Threefold Office
Encyclopedia
The threefold office of Jesus
Christ
is a Christian
doctrine based upon the teachings of the Old Testament. It was described by Eusebius and more fully developed by John Calvin
. It states that Jesus Christ
performed three functions (or "offices") in his earthly ministry - those of prophet
(Deuteronomy 18:14-22), priest
(Psalm 110:1-4), and king
(Psalm 2) In the Old Testament, the appointment of someone to any of these three positions could be indicated by anointing him or her by pouring oil over the head. Thus the term messiah, meaning "anointed one", is associated with the concept of the threefold office. While the office of king is that most frequently associated with the Messiah, the role of Jesus as priest is also prominent in the New Testament, being most fully explained in chapters 7 to 10 of the Book of Hebrews.
and in John Calvin
's and John Wesley
's Christology.
Christian theologians view all the other roles of Christ as falling under one of these three distinctions.
is the Source of revelation. Accordingly, Jesus Christ never used the messenger formula, which linked the prophet’s words to God in the prophetic phrase, Thus says the Lord. Christ, being of the same nature, provides a definitive and true exposition of God.
The Word/Logos is Light. As the true Light , Jesus Christ exclusively enlightens humankind in the office of Prophet. Jesus affirmed his Divine
identity and ultimate authority, revealing God to humanity, continuing His work into the future as the Light .
In these verses Jesus is not denying his divinity when he says "there is none good but one". Rather Jesus realized that the young man saw him as an excellent teacher but not as the promised Messiah the "Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" of Therefore instead of seeking to convince the young man that he was the Messiah, Jesus merely corrected the young man's notion of "goodness" as it pertained to achieving eternal life by stating "If thou wilt be perfect...come follow me". Thus as the prophet spoken of by Moses in - "The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken" - Jesus was telling the young man "if you would know how to attain eternal life, come follow me and I will show you" If in fact the young man had followed Jesus, he would have eventually seen how to obtain eternal life and seen that Jesus truly was the "one who was good" and would have along with the Apostle Thomas been quite willing to call Jesus "My Lord and my God". There are several instances in the Bible that suggest that Jesus' contemporaries regarded him as a prophet. After raising the widow's son at Nain in , the witnesses say,"A great prophet has arisen among us!" In , Jesus is called a prophet by the people who do not recognize him when they say,"The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people".
The atoning death of Christ is at the heart of His work as High Priest. Metaphors are used to describe His death on the cross, such as, “Christ, the Lamb of God, shed His blood on the cross as the sin offering for humankind.” Christ made one sin offering as High Priest in contrast to the Old Testament priests who continually offered sacrifices on behalf of humanity. Because of the work of Christ on the cross, humanity has the opportunity to have a living relationship with God. Conversely, the individuals that deny the work of God are described as dead in sin, without God and without hope. In traditional Christianity (the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox
, and Assyrian
Churches), it is believed that a priest, having received the Sacrament of Holy Orders
through the laying on of hands
, shares the one priesthood of Christ, and thus it is only priests who can offer the Eucharistic
Sacrifice.
, crowned in glory as "King of kings and Lord of lords.” God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come
. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church.
gives the following explanations:
What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer?
How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?
How doth Christ execute the office of a priest?
How doth Christ execute the office of a king?
(b) The priestly office (munus sacerdotale) consists of the satisfaction made for the sins of the world by the death on the cross, and in the continued intercession of the exalted Savior for his people (redemptio et intercessio sacerdotalis).
(c) The kingly office (munus regium), whereby Christ founded his kingdom, defends his church against all enemies, and rules all things in heaven and on earth. The old divines distinguish between the reign of nature (regnum naturae sive potentiae), which embraces all things; the reign of grace (regnum gratiae), which relates to the church militant on earth; and the reign of glory (regnum gloriae), which belongs to the church triumphant in heaven.
The threefold office or function of Christ was first presented by Eusebius of Caesarea
. The theologians who followed Luther
and Melanchthon down to the middle of the seventeenth century treat Christ's saving work under the two heads of king and priest. Calvin
, in the first edition of his "Institutes" (1536), did the same, and it was not till the third edition (1559) and the Genevan Catechism that he fully presented the three offices. This convenient threefold division of the office of Christ was used by the theologians of both confessions during the seventeenth century. Ernesti
opposed it, but Schleiermacher
restored it.
