Addressing the issue that the ministers stand in Christ's stead must be understood in context of two different teachings concerning the ministry. One teaching suggests that the priests possess a sacred quality which gives them the ability to absolve sins. The other reacts against this, claiming that ministers do not stand in the stead of Christ. J. B. Lightfoot, an Anglican Bishop of the nineteenth century, presents his understanding of the ministry in his book “The Christian Ministry.” Lightfoot reacts against sacerdotal practice within Roman Catholicism. Sacerdotal comes from the Latin word for priest, or to make sacred.[3] The priest, according to the Roman Catholic Church, holds a special character that gives him the ability to act in the person of Christ. His sacerdotal character allows Him to make present again the sacrifice of the New Testament, which is shown in the celebration of the canon of the mass.[4] Paragraph 1383 of the Catholic Catechism states in its anaphora prayer: “We entreat you, almighty God, that by the hands of your holy Angel, this offering may be borne to your alter in heaven.” This prayer shows the sacrificial act of the priest, as if the atoning sacrifice of Christ was not enough. We see in more contexts now, the reaction from Lightfoot.
The pastor, though representing God, stands not in Christ's stead according to Lightfoot: "But throughout his office is representative and not vicarial." Lightfoot rightly reacts against the teaching that priests offer atoning sacrifices; however, his reaction that pastors do not stand in Christ's stead replaces the gospel with law. If Christ is not presently forgiving the sinner through the pastor, the grace of God becomes conditional and not free. It becomes man's work rather than God's work. Lightfoot also writes: “[The Christian Minister] is charged with the ministry of reconciliation; he unfolds the will of heaven; he declares in God’s name the terms on which pardon is offered; and he pronounces in God’s name the absolution of the penitent." The word terms in this quote gives an uncertainty to the sinner. If there are terms on which pardon is offered, grace, again, is not free. He continues to argue against the claim that absolution gives a distinct sacerdotal character; however, his reaction brings him to another uncertainty. He writes: “As empowered to declare the conditions of God’s grace, he is empowered also to proclaim the consequences of their acceptance."[5] Again, we see a word of uncertainty: conditions. Therefore, the uncertainty lies in two words. These two words are terms and conditions. God's grace does not have terms and conditions. His grace is free and fully paid for by Christ. When Christ is presently absolving the sinners through the vicarage of the minister, we know for certain that there are no terms or conditions.
The fact that the minister stands in Christ's stead, therefore, does not mean that the minister possesses an atoning character. The certainty of forgiveness does not lie in the character of the minister at all. This would question the validity of that character for the congregation. Rather, the minister standing in Christ's stead gives certainty in that Christ is presently forgiving. Luther’s Small Catechism sums up what is being done during absolution: "I believe that when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by His divine command, especially when they exclude manifest and impenitent sinners from the Christian congregation, and, again, when they absolve those who repent of their sins and are willing to amend, this is as valid and certain, in heaven also, as if Christ, our dear Lord, dealt with us Himself."[6] John 20:22-23 records Christ's command to his disciples: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." Christ gives his disciples His authority. He tells them to receive the Holy Spirit. He doesn't tell them to give the terms or conditions of forgiveness while they represent Him; rather He assures them that if they forgive, by His authority of the Holy Spirit, that forgiveness is valid. In fact, Christ promises to His Church that this forgiveness is just as valid on earth as it is in heaven in Matthew 18:18: “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Truly this grace is promised unconditionally, and we may confidently hold fast to this just as we pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This appeal of God to righteousness is surely done in His presence through the pastor.[7]
The presence of Christ in His words of absolution surely comforts the distressed penitent sinner; however, the absolution is not limited to the present act of forgiveness. The absolution is already there; it has already been reckoned to the whole world. In further understanding the certainty of absolution, the doctrine of objective justification must be discussed. Objective justification is also known as universal grace, the teaching that Christ died on the cross for the entire world. The denial of objective justification burdens the conscience of the sinner. If Jesus only died on the cross for the believers, the individual sinner looks at his own faith for certainty of his salvation. He is not able to fully depend on the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ for his certainty if the crucifixion and resurrection did not make satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. Wherefore, the proof that Jesus died for him relies on his own faith rather than on the objective atonement of Christ.
Question 20 of the Heidelberg Catechism asks: “Are all men then saved by Christ, as they have perished by Adam?” The answer reads: “No; only such as by true faith are ingrafted into Him, and receive all His benefits.”[8] The Bible verses which are used in supporting this answer are John 3:16, 36. Verse 36 states: “… whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” The fact that those who reject Christ are condemned fits into the syllogism of the answer. Their logic claims that since men reject God, God does not forgive them. Subjectively, unbelievers obviously do not receive God’s grace by faith; however, this does not mean that God did not declare the whole world righteous for Christ’s sake.
