How did Luther understand the office of the ministry? For those listening to his sermons after Wittenberg had become a center for regular ordinations the matter looks not nearly so convoluted as the debates of his more modern heirs would lead one to believe. Simply put, the understanding of the office of the ministry homiletically communicated by this mature Luther is anchored in the Christological conviction that Jesus Christ is present in the office of the ministry. This central motif of the presence of Christ exhibits facets of historical and apostolic continuity, mediation, address, certainty, and ecclesiology. From the pulpit of the reformer conclusions can be drawn about the place of the office of the ministry in his theology, which smack of promise for ecumenical discussions on the ministry.
About the author
Dr. Bruce Gordon is Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Yale Divinity School.
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