In a world where we tend to look at just a single office of Christ (usually his priestly office), this volume reminds us that Christ is also the King, the Lord of the universe, and also Prophet, the great teacher and revealer of God who speaks divine Words. Understanding these three offices not only rounds out one’s own ministry–especially in the pulpit–but it also helps us to personally know Christ better. We understand our Lord better when we understand the way he functions in our life, and in the lives of God’s people through the ages.
Every once in a while a book comes along that meets such an important need that it makes you wonder, “Why hasn’t someone done this before?” Richard (Dick) Belcher, OT Professor and Academic Dean at RTS Charlotte, has written just such a book: Prophet, Priest and King: The Roles of Christ in the Bible and Our Roles Today (P&R, 2016).
Of course, in the Reformed world, the idea that the work of Christ can be divided into his three “offices” (prophet, priest, and king) has a long lineage. Although it appears in a number of places in the early fathers, the Reformers were the ones who expounded on it more fully. Examples include John Calvin, John Owen, John Flavel, Thomas Boston, and Thomas Goodwin. It is also discussed in the Heidelberg Catechism (31-32).
So, it is a wonder that more hasn’t been written on it (at least in a full-length work) until now.
Regardless, Belcher’s new volume provides a wonderfully balanced look at the work of Christ. In a world where we tend to look at just a single office of Christ (usually his priestly office), this volume reminds us that Christ is also the King, the Lord of the universe, and also Prophet, the great teacher and revealer of God who speaks divine Words.
Understanding these three offices not only rounds out one’s own ministry–especially in the pulpit–but it also helps us to personally know Christ better. We understand our Lord better when we understand the way he functions in our life, and in the lives of God’s people through the ages.