, a relationship is established between Ecclesiology
, Pneumatology
and the Threefold Office. The church, claiming guidance by the Holy Spirit
, allows her members to be priests, prophets and kings, like Jesus.
http://www.ccel.org/s/schaff/encyc/encyc03/htm/ii.6.8.htm#ii.6.8.1
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
is a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
doctrine based upon the teachings of the Old Testament. It was described by Eusebius and more fully developed by John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
. It states that Jesus Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
performed three functions (or "offices") in his earthly ministry - those of prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
(Deuteronomy 18:14-22), priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
(Psalm 110:1-4), and king
Kingly office of Christ
The Kingly office of Christ is one of the Threefold Offices, or special relations, in which Christ stands to his people. Christ's office as mediator comprehends three different functions, viz., those of a prophet, priest, and king...
(Psalm 2) In the Old Testament, the appointment of someone to any of these three positions could be indicated by anointing him or her by pouring oil over the head. Thus the term messiah, meaning "anointed one", is associated with the concept of the threefold office. While the office of king is that most frequently associated with the Messiah, the role of Jesus as priest is also prominent in the New Testament, being most fully explained in chapters 7 to 10 of the Book of Hebrews.
The three offices
Eusebius of the early church worked out this threefold classification, which during the Reformation played a substantial role in scholastic Lutheran ChristologyScholastic Lutheran Christology
Scholastic Lutheran Christology is the orthodox Lutheran theology of Jesus Christ, developed using the methodology of Lutheran scholasticism.On the general basis of the Chalcedonian christology, and following the...
and in John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
's and John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
's Christology.
Christian theologians view all the other roles of Christ as falling under one of these three distinctions.
Prophet
Christ is the mouthpiece of God as the Prophet, speaking and teaching the Word of God, infinitely greater than all prophets, who spoke for God and interpreted the will of God. The Old Testament prophet brought God’s message to the people. Christ, as the Word /LogosLogos
' is an important term in philosophy, psychology, rhetoric and religion. Originally a word meaning "a ground", "a plea", "an opinion", "an expectation", "word," "speech," "account," "reason," it became a technical term in philosophy, beginning with Heraclitus ' is an important term in...
is the Source of revelation. Accordingly, Jesus Christ never used the messenger formula, which linked the prophet’s words to God in the prophetic phrase, Thus says the Lord. Christ, being of the same nature, provides a definitive and true exposition of God.
The Word/Logos is Light. As the true Light , Jesus Christ exclusively enlightens humankind in the office of Prophet. Jesus affirmed his Divine
Divinity
Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in...
identity and ultimate authority, revealing God to humanity, continuing His work into the future as the Light .
- The BibleBibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
refers about the Prophetic nature of Jesus Christ in the following verses:
- "I have glorified thee on earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do."
- "These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me."
- "Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, A man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know."
- But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
- And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
In these verses Jesus is not denying his divinity when he says "there is none good but one". Rather Jesus realized that the young man saw him as an excellent teacher but not as the promised Messiah the "Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" of Therefore instead of seeking to convince the young man that he was the Messiah, Jesus merely corrected the young man's notion of "goodness" as it pertained to achieving eternal life by stating "If thou wilt be perfect...come follow me". Thus as the prophet spoken of by Moses in - "The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken" - Jesus was telling the young man "if you would know how to attain eternal life, come follow me and I will show you" If in fact the young man had followed Jesus, he would have eventually seen how to obtain eternal life and seen that Jesus truly was the "one who was good" and would have along with the Apostle Thomas been quite willing to call Jesus "My Lord and my God". There are several instances in the Bible that suggest that Jesus' contemporaries regarded him as a prophet. After raising the widow's son at Nain in , the witnesses say,"A great prophet has arisen among us!" In , Jesus is called a prophet by the people who do not recognize him when they say,"The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people".
Priest
Christ, whom believers draw near to in confidence, offered Himself as the sacrifice to humanity as High Priest . Old Testament priests declared the will of God, gave the covenant of blessing, and directed the processing of sacrifices. The priest represented humankind before God. While humankind took the office of priesthood in their weakness, Jesus holds the position with an indestructible power that overcomes the weakness of humanity as described throughout the book of Hebrews. As High Priest, Christ became one with humanity in human weakness, offered prayers to God, chose obedience through suffering, and sympathized with the struggles of humanity.The atoning death of Christ is at the heart of His work as High Priest. Metaphors are used to describe His death on the cross, such as, “Christ, the Lamb of God, shed His blood on the cross as the sin offering for humankind.” Christ made one sin offering as High Priest in contrast to the Old Testament priests who continually offered sacrifices on behalf of humanity. Because of the work of Christ on the cross, humanity has the opportunity to have a living relationship with God. Conversely, the individuals that deny the work of God are described as dead in sin, without God and without hope. In traditional Christianity (the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox
Oriental Orthodoxy
Oriental Orthodoxy is the faith of those Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the First Council of Ephesus. They rejected the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon...
