From An AppealTo The Laymen And Faithful Pastors of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
Congregations, pastors, divine calls
"The local church [congregation] is a divine institution." So writes Dr. Pieper (Vol. III, p. 420). J. T. Mueller adds: "...so that believers living in one place must organize such churches where they do not exist or join them where they do exist..." (Christian Dogmatics, J. T. Mueller, p. 555).
Dr. Mueller goes on, ''It is indeed God's will and appointment: a) That all believers at one place should establish in their midst the public ministry and make diligent use of it by hearing and learning God's Word as it is proclaimed by the divinely called ministers (Eph. 4:3-6 Acts 2: 42-47. 14:23, 20:28, I Cor. 12:28, I pet. 5:2, 3, Titus 1:5); b) That they should together celebrate Holy Communion (I Cor. 11:26 10:17) and exercise the duties of Christian fellowship and love (I Cor, 11:33; Acts 6:1-6; Col. 3:15, 16); c) That they should not only privately reprove an erring brother (Matt. 18: 15, 16), but also as a church, or congregation, rebuke and discipline impenitent sinners (Matt. 18:17; I Cor, 5:13).
".....From all this it follows that it is indeed God's will and ordinance that Christians should establish and maintain local churches, for without them these Christian obligations, enjoined so definitely, cannot be performed." And Dr. Pieper, after making reference to the same Scriptural evidence, writes, "therefore the formation of Christian congregations, and membership in them, is not a human, but a divine mandate" (Vol. III; p. 421).
Regarding the office of the public ministry, Luther wrote: "But because all have the privilege [to administer the office of the keys] it becomes necessary that one, or as many as the congregation pleases, be chosen and elected, who in the stead and name of all, who have the same right, administer these offices publicly, in order that no revolting disorder arise among God's people..." (Pieper, Vol. III; p. 442). And from Dr. C. F. W. Walther: "(The office of the public ministry) is not a human ordinance, but an office established by God Himself" (The Voice of Our Church Concerning the Question of the Church and the Ministry. Thesis on the Ministry. Theses II. Walther and the Church. Dau, Engelder, Dallmann).
Again we hear Dr. Mueller. We know, he writes, that "the public ministry is a divine appointment or ordinance: a) From the practice of the holy apostles (Acts 14:23), and from the command to their successors to ordain elders, or bishops (Titus 1:5), so that ministers or pastors were regularly appointed at all places where local churches had been established (Acts 20:17, 18 Titus 1:5); b) From the description of the personal qualifications of the public minister (I Pet. 5:3; I Tim. 3:2-7); c) From the distinction which Scripture makes between elders, or bishops and all believers (I Cor. 12:28, 29); d) From the honor and dignity which are ascribed to all who officially teach the Word (Heb. 13:7; I Cor. 4:1)" (Christian Dogmatics. p. 566,567).
And finally, the divine call. Article XIV of the Augsburg Confession states: "It is taught among us that nobody should publicly teach or preach or administer the sacraments in the church without a regular call."
One of the early Lutheran dogmaticians defined the ministerial call as "the appointment, made by God either alone or by the intervening aid of men, of certain and suitable persons to the ministry of the Church, with the right to teach in public, to administer the sacraments, and to exercise ecclesiastical discipline" (Hollaz, Doctr. Theol.; J. T. Mueller).
As indicated in this last, there is a distinction made between the appointment made by God "alone," and the appointment made by God through the "intervening aid of men " These appointments have been termed, respectively, the "immediate" call and the "mediate" call.
"The immediate call is that divine call which is made "'without any intervening judicial aid of other men' " (Baier. J. T. Mueller, p. 571). The twelve apostles and St. Paul were called immediately; that is, they were called directly by Christ without the intervening aid of men.
The mediate call, on the other hand, although no less an appointment made by God, is "effected 'through ordinary means' divinely appointed for this purpose." That this call is by divine appointment is established "from the following facts; a) It is referred to God as its Author (I Cor, 12:28; Eph, 4:11); b) It is based upon apostolic authority (Acts 14:23, 20:28; I Tim, 4:14; 3:1, 2. 5:21, 2 Tim, 1:6, 2:2 Col, 4:17); c) It is confirmed by God's gracious promises (I Tim. 4:16; 2 Cor, 3:6; Eph, 4:11, 12)" (J. T. Mueller).
Finally, that the divine call to the office of the ministry is alone the prerogative of a Christian congregation is witnessed to by the 17th century Lutheran dogmatician J. W. Baier, who was highly praised by Walther for his "Lutheran fidelity in doctrine." Baier wrote: "To the Church, after it has been planted, belong the right and power to appoint ministers, for she has the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 16:19; 18:18), given her as a bride, by Christ, her Husband; and, therefore, as it is her prerogative to open and close the kingdom of heaven, so is it her prerogative to appoint ministers, through whom she may open and close (the same)" (Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church; H. Schmid; p. 608. Emphasis added).