What is ordination?
Question 09010
Ordination is a word used across virtually every Christian tradition, yet it means different things in different contexts. In some traditions it confers a sacramental character that permanently changes the nature of the person ordained. In others it is a formal recognition of a calling that the church has observed and affirmed. Understanding what the New Testament actually teaches about the setting apart of individuals for ministry is essential for churches that want their practice to reflect biblical principle rather than inherited tradition.
The Biblical Practice
The New Testament describes the setting apart of individuals for specific ministry through the laying on of hands by the leadership of the church. In Acts 6:6, the seven men chosen to serve the practical needs of the Jerusalem congregation were presented to the apostles, who “prayed and laid their hands on them.” In Acts 13:2-3, the church at Antioch, directed by the Holy Spirit, set apart Barnabas and Saul for missionary work: “Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” Paul reminded Timothy of the gift that was in him “by the prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders” (1 Timothy 4:14) and urged him not to be “hasty in the laying on of hands” (1 Timothy 5:22).
The pattern that emerges is consistent. The church recognises a calling that God has already given. The laying on of hands is an act of public affirmation, prayer, and commissioning. It does not confer a power or status that was not already present by God’s initiative. It publicly confirms what the Spirit has been doing in and through the person, and it commits the church to supporting them in the work to which God has called them.
What Ordination Is Not
Ordination does not create a separate class of Christian. The New Testament knows no ontological distinction between clergy and laity. The priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9) means that every Christian has direct access to God through Christ and a calling to serve. Ordination recognises a specific functional role within the body, not a spiritual elevation above it. The minister who has been ordained is not closer to God, more holy, or more acceptable than the plumber in the third row. They have been recognised and set apart for a particular work, but the work does not make them a different kind of Christian.
The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox understanding of ordination as a sacrament that imprints an indelible character on the soul and permanently changes the nature of the person ordained has no basis in the New Testament. This theology developed over centuries and was formalised at the Council of Trent. It is the foundation for the Catholic doctrine that only ordained priests can consecrate the Eucharist and that ordination can never be undone, even if the person leaves active ministry. The biblical picture is far simpler: the church recognises a calling, prays over the person, lays hands on them, and commissions them for the work.
The Qualifications for Those Set Apart
Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus provide detailed qualifications for those who would serve as overseers (elders) and deacons (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9). These qualifications are overwhelmingly about character rather than academic credentials or professional training. The overseer must be above reproach, faithful in marriage, self-controlled, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard or violent, gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money, managing his own household well, not a recent convert, and well thought of by outsiders. The emphasis on character reflects the reality that ministry is not a profession to be trained for but a calling to be lived out, and the life of the minister is the platform on which their teaching stands or falls.
This does not mean that training and education are unimportant. Paul’s own theological depth and his instruction to Timothy to be a workman who “rightly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) make clear that competence in handling Scripture is expected. But the qualifications Paul lists place character before competence, and the church should do the same.
So, now what?
If you are in a church that practises ordination, understand what it means and what it does not mean. It is a public recognition of a calling God has given, confirmed by the church through prayer and the laying on of hands. It does not make the person ordained superior, infallible, or unaccountable. And if you sense a calling to ministry, the path is not self-appointment. It is the patient cultivation of character, competence in handling Scripture, and a willingness to serve faithfully in the place where God has put you, trusting that the church will recognise in you what the Spirit is doing.
“Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.” 1 Timothy 4:14 (ESV)