The Most Asked Question During Ordination Exam

[Deacon]

I'm confronting an important theological issue in the Sunday in the Adult Bible Class this Sunday
I consider it a common ordination question but want to know if I'm on track.

What would you say is THE MOST common question asked?
And then if you wish, list the top three

Rob

 

[JonC]

It may depend on the type of ordination, and I don't know what would be the most common. But my top question for any ordination would be - What is the gospel of Jesus Christ?

 

[TCassidy]

Well, the two I always ask are:

1. Briefly discuss the Hypostatic Union and its implication on the Lord's Supper.

2. What will you do if, in its infinite wisdom, this Council recommends you NOT be ordained?

(The proper answer to #2 is "I will do as the Lord leads me to do regardless of what this Council recommends.")

 

[rlvaughn]

Well, if an ordination of a preacher, I'd say the two most common are to ask about the person's experience of salvation and the call to preach?

 

[tyndale1946]

I can only speak for those I know the Primitive Baptist preachers that are called to preach... This is our order, if a man feels he is called to preach... Then the church puts him into the pulpit to see if he has the gift... Some after exercising that gift, find that the brother in question, did not have the gift he thought he had... His calling was only local... God does the calling and qualifying... Does he edify the members of the church and is sound in doctrine?... I agree with what everyone has said and knew personally one who had local call but not the divine... Wherever he was ordained, they did a disservice to him as he was not according to our biblical belief sound in doctrine... You preacher brethren in your ministerial travels have probably met men like that?... Those are my thoughts... Brother Glen

 

[agedman]

This question is not to derail the thread, but to get some wisdom.

Who is supposed to discern the Lord’s calling, the individual or the assembly.

I know about Timothy, but there isn’t an apostle alive, today with such authority as to appoint leadership.

So, is it not the sole responsibility for the assembly to seek out from among themselves the person in who God would authorize?

Why do churches look from leadership outside of the assembly unless they are too weak to use discerning?

So when it comes to ordination questions, I consider asking about the reputation one has among the assembly. Is there specific evidence other than some feeling of being called that the assembly should be aware that would authorize it to anoint you as a leader?

 

[Deacon]

Well, the two I always ask are:

1. Briefly discuss the Hypostatic Union and its implication on the Lord's Supper.

That’s what I was looking for! I’ll be teaching from a key text Sunday and will mention it (Matt. 4)

I haven’t been to an ordination exam where it wasn’t brought up.
And usually by one of the first few questioners.

Rob

 

[Reynolds]

I'm confronting an important theological issue in the Sunday in the Adult Bible Class this Sunday
I consider it a common ordination question but want to know if I'm on track.

What would you say is THE MOST common question asked?
And then if you wish, list the top three

Rob

Here lately around here its "are you a Calvinist?" The council then fights about it a while because one or two are Calvinists and the rest are Non cals. Then the next questionition is something to do with tongues. The council then fights about that for a while. My pastor quit going to the association ordination councils because in his words "its nothing but a circus where a few jackasses always bray at each other."

 

[Deacon]

2. What will you do if, in its infinite wisdom, this Council recommends you NOT be ordained?

(The proper answer to #2 is "I will do as the Lord leads me to do regardless of what this Council recommends.")

Much too confrontational IMO
The council would question the ability of the gentleman to know the Lord’s will... perhaps leading them into another round of questions on how to know God’s will.

I’d expect the man to temporarily defer to the wisdom of the council and seek further discipleship and training.

Sometimes a person just isn’t quite ready.

Rob

 

[Reynolds]

Sometim

Much too confrontational IMO
The council would question the ability of the gentleman to know the Lord’s will... perhaps leading them into another round of questions on how to know God’s will.

I’d expect the man to temporarily defer to the wisdom of the council and seek further discipleship and training.

Sometimes a person just isn’t quite ready.

Rob

Sometimes a council is wrong.

