An Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism · Martin Luther
THE CHURCH'S WORK.
The Church is the agency or instrument which the Holy Spirit uses for the evangelization of the world. [Matt. 28:19, Mark 16:15] It is the institution through which He does His work of applying redemption to the souls of men. The Church, therefore, has a work to do: namely, to make disciples of all men. THE MEANS through which the Church, as an agency of the Holy Spirit, is to do its work are the Word of God and the Sacraments. They are sufficient for the purpose for which they are intended, because the Holy Spirit works through them and endows them with supernatural power. [Rom. 1:16, Heb. 4:12] THE WORKMEN who are to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments are the _ministers_. They must be properly called and ordained by the Church. [Act 14:23, Tit. 1:5] In the New Testament all pastors are called elders or bishops. It was only at a later period that the office of a bishop was made superior to that of elder, pastor or minister. The office of an apostle was a separate and higher office. The apostles were the witnesses of Christ's redemption, and possessed miraculous powers. They have no successors. Ministers are the ambassadors of Christ, beseeching men to be reconciled to God. [II Cor. 5:20+] Christ speaks through them. He who hears them, hears Christ; he who despises them, despises Christ. [Luke 10:16] If a minister should happen to be a hypocrite, his official acts, such as baptisms and the like, would still be valid. [II Tim. 2:13] _Deacons_ [Acts 6:1-6] are officers whose duty it is to assist the pastor, and to look after the temporal interests of the congregation. _Deaconesses_ [Rom.16:1] are consecrated to the work of love and mercy, and minister to the sick, the needy, the neglected, the ignorant, the fallen, and the friendless.
While the Church, in the strict sense of the word, is the "communion of saints" and therefore _one_, yet outwardly it has become divided, in the course of time, into many different churches, denominations, and sects. It contains Four Great Branches: _The Greek Catholic Church_; _The Roman Catholic Church_; _The Evangelical Lutheran Church_; and _The Reformed Churches_, comprising a great number of denominations and sects. The Lutheran Church and the Reformed Churches are called Protestant. (For the names and relations of various branches of the Church, see the accompanying Diagram, on page 106.)
Ideas discussed in this chapter
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