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Happy Reformation Day! Perhaps you might want to celebrate today by nailing something to a church door. Or telling a Roman Catholic friend the gospel. Or maybe just rejoicing in the gospel of justification by faith alone! But on this blog we’ll do it by posting the third of three posts on key re-discoveries of the Reformation – and its implications for the Chinese church!

 

So far, we’ve looked at sola Scriptura – how authority is found in the Bible alone, not the Bible plus church traditions. Then we turned our attention to sola Gratia – how our standing before God is given us by the grace of God alone, not grace plus human performance. But today we turn our attention to sola Christus – yet another slogan of the Reformation.

 

Sola Christus is Latin for "Christ alone", and summarised the Bible’s teaching that Jesus Christ is the only true mediator of Christians – not Christ and the Pope!

 

The church started to wander away from the sufficiency of Christ’s mediator role as early as Ignatius, who declared that "where the bishop is, there is the church". Over the years, the bishop of Rome grew in power over those of other cities. And from a simple position of oversight and care, it grew to become a powerful position that included control over a ‘treasury of merit’. The idea being that the church was like a giant bank where the extra merit earnt by the saints was kept. And if you were sinful and in need of grace to cover over your sinfulness, well the church could dispense some of this ‘grace’ to you! This is in part the theology behind the sale of indulgences.

 

Theologically astute readers will pick up that ‘grace’ has being treated as a substance, rather than an attitude that God has towards us. But aside from that, you can see that the increasingly important role of the Pope (and his bishops and priests) in mediating between sinful humans and God!

 

However the Reformation uncovered the truth that Jesus Christ is the only mediator we need. And hence there was no need for Popes and priests to exercise that mediatorial role for us! Of course there still is a role for humans to encourage each other with the Bible and pray for each other. But this is something that all Chrisitians can do – not just priests! As a result the Reformation also taught the preisthood of all believers.

 

Well, what about Chinese culture? What might sola Christus have to say to Chinese churches today?

 

Perhaps you’ve noticed the high respect that Chinese churches have for the position of an ordained minister. Of course, it’s normal to honour people for their faithful gospel ministry. And it’s appropriate to remember the sacrifices that people make for the sake of the gospel (see for instance 1 Timothy 5:17, Philippians 2:29 and Hebrews 13:17). But I am sure that the respect accorded by people in Chinese churches for ordained ministers goes beyond that!

 

There’s an almost magical view of an ordained minister. And of course it’s not a formal thing, but something that’s tacitly understood and lived out in the way people relate to a minister. When someone is sick, it’s good to get other Christians to pray for you - but it’s much better to get the ordained minister to pray over you. It’s good to have other Christians praying for you about a decision you need to make - but it’s much more effective to get the minister to pray for you!

 

This is not really to do with their skill in praying. Or to do with their biblical understanding. No, subconsciously there’s a belief that there is something about the person of an ordained minister that is closer to God, and therefore more likely to be heard.

 

Perhaps this comes from the superstitious nature of Chinese culture. But wherever it comes from, this way of thinking edges close towards Roman Catholicism, even though there is no Pope. Because ordained ministers are seen to be mediators in a special kind of way! And so in Chinese churches we have to work extra-hard in highlighting the pre-eminent mediatorial role of Christ – and de-magicking the role of ordained ministers.

 

[ PS: don't nail something to our church door - you'll break the glass! ]