Article 28 would take up about 6 pages if printed out in full. Since we are limited to an hour, your pastor has sorted out AC 28’s teachings into different categories.
AC XXVIII: Church Authority
Article 28 delves into many areas dealing with Church authority.
Two Kingdoms: Church and State
There has been great controversy about the power of the bishops, for they have also tried to transfer the kingdoms of this world to the Church. So our teachers were constrained to show the difference between the authority of the Church and the authority of the State (AC 28: 1, 2, 4).
- The Church deals with the Gospel, which is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (AC 28:9; Romans 1:16).
- Civil governments are to deal with other areas than the Gospel does. They preserve civil justice and peace (AC 28, 11; Romans 13:1-7).
Lutherans call this idea “The Two Kingdoms.” The Kingdom of the Right (Jesus is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us) is Church related; the Kingdom of the Left is state or government related. We see these two realms of God as being distinct: “The Church’s authority and governmental authority must not be confused” (AC 28: 12).
- Based on your historical knowledge of medieval Europe, what concerns did we have with the Roman Catholic Church?
Luke 12:13-14: Then someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But Jesus replied, “Who appointed me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?”
- In what realm (or kingdom) did Jesus refuse to exercise any authority and why?
Read John 8:2-11
- In what realm (or kingdom) did Jesus use His authority and why?
Rome’s Response
From these passages [2 Corinthians 13:10, 1 Corinthians 4:21, and 1 Timothy 5:19] it is obvious that bishops have the power–not only of the ministry of the Word of God–but also of ruling and coercive correction to direct subjects to the goal of eternal life. To rule properly requires the authority to judge, define, discriminate, and decide what is expedient or conducive to the mentioned goal.
2 Corinthians 13:5, 9-10: [Paul writing to the church in Corinth:] Test yourselves to see whether you are continuing in the faith…. Our prayer is that you may be fully restored. That’s why I’m writing this letter while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in using the authority the Lord gave me to build you up and not to tear you down.
1 Corinthians 4:21: [Paul writing to the church in Corinth:] What do you prefer? Should I come to you with a rod of discipline, or with love and a gentle spirit?
1 Timothy 5:19: [Paul writing the Pastor Timothy:] Don’t accept an accusation against an elder [pastor] unless it is supported by two or three witnesses.
- Do the passages that the Church of Rome used in its Confutation have anything to do with secular authority?
- What authority do bishops [pastors] then have?
What Jesus Gives the Church to Do
Our Lutheran Confessions define the Church’s reason to exist, and thus her authority, by what Christ mandated His Apostles to do. Those mandates of Christ’s are enduring until He returns on the Last Day. These tasks are also the foundation of the Office of the Holy Ministry.
Our Confessions appeal to the following five texts of why the Church exists:
John 20:21-23:[Jesus speaking to His Apostles on Easter evening:] “Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent [apostled] me, so I am sending you.” After saying this, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (See also AC 28: 6-7; Tr 9, 23, 31)
- What do these texts deal with?
Luke 10:16: [Jesus speaking to the 70 whom He had sent out:] “Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” (See also AC 28: 22; Ap 7-8: 28, 47)
- What do these texts deal with?
Matthew 16:18-19: [Jesus speaking to Peter:] “I tell you that you are Peter [petros], and it is on this rock [petra] that I will build my Church, and the gates of hades will not conquer it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven: Whatever you bind on earth is already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed in heaven.” (See also Tr 22, 25)
- What do these texts deal with?
Read Matthew 28:19-20: [Jesus speaking to the Eleven:] “Therefore, as you go, disciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always until the end of the age.” (See also Tr 31)
- What do these texts deal with?
Read John 21:17: Jesus asked him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was deeply hurt that he had asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” So he told him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you!” Jesus told him, “Feed my sheep.”
- What do these texts deal with? (See also Tr 30)
The early Lutheran rites for ordination appealed most commonly to Matthew 28:16-20 and John 20:20-23 as Christ’s mandate for the Office of the Holy Ministry. Those rites operated from the worldview that Jesus addressed the Apostles in John 20:20-23 and in Matthew 28:16-20, not to everyone in the Church. They saw Christ’s promise to be with the Eleven until the close of the age in Matthew 28:20 meant that the Apostles were to pass on their commission to others after them (and we see this taking place later in the New Testament).
- Discuss: If so, how is Jesus with us until the end of the age?
- How does our Confession’s understanding of the above passages differ from what you may get “floating” in the church today?
Our Augsburg Confession says, “The authority of the Keys [Matthew 16:19], of the authority of Bishops–according to the Gospel–is the power of commandment of God:
- To preach the Gospel,
- to forgive and retain sins,
- and to administer the Sacraments” (AC 28: 5)
- Why are people supposed to go to Church?
We’ll finish Article 28 next week and also have a quiz on “weird” stuff in the Lutheran Confessions.
Click here to go to the final lesson on the Augsburg Confession.
