A 1689/1677 Second London Baptist Confession Commentary

The 1689 Second London Baptist Confession states in Chapter 8: Of Christ the Mediator, Section 10 of 10, the following:

10. This number and order of offices is necessary; for in respect of our ignorance, we stand in need of his prophetical office; and in respect of our alienation from God, and imperfection of the best of our services, we need his priestly office to reconcile us and present us acceptable unto God; and in respect to our averseness and utter inability to return to God, and for our rescue and security from our spiritual adversaries, we need his kingly office to convince, subdue, draw, uphold, deliver, and preserve us to his heavenly kingdom.[1]
( John 1:18; Colossians 1:21; Galatians 5:17; John 16:8; Psalms 110:3; Luke 1:74, 75)

Section 10 is not present in the Westminster Confession, which contains only eight sections in chapter 8.

The 1689 Confession states: This number and order of offices is necessary

The number of the offices (meaning all three: prophet, priest and king) is necessary.  Why is it necessary?  The remaining part of section 10 will answer this question.  The order is also necessary.  Why?  Again, the rest of section 10 will give us the answer to this question. 

 The Baptist Catechism question 26 introduces the topic of the three offices this way:

•  Baptist Catechism
• 26 Q. What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer?
  A. Christ as our Redeemer executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of king, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation

 First: The Office of a Prophet

The 1689 Confession states: for in respect of our ignorance, we stand in need of his prophetical office;

• The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen Deut 18:15 (ESV)
• And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, Luke 1:76 (ESV)

Due to our ignorance, we needed a prophet to reveal to us God’s will for our salvation.  Without Christ fulfillment of the office of prophet, mankind would not know the way of salvation.

• Baptist Catechism
• 27 Q. How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?
  A. Christ executeth the office of prophet in revealing to us, by his word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation

 Thomas Watson said:

• “If Alexander thought himself so much abliged to Aristotle for the philosophic instruction he received from him, oh, how are we obliged to Jesus Christ, this great Prophet, for opening to us the eternal purposes of his love, and revealing to us the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven!”[2]

 

Second: The Office of Priest

The 1689 Confession states: and in respect of our alienation from God, and imperfection of the best of our services, we need his priestly office to reconcile us and present us acceptable unto God;

We need the priestly ministry of Christ because he offered up himself on our behalf to satisfy divine justice that we would be reconciled to God.  Further, our High Priest is our effectual Mediator between on our behalf before God.  Since Christ is our defense attorney, our mediator, our intercessor, our high priest, our case cannot fail before the Judge.  In addition, even though our best service for God is inadequate and imperfect, the Father accepts it because of Christ’s perfect obedience and service to the Father, credited to our account, by faith.

• Baptist Catechism
• 28 Q. How doth Christ execute the office of a priest?
  A. Christ executeth the office of priest in his once offering up himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice (Heb. 9:14, 28) and reconcile us to God (Heb. 2:17), and in making continual intercession for us (Heb.7:24, 25).

 

Third: The Office of King

The 1689 Confession states: and in respect to our averseness and utter inability to return to God, and for our rescue and security from our spiritual adversaries, we need his kingly office to convince, subdue, draw, uphold, deliver, and preserve us to his heavenly kingdom.[3]

We are averse to return to God.  Averse means that we are strongly opposed to return to God.  We are not only strongly opposed to return to God, but we are utterly unable to return to God.

 So the 1689 Confession establishes that we need to be rescued and we require security, as a result the kingly office fails not in doing the following for us:

• Convince: And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: John 16:8 (ESV)
• Subdue: Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. Acts 15:14 (ESV)
• Draw: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44 (ESV)
• Uphold: My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. Psalms 63:8 (ESV)
• Deliver: The oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, Luke 1:73-74 (ESV)
• Preserve us: The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. Psalms 121:7 (ESV) And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. John 6:39 (ESV)

Why do we need Christ our King to do these things for us?  That he will bring us to his heavenly kingdom.  

• Baptist Catechism
• 29 Q. How doth Christ execute the office of king?
  A. Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself (Acts 15:14, 15, 16), in ruling (Is. 33:22), and defending us (Is. 32:1, 2), and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies (1 Cor. 15:25; Ps. 110 throughout).

Thomas Watson states:

• “How came Christ to be king?
• Not by usurpation, but legally.  He holds his crown by immediate tenure from heaven.  God the Father has decreed him to be king.  ‘I have set my king upon my holy hill: I will declare the decree.’ (Psa ii 6,7).  God anointed him and sealed him to his regal office.  ‘Him hath God the Father sealed.’ (John vi 27).  God has set the crown upon his head.[4]

Again Watson states:

• “Let those admire God’s free grace who were once under the power and tyranny of Satan, and now of slaves Christ has made them to become the subjects of his kingdom.  Christ did not need subjects, he has legions of angels ministering to him; but in his love he has honored you to make you his subjects.  Oh, how long it ere Christ could prevail with you to come under his banner!  How much opposition did he meet with ere you would wear this prince’s colors!  At last omnipotent grace overcame you.  When Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, an angel came and beat off his chains, Acts xii:7; so, when thou wast sleeping in the devil’s arms, Christ by his Spirit smote thy heart, and caused the chains of sin to fall off, and made thee a subject of his kingdom.  Oh, admire the free grace! Thou who art a subject of Christ, and art sure to reign with him for ever!”[5]

It has been shown by the 1689 Confession why we need the number of the three offices: prophet, priest, and king.  It is also clear that the order is important.  Though the way of salvation was made known in the prophetic office of Christ, and though redemption was purchased in Christ’s priestly office, more is yet needed to bring us into an estate of salvation.  The third office of king is required to bring us from the state of a treasonous enemy to the majestic kingly throne, to loyal subjects, under his protection forever.  And he surely is a king who executes his decrees without fail.

We now come to the end of chapter 8, Of Christ the Mediator.  We have covered ten sections.  This chapter has been very rich in important doctrine for the believer; we have feasted on the glories of our Mediator, our Prophet, Priest, and King.

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