The familiar verse 16 in the third chapter of John clearly states that God loved the World. 1 John 2:2 states: “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” We see here that Christ’s death brought reconciliation to the entire world, but the two truths in Scripture seem to contradict themselves. It is most certainly true that those who do not have faith in Christ will be condemned. It is also most certainly true that Christ atoned for the sins of the entire world on the cross and that God desires all to be saved.[9] The logic does not seem fit.
This logic especially came forth in a controversial debate about absolution and universal grace in the late nineteenth century. In 1874, the Norwegian Synod received charges of universalism from Professors A. Weenaas and Sven Oftedahl. Rev. Herman Amberg Preus, president of the Norwegian Synod at that time, presented an essay in response to their claims. Among their claims was that ministers may not absolve sinner with certainty, since they do not know the sinner’s faith. In response to these claims, Preus defended the doctrine of objective justification. In particular, he wrote:
“According to his [Professor Weenaas] new gospel the professor must preach that through his suffering and death Christ has only accomplished so much that God has now become willing to let his wrath cease and to be reconciled and to loose, confer grace, forgive, justify and open access to salvation, but that in actuality he can only do and does all this if man on his part fulfills the condition placed on him by God, namely that he is supposed to believe. And the thing which is thus supposed to be believed does not become this that God already has done this and is reconciled but that God will do it and will be reconciled when he sees the obedience and the good quality in man, that he believes.”[10]
Preus plainly presents here the logic of his opponents. Since grace, according to his opponents, is not universal, the atonement is not fully the work of God. Thus, we end up with synergism, turning faith into a work of man. Faith is certainly necessary for salvation, but even that is given to us by God.[11] Preus also points out that the unfaithfulness of the sinner does not cause God’s absolution to be unfaithful, quoting Romans 3:3: "For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid." Christ is not defeated by our sins. He bore our sins. He bore the sins of the world; even the sins of those who rejected Him.
Conclusion
As faithful pastors and theologians defend the certainty of absolution, terrified sinners are clothed in the comforting presence of our Lord. These two teachings, namely that the ministers of Christ stand in His stead and that Christ earned atonement for the sins of all, are crucial when we consider our faith. We know from scripture that there is one faith[12], not many faiths according to each individual. By this we know where to look. If there is one faith and one Lord, we look to our Lord. We don’t look at our own faith, hoping it is the same as other Christians’ faiths. We look to Christ presently absolving us through the minister. We look to Christ who has suffered for the sins of all mankind; if this is true, He certainly suffered for our sins as well. Our faith is not meant to be looked at or heard as a good quality; faith is what looks, and faith is what hears. Faith looks to the cross. So when the sinner looks to the cross, he knows his faith is founded. Faith hears the true absolution from Christ through the mouth of the minister. He knows God’s absolution is valid, and he rests in the wounds of Christ, clothed in His innocence.[13]
[1] Arand, Charles P. That I May Be His Own: An Overview of Luther's Catechisms. St. Louis, Missouri: Concordia Publishing House, 2000. 147,192. Print.
[2] Luther, Martin. "The Large Catechism." The Book of Concord. Tappert. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1959. Print. (Luther 460)
[3] I found this definition from the Merriam-Webster online dictionary. sacerdotal
[4] Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1563,1566
[5] Lightfoot, J. B. The Christian Ministry. New York, NY: MacMillan Company, 1903. 133-32. Print.
[6] Luther, Martin. Small Catechism. 1965. St. Louis, Missouri: Concordia Publishing House, 1943. 18. Print.
According to Charles Arand, in That I May be His Own: An Overview of Luther’s Catechisms, the Office of the Keys was not included in any editions of the Small Catechism during Luther’s life. “The Keys” was a treatise by Luther which reflects this teaching.
[7] 2 Corinthians 5:20
[8] Ursinus, Zacharius, and Caspar Olevianus. Heidelberg Catechism. Text of Tercetenary. Cleveland, Ohio: Central Publishing House, 1877. 14. Print.
[9] 1 Timothy 2:4
[10] Preus, Herman A. "The Justification of the World." www.christforus.org. 18 jan 2008. Rev. Rolf D. Preus, Web. 6 Nov 2009.
[11] Phillipians 1:6; 2 Peter 1:1(Organon Lepticon is Greek for receiving instrument.); Ephesians 2:8,9
[12] Ephesians 4:5
[13] Galations 3:27
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