The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-03-04
ORDINATION OF CHURCH OFFICERS.

srECIAL REPORT FOR EVENING TELEGRAPH
The subject selected by Mr.. Bartholomew
yesterday morning was. "Ordination of Church
Officers" He said there were three questions
connected with this subject which demanded
Scriptural answers, namely;-What is ordina-
ton? who are proper subjects of ordination?
and, who should conduct the ordination cere.
mony?
l. What is ordination, according to the
Scriptures? This question can only be
answered satisfactorily by q full exami-
nation and analysis of the various re-
ferences to the subject in the New Testament.
These are the followIng:-"Then the twelve
called the multitude of the disciples, and said,
It is not reason that we should leave the word
Of God and serve tables, wherefore, brethren
look ye out among you seven men OF honest
report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom,
whom we may appoint Greek, ordaln0
over this business. And the saying
pleased the whole multitude; and
they chose Celected) stephen, a man full of
faith and of the Holy Spirit and Philip. and
Procharus and Nicanor and Tlmon. and Par
menas, and Nicholas, proselyte of Antioch
whom they set before the apostles; and when
they mad prayed they laid hands on them."-
that was at Antioch certain prophets and
teachers; and as they ministered to the Lord
nabas and Saul for the work whereunto
have called them. And when they had tasted
them away."--Acts xiii, l-3. "And when they
(Saul and Barnabas) had ordained them elders
in every church, and had prayed, with fasting
they commended them to the Lord, in whom
they believed."-Acts xiv. %. "Take heed,
over which the Holy Spirit hath made Greek,
Ordained) you overseer."-Acts Xxx, 28. "For this
cause left thee in Crete, that thou shouldst
set in order the things that are wanting, and
ordain elders in every oity."-Titus i. 8. From
these Scriptures, which are all that refer
directly to this subject, the following conclu-
sions may be logically drawn:-
1. Ordination is not Lhe.same as election. The
inspired historian informs us that soon after
the formation of the Church in Jerusalem and
while it was still under the care, both spiritu-
ally and Temporarily, OF the Apostles, there
arose a complaint that some of the poor were
not properly cared for. AS soon as this COM
plant came to the ears of the Apostles, they
called upon the whole congregation of the dis
ciples to look out among them, or elect seven
men possessing certain qualifications whom
they (the Apostles) might appoint, or ordain, to
attend TO the temporal wants of the Church, so
that they might continue to devote themselves
especially to the spiritual matters. 1t will be
observed that with this election the Apostles
cation necessary for the office about to be filled
while, on the other hand, the people had moth
of the believers elected, and the Apostles
ordained; therefore election and ordination are
not identical. But If election and ordination
could he shown to be the same, then 1t would
necessa .py follow that church has no voice in
the selection of its officers for Paul and Barna-
visited; and Titus was left in Crete for the
special purpose of setting in order the things
every city where there was church. Very
few Protestants will agree that the people have
NO choice as to who shall rule over them
serve them. 1 again conclude, therefore. that
ordination is not the same as election.
2. 1t is also evident from the Scriptures before
us, that no extraordinary or miraculous gifts
are conferred by ordination. The only gift con-
hands, was the gift of the Holy Spirit. But the
seven holy men who were chosen as deacons
ulS of the Holy spirit in the only sense in
which they were ever filled with it, before they
were oTaalng1 Dy Ie H beT THO no
Apostle Paul had been in full possession of
spiritual gifts for years before his ordination at
Antioch. This we know, because he mad been,
in the highest sense, an apostle, which he could
not have been without being in possession of
the signs of an apostle. Cor. xii, Il.
Barnabas, who was also ordained at the same
time that Paul was, is once or twice called an
Apostle; yet we know that ne was only an Apos-
Tie of the Church at Antioch. Nor did he ever,
either before or after his ordination, 1t is true
that Luke in the fifth chapter OF Acts, speaks
and wonders God had wrought among the GEN
tiles by them. But by examining the history
the miracles and wonders were in reality per-
formed by Paul, Barnabas being his associate
co-Iaborer. The word Apostle means person
deputed to execute some important business.
It IS usually appropriated to the, inspired am
bassadors of Christ, of whom Paul was one, who
were miraculously qualIhed TO establ sh the
nnder consideration, however, it is applied
to Barnabas and Paul as those deputed
by the Church at Antioch to preach the Gospel
to the Gentiles. In other words they were SIM
ply ordained and sent out as evangelists; and
as such they visited various places, preached
the Gospel to the people, taught many discis
pies and ordained elders in every church. But
we have not a single intimation that any of
those ordained by them received any spiritual
gifts. Titus was appointed to set in order the
things that were wanting, and ordain elders in
all the churches OF Crete. But again, there is
no evidence that any spiritual gifts were con-
ferred, or even possessed by him. AS there is
no evidence in the Scriptures that miraculous
gifts were ever conferred in ordination, 1
therefore conclude that the comforting of such
gifts is not IN any way connected with ordina-
non.
g. Having now shown what ordination
Is not shall proceed TO show that 1t is simply
fhe Divinely appointed ceremony by which
officers elect are formally 1nducted into Office.
This may be learned from an examination of
some of the Greek words employed in the New
Testament to express the act of ordination. In
the sixth chapter OF Acts and the first chapter
Of Titus the word kdthist emf is used This word,
according to the best Greek Lexicons means to
place over, toappoint, to institute, to install.
In the twentieth chapter of Acts, tetlleni is
used. 1t means to make, TO place, TO establish.
The meaning is, that certain Elders of the
Church at Ephesus had been ordained to the
effice of Overseer or Bishop, by the direction Of
me Holy Spirit. In the fourteenth chapter OF
raise up and extend the hand is the word en-
poyed. This would seem, at first, to favor the
IDEA that ordination is simply election in
which the voting is done by raising or extend
lag the hand. But we must not forget that this
art was performed by Paul and Barnabas alone;
Whereas in election, the voting was done by
the multitude. This ordination was, therefore,
something which the Evangelists did by
strstching out or extending the hand
cisely what was done by the Apostles il
Jerusalem when they appointed or ordained
Gel tain men TO an office to which they had beer
AS Aefore 4 m timated the same word which Al