The first word in Matthew 28.18 is the verb, ἐδόθη. "It has been given." What, then, is the mission of the Church? What is the pastor to do? The recipients of this authoritative Word of God are to take the effectual means of grace, given by Christ to the apostles on the authority of the Father, and are to pass along this mighty proclamation of the Gospel. Quill asks what we are doing when we decide that the pastor's job is that of a kind nurturer, that the ministry is one of the "helping professions." No, the pastor's job is to give out the mighty gift of God's Word and Sacraments. This is the giving of the Gospel, which Paul addresses as the power of God to salvation (Romans 1.16).
How is this done? "His Word bestows what it says" is a quotation from the introduction to Lutheran Worship. God's Word declares in the Law that man is guilty because he has not done what God requires. God's Word declares in the Gospel that Christ has become sin for sinners and purchased their salvation by taking the place of sinners in the place of punishment.
A term some Lutherans use for speaking of the Word of God is that it is 'performative" in nature. That's a fancy way for saying that God's Word accomplishes what it says it will, regardless of the persuasive abilities or lack thereof of the person proclaiming it. God's Word accomplishes God's will regardless of the level of cognitive development of the hearer. God's Word is, to put it bluntly, effective. The pastor, then, is the instrument by means of which God speaks his Word and accomplishes his purposes. The pastor does not have to be the authority. God's Word will do that. The pastor merely has to be faithful to his task.
Quill talks about a paradigm of preaching in which "delivering information and moving the hearer to action is the purpose of the sermon" (p. 74). In this paradigm, the communicative abilities of the pastor are of the greatest importance. He must be persuasive. He must do everything possible to gain a hearing for the Scripture so maybe he can persuade some people and they will respond. Quill observes that this is a fine idea for a classroom lecture on the Bible, church history, or citizenship. But it is not the purpose of the sermon from the pulpit. In that time, God speaks from his powerful Word through his servant, and God alone changes people's hearts and lives.
This view of preaching places the sermon on the same level as the other means of grace - baptism and communion, for in those sacraments we confess God is working actively to convert and nurture people. Why the hesitation, then, about the proclamation of the Word of God? Maybe we simply don't believe that God really means what he says.
The proclamation of the Law condemns us. It shows us where we have failed. It is a powerful tool which God uses to convict us of sin. The proclamation of the Gospel brings us life and hope. It is the power of God to salvation. Both Law and Gospel must be present in their power if we are to proclaim the Word of God adequately.
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Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogspot.com and http://alex-kirk.blogspot.com
Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogspot.com and http://alex-kirk.blogspot.com
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