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This article aimed to examine the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika's (NHKA) understanding of church office, and measure it against 'office' or ministries in the New Testament, and more specifically against Jesus' calling to discipleship in Mark 8:34. The relevance of the historical Jesus for contemporary church theology is indicated by the 'essential' (Sache) continuity that exists between the historical Jesus and the church today. The article concludes that Jesus' calling to discipleship in Mark 8:34 implies a certain understanding of office. The essence of this calling is servitude based on self-denial, the taking up of one's cross, and the following of Jesus. Subsequently, a few remarks are made on the NHKA's understanding of church office, as described in the NHKA church ordinance. The aim is for these remarks to serve as a guideline for the NHKA to form a contemporary understanding of church office. The concluding remarks have been derived from the results of the study on Jesus' calling to discipleship, with the aim of ensuring that the NHKA serves and works in correspondence with the Word of God. This service occurs in a world very different from the one in which Jesus lived and served. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Paul's Epistle to the Romans, the expression refers to speech of God that was entrusted to the Jews as a people. This includes everything He spoke through Moses and the prophets. The apostle presents this as a matter of the greatest privilege to his readers, both for its authoritative contents and the personal involvement of the God of the Covenant it represents. Paul uses these 'oracles' or 'very words of God' as a collective reference (indicated by ) to all divine speech that was entrusted to the Jews before the revelation of God's righteousness in Christ, to which these bore witness in advance. This article consequently argues that refers to the Bible as phenomenon, the revealed Word of God that was entrusted to the Jewish people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]