All Christians serve God but all are not in office. Theirs are merely humanly devised works and words, whereby Paul's teaching here and elsewhere is wholly obscured, even to the extent of making it impossible to know what he means by the “ministry of Christ.” He has reference to the ministry that is an office. But the term “minister of Christ” must not in this connection be understood as one who serves God, in the present acceptation of the phrase -praying, fasting, attendance upon Church services, and all the things styled “divine service” by ecclesiastical rites, institutions and cloisters, and by the whole clerical order. 3 First, Paul warns us against receiving apostles or bishops as anything but “ministers of Christ ” nor should they desire to be regarded otherwise. Unquestionably he must be Antichrist who in ecclesiastical government exceeds the authority here prescribed. So when we see a bishop assuming more than this text gives him warrant for, we may safely regard him, as a wolf, and an apostle of the devil, and avoid him as such. It designates the character of their office and the extent of their power. The same limit here made concerning apostles applies to bishops.
Not without reason did Paul-the Holy Spirit, in fact-make this restriction and without doubt we are under obligation to follow it. Let us, then, be very careful how we regard the apostles and bishops we must attach neither too much nor yet too little importance to them. “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.” 2 The reference is to all apostles and all heirs to the apostolic chair, whether Peter, Paul or any other. The whole passage is a fierce thrust at Popery and the clerical government, as we shall see. Paul beautifully teaches how the apostles are to be regarded. He tells them it matters not by whom they were baptized and taught, but it is of the utmost importance that they all hold to Christ together and own allegiance to him alone. Now comes Paul and interposes, permitting no one to boast of any apostle, and teaching them to laud Christ alone. Each one exalted the apostle by whom he was baptized or was taught, or the one he regarded most eminent. With one party it was Peter, with another Paul, and with yet another Apollos. The Corinthians had come to divisions among themselves and to boasting of certain apostles as their leaders. 1Cor 4 | Luther | STEP | ] 1 This epistle selection illustrates the Gospel lesson for the first Sunday in Advent, wherein we learned the disciples did not themselves ride on the colt, but led it to Christ and set him thereon.
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