, and Assyrian
Assyrian Church of the East
The Assyrian Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East ʻIttā Qaddishtā w-Shlikhāitā Qattoliqi d-Madnĕkhā d-Āturāyē), is a Syriac Church historically centered in Mesopotamia. It is one of the churches that claim continuity with the historical...
Churches), it is believed that a priest, having received the Sacrament of Holy Orders
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
through the laying on of hands
Laying on of hands
The laying on of hands is a religious ritual that accompanies certain religious practices, which are found throughout the world in varying forms....
, shares the one priesthood of Christ, and thus it is only priests who can offer the Eucharistic
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
Sacrifice.
King
Christ, exalted High Priest, mediates the sin that estranges humankind from the fellowship of God. In turn, He has full rights to reign over the church and world as King. Christ sits at the right hand of GodSession of Christ
The Christian doctrine of the Session of Christ or heavenly session says that Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven—the word "session" is an archaic noun meaning "sitting." Although the word formerly meant "the act of sitting down," it no longer has that meaning in...
, crowned in glory as "King of kings and Lord of lords.” God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come
World to Come
The World to Come is an eschatological phrase reflecting the belief that the "current world" is flawed or cursed and will be replaced in the future by a better world or a paradise. The concept is similar to the concepts of Heaven and the afterlife, but Heaven is another place generally seen as...
. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church.
Calvinism
The Westminster Shorter CatechismWestminster Shorter Catechism
The Westminster Shorter Catechism was written in the 1640s by English and Scottish divines. The assembly also produced the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Larger Catechism...
gives the following explanations:
What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer?
- Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation.
How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?
- Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by his word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.
How doth Christ execute the office of a priest?
- Christ executeth the office of a priest, in his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us.
How doth Christ execute the office of a king?
- Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies.
Lutheranism
(a) The prophetical office (munus, or officium propheticum) includes teaching and the miracles of Christ.(b) The priestly office (munus sacerdotale) consists of the satisfaction made for the sins of the world by the death on the cross, and in the continued intercession of the exalted Savior for his people (redemptio et intercessio sacerdotalis).
(c) The kingly office (munus regium), whereby Christ founded his kingdom, defends his church against all enemies, and rules all things in heaven and on earth. The old divines distinguish between the reign of nature (regnum naturae sive potentiae), which embraces all things; the reign of grace (regnum gratiae), which relates to the church militant on earth; and the reign of glory (regnum gloriae), which belongs to the church triumphant in heaven.
The threefold office or function of Christ was first presented by Eusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea also called Eusebius Pamphili, was a Roman historian, exegete and Christian polemicist. He became the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine about the year 314. Together with Pamphilus, he was a scholar of the Biblical canon...
. The theologians who followed Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
and Melanchthon down to the middle of the seventeenth century treat Christ's saving work under the two heads of king and priest. Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
, in the first edition of his "Institutes" (1536), did the same, and it was not till the third edition (1559) and the Genevan Catechism that he fully presented the three offices. This convenient threefold division of the office of Christ was used by the theologians of both confessions during the seventeenth century. Ernesti
Johann August Ernesti
Johann August Ernesti was a German Rationalist theologian and philologist.He was born at Bad Tennstedt in Thuringia, where his father, Johann Christoph Ernesti, was pastor, besides being superintendent of the electoral dioceses of Thuringia, Salz and Sangerhausen...
opposed it, but Schleiermacher
Schleiermacher
Schleiermacher is the name of:* Friedrich Schleiermacher - German theologian and philosopher* Ruth Schleiermacher - speedskater* Steffen Schleiermacher - composer...
restored it.
Roman Catholicism
In Roman Catholic theologyRoman Catholic theology
Roman Catholic theology comprises the "Roman Catholic teachings" of the Catholic Church which bases its conclusions on Scripture and Sacred Tradition, as interpreted by the Magisterium. The Church teaches that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, keeping of the Ten commandments and...
, a relationship is established between Ecclesiology
Ecclesiology
Today, ecclesiology usually refers to the theological study of the Christian church. However when the word was coined in the late 1830s, it was defined as the science of the building and decoration of churches and it is still, though rarely, used in this sense.In its theological sense, ecclesiology...
, Pneumatology
Pneumatology
Pneumatology is the study of spiritual beings and phenomena, especially the interactions between humans and God.Pneuma is Greek for "breath", which metaphorically describes a non-material being or influence....
and the Threefold Office. The church, claiming guidance by the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
, allows her members to be priests, prophets and kings, like Jesus.
http://www.ccel.org/s/schaff/encyc/encyc03/htm/ii.6.8.htm#ii.6.8.1