The doctrine of mediatorial kingship might be important to Reformed Presbyterians, but it isn’t noticeable on the radar of the larger evangelical church.

We have defended mediatorial kingship since our inception in 1743 and again in our reorganization in 1798. Though we have had debates within Covenanter ranks since the Westminster Assembly as to the correct terminology to describe Christ’s kingship, our position was eventually codified in its modern form and described best in William Symington’s book Messiah the Prince. As further proof of our evolving conversation on this important doctrine, the RPCNA updated its practical understanding of political dissent and mediatorial kingship in 1967.

Even today as the RPCNA expands outside of the Americas and into a world that is increasingly hostile to the reign of Jesus Christ, a study committee is working to bring further clarity to our denomination.

Why is this doctrine so important to us while it has received negligible attention everywhere else? Is the RPCNA focusing its energy in the wrong place? Or are we on the wrong side of a losing battle? Does mediatorial kingship even matter?

What it is

The Reformed Presbyterian Testimony provides one of the best definitions of mediatorial kingship you will find:

Jesus Christ, as Mediator, governs all creatures and all their actions for His own glory. Submission is due to Him from all men and angels. All men, in every possible relation and condition, are under obligation to promote His gracious purposes according to His law. The holy angels minister, under His direction, to the heirs of salvation. Jesus Christ, as Head over all things for the sake of the Church, rules in perfect wisdom and justice over all parts of His creation including wicked men and devils. He makes them, and all their counsels and efforts, serve God’s glory in the plan of redemption. (8:1-2)

The heart of this definition is found in the words “as Mediator,” because, strangely enough, this is the controversial part of our doctrine. Without “as Mediator” we would be simply saying that Christ governs all things—a thought that is sufficiently vague that most Christians agree with it without understanding it. Yes, Jesus governs everything as God, but the Scriptures set forth an additional layer of authority that Jesus possesses in addition to His authority as God. We see this clearly laid out for us in verses like Matthew 28:18. Here, Jesus says of Himself, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Notice what so many seem to overlook. Why would Jesus, who is God, need to have any authority given to Him? Because Christ has a mediatorial office, an additional way that Christ is to govern all things.

How it works

On a personal level, I’m happy to confess that I actually sought out the RPCNA from the outside because I became convinced of the mediatorial kingship of Christ. As I moved closer to the theology of the Covenanters, it became apparent that this doctrine answered all of my questions, and it became a deep source of comfort to me in my Christian walk. Mediatorial kingship mattered to me because it affected my life, my decisions, and all of my theological convictions.

But should mediatorial kingship matter to a 16-year-old in high school and working at McDonald’s? What about a 26-year-old single mom? A middle-aged, married carpenter? How about a 72-year-old woman whose husband has died? What about a young girl who finds herself in foster care because her parents abused her? How in the world can a doctrine like the mediatorial kingship of Christ possibly find its way into our ministry to hurting souls like these?

To apply this doctrine to these very particular people with very particular problems, we can start with the Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 45:

Christ executeth the office of a king, [1] in calling out of the world a people to himself, and [2] giving them officers, laws, and censures, by which he visibly governs them; in [3] bestowing saving grace upon his elect, [4] rewarding their obedience, and correcting them for their sins, [5] preserving and supporting them under all their temptations and sufferings, [6] restraining and overcoming all their enemies, [7] and powerfully ordering all things for his own glory and their good: [8] and also in taking vengeance on the rest, who know not God, and obey not the gospel.

Eight Applications

1. The first work of the mediatorial king is that He gathers His own people. This is covenantal language. Christ calls “out of the world a people to Himself.” I find that particular truth to be theologically rich and vibrant and a comfort to every child of God in times of trial. Whether a college student, a single mom struggling to work two jobs, or a retiree on a fixed income, mediatorial kingship matters because it is the mediator who calls each of us to Himself, and it is the mediator who makes us to be His people. We can find comfort and clarity in being the people of God, no matter who or where we are in life. The first advantage of the doctrine of mediatorial kingship is that it defines the church, as it points us to the mediatorial role of Christ in creating the church (Gen. 49:10, Ps. 110:3, John 10:16-30), so that is where we should focus our counsel to hurting individuals who need to be reminded of their place in Christ’s kingdom.

2. Not only does Christ the King have a people, but also He gives “officers, laws, and censures by which he visibly governs them.” Only a terrible or irresponsible king has no laws, no officers, and no outward government of any kind. Strangely enough, many Christians expect Jesus to rule without these things. Mediatorial kingship matters because it tells us who governs the church (Jesus operates the church in his mediatorial role), how the church is to be run (with laws), and what happens when things go wrong (censures are given) (Eph. 4:11-12, Isa. 33:22, 1 Cor. 5:4-5). It is within the church that the middle-aged carpenter and the student find comfort from the means of grace, protection from the world, and strength to get through the day. Whether entering the first day of high school or the first day of retirement, the church is a cool, refreshing rain in a world that is a harsh, barren desert. If we neglect the Mediatorial King, then we can expect the church to become irrelevant, because at that point we’ve forgotten who runs the church and we’ve forgotten His rules. This is the dilemma of most modern Christian churches; they’ve forgotten the Mediator!

3. The third work of the Mediator is “bestowing saving grace upon His elect.” It is Jesus the mediatorial King who saves us (Acts 5:31). We must see that Jesus as God alone cannot save us. Jesus must become the mediator in order to save His people. So we’re thinking precisely and clearly when we ascribe our salvation to the mediatorial King. Yes, it matters how we are saved and who does the saving. Does mediatorial kingship matter to a young farmer in Bangladesh or a banker in Toronto? Yes! Because the mediatorial King is the one who saves all of His people.

4. The fourth work of the Mediator is “rewarding” and “correcting” His people, specific works ascribed to the mediatorial King (Rev. 2:10, 3:19, 22:12). The fact that Jesus rewards the obedience of His people should be important to God’s children. Whether a professional athlete in Chicago or a fisherman off the coast of Louisiana, obedience to the King should be an important part of every Christian’s life. Mediatorial kingship matters because we are all supposed to be honoring Christ’s commandments and we should all know that He will reward us for our obedience and correct us for our sins.

5. The fifth work of the Mediator to His people is “preserving and supporting them under all their temptations and sufferings.” Who preserves and supports the seminary student and the coal worker? It is Christ the Mediatorial King who preserves and supports each of us (Isa. 63:9). Yet again, mediatorial kