Theological term
Offices of Christ
3 sermons · All terms
The Ministry of Philip in Samaria
Acts 8:5–8 records Philip's preaching ministry in Samaria — a region despised by Israel as racially and religiously impure — and presents it as the deliberate fulfillment of Christ's commission in Acts 1:8 to carry the gospel to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth. The sermon traces the historical background of Samaritan alienation from Israel, the fourfold summary of Philip's ministry (his preaching, the response of the crowds, the authenticating miracles, and the resulting joy), and the theological significance of the Spirit's confirmation through Peter and John. Against contemporary debates over racial justice, the sermon argues that the cross of Christ — preached faithfully in his offices as prophet, priest, and king — is the only power that reconciles divided peoples and extends the kingdom of God across ethnic boundaries.
The Redeemer of God's Elect
Galatians 4:4–7 presents the person and work of the Redeemer in covenantal context: Christ's pre-existent eternal Sonship, incarnation, and role as mediator under the law provide the basis for redemption, adoption, and the indwelling of the Spirit. The sermon traces the obsolescence of the Mosaic covenant as designed and purposed by God, giving way to the full privileges of sons in the new covenant. The triune God is shown to be the sole initiator and executor of salvation — the Father sending the Son, the Son accomplishing redemption, and the Spirit sealing the adopted heirs. The sermon closes with a call to robust Trinitarian theology as inseparable from knowing and worshipping the God who saves.
The Superiority of Christ Over the Angels
Hebrews 1:8–14 presents four lines of Old Testament evidence that the Son is categorically superior to the angels: His unique filial relationship to the Father, the angels' worship of Him, His unqualified deity as the creator and immutable eternal God, and His present sovereign reign at the Father's right hand. The study works through citations from Psalms 45, 102, and 110, demonstrating from Israel's own scriptures that Christ holds the offices of creator, sovereign administrator, and eternal king — offices no angel can claim. The doctrine of the Trinity is defended against both Jehovah's Witnesses and any who collapse the distinction of persons, and believers are called to anchor their confidence in Christ's present reign rather than fear the powers arrayed against the church.