Basic HTML Version
576
chosen ruler. The way in which the office is acquired, but not the source of its power, is
designated by the title of representative.”[The Government of the Kingdom of God, p. 322.]
B. THE NATURE OF THIS POWER.
1. A SPIRITUAL POWER.
When the power of the Church is called a spiritual power, this does not
mean that it is altogether internal and invisible, since Christ rules both body and soul, His Word
and sacraments address the whole man, and the ministry of the diaconate even has special
references to physical needs. It is a spiritual power, because it is given by the Spirit of God, Acts
20:28, can only be exercised in the name of Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, John
20:22,23; I Cor. 5:4, pertains exclusively to believers, I Cor. 5:12, and can only be exercised in a
moral and spiritual way, II Cor. 10:4.[Bavinck, Dogm. IV, p. 452.] The State represents the
government of God over the outward and temporal estate of man, while the Church represents
His government of man’s inward and spiritual estate. The former aims at assuring its subjects of
the possession and enjoyment of their external and civil rights, and is often constrained to
exercise coercive power over against human violence. The latter is founded in opposition to an
evil spirit and for the purpose of delivering men from spiritual bondage by imparting to them
the knowledge of the truth, by cultivating in them spiritual graces, and by leading them to a life
of obedience to the divine precepts. Since the power of the Church is exclusively spiritual, it
does not resort to force. Christ intimated on more than one occasion that the administration of
His Kingdom on earth involved a spiritual and not a civil power, Luke 12:13 ff.; Matt. 20:25-28;
John 18:36,37. The Church of Rome loses sight of this great fact, when it insists on the
possession of temporal power and is bent on bringing the entire life of the people under its
sway.
2. A MINISTERIAL POWER.
It is abundantly evident from Scripture that the power of the Church
is no independent and sovereign power, Matt. 20:25,26; 23:8,10; II Cor. 10:4,5; I Pet. 5:3, but a
diakonia leitourgia, a ministerial power, Acts 4:29,30; 20:24; Rom. 1:1, derived from Christ and
subordinate to His sovereign authority over the Church, Matt. 28:18. It must be exercised in
harmony with the Word of God and under the direction of the Holy Spirit, through both of
which Christ governs His Church, and in the name of Christ Himself as the King of the Church,
Rom. 10:14,15; Eph. 5:23; I Cor. 5:4. Yet it is a very real and comprehensive power, consisting in
the administration of the Word and the sacraments, Matt. 28:19, the determination of what is
and what is not permitted in the Kingdom of God, Matt. 16:19, the forgiving and retaining of
sin, John 20:23, and the exercise of discipline in the Church, Matt. 16:18; 18:17; I Cor. 5:4; Tit.
3:10; Heb. 12:15-17.