 2000) ISBN   9004116796 pages 37-40