Elders are to Rule and Pastors are to Preach by Rev. Benjamin Glaser
In a light-hearted post this last week my compatriot and dear friend, the Rev. Tim Phillips, posted a meme on an ARP Facebook page that opened up a discussion about the so-called "Three-Office" view and the "Two-Office" view. After much back and forth there was seemingly a lot that needed said. This is a question which has vexed primarily American Presbyterianism for over two-centuries. The issue I want to look at in this brief essay is: Why does this matter? What effect does one or the other have in real life? We'll look at one particular example, because to look at too much more would tax your time. Often well-meaning people will push back at any discussion over things of this nature with the often misused phrase, "...it's like arguing over how many angels can fit on a pin!", implying that the value of the answer is so unimportant that spending much effort entering into the fray either gets in the way of ministry, or wastes vital time ...