 

[agedman]

Here lately around here its "are you a Calvinist?" The council then fights about it a while because one or two are Calvinists and the rest are Non cals. Then the next questionition is something to do with tongues. The council then fights about that for a while. My pastor quit going to the association ordination councils because in his words "its nothing but a circus where a few jackasses always bray at each other."

What is wrong with one like John Piper?

 

[Reynolds]

What is wrong with one like John Piper?

I personally don't think anything is wrong with cal or non cal. Calvinist is a cuss word around here. Most who are deny it.

 

[Deacon]

Here lately around here its "are you a Calvinist?" The council then fights about it a while because one or two are Calvinists and the rest are Non cals. Then the next questionition is something to do with tongues. The council then fights about that for a while. My pastor quit going to the association ordination councils because in his words "its nothing but a circus where a few jackasses always bray at each other."

I’m not a Calvinist but respect and follow many of the doctrines.
I’d probably be tossed out for speaking so frankly.

During my questioning as an elder a while back I answered truthfully, disagreeing with a couple doctrinal stances other elders held. Tongues were one of those doctrinal issues.

Health issues had me stepping down a while back but recently the church modified its constitution and it adjusted its stance on spiritual gifts along the lines I expressed back then.

Rob

 

[agedman]

I personally don't think anything is wrong with cal or non cal. Calvinist is a cuss word around here. Most who are deny it.

From what I’ve discerned, Piper was both a holder of the “doctrines of grace” and one that considered the cessation was not yet.

 

[Deacon]

Sometim

Sometimes a council is wrong.

Hudson Taylor comes to mind.

Rob

 

[Baptist Believer]

1. Briefly discuss the Hypostatic Union and its implication on the Lord's Supper.

Interesting. What would you consider to be a good answer? (Obviously nothing involving transubstantiation.)

I ask because I don't think the Lord's Supper (aka Communion) is purely symbolic with no Divine interaction. I think Christ is present with us in the event as the Body of Christ celebrating his incarnation, life, death, resurrection, ascension, present reign, and future kingdom. The act of consuming the bread and wine/juice is a holy touch point between our present state, the past, and the future in Christ.

Would I pass muster with that not-so-Baptist sounding answer?

 

[agedman]

Interesting. What would you consider to be a good answer? (Obviously nothing involving transubstantiation.)

I ask because I don't think the Lord's Supper (aka Communion) is purely symbolic with no Divine interaction. I think Christ is present with us in the event as the Body of Christ celebrating his incarnation, life, death, resurrection, ascension, present reign, and future kingdom. The act of consuming the bread and wine/juice is a holy touch point between our present state, the past, and the future in Christ.

Would I pass muster with that not-so-Baptist sounding answer?

Personally, I don't consider the answer problematic, if it is clear there is no consideration given to some form of transubstantiation.

I would think that the issue of folks not being serious about consumption of the Lord's table is key to bringing focus to this area.

 

[Reynolds]

I’m not a Calvinist but respect and follow many of the doctrines.
I’d probably be tossed out for speaking so frankly.

During my questioning as an elder a while back I answered truthfully, disagreeing with a couple doctrinal stances other elders held. Tongues were one of those doctrinal issues.

Health issues had me stepping down a while back but recently the church modified its constitution and it adjusted its stance on spiritual gifts along the lines I expressed back then.

Rob

Thankfully, much of the SBC is finally waking up to Spiritual gifts.

 

[agedman]

Thankfully, much of the SBC is finally waking up to Spiritual gifts.

It is important to stress that language is known as an actual communication in a culture, and prophecy is not extra-biblical revelation.

If one claims some "unknown tongue" and or word from God in prophetic utterance that is not consistent with the revealed Word, such is not biblical and should be rejected.

 

[Baptist Believer]

I would think that the issue of folks not being serious about consumption of the Lord's table is key to bringing focus to this area.

Apparently people were getting sick and even dying because they treated the holy time of communion lightly - they did not recognize that the assembled brothers and sisters were the "body of Christ" and they were treating that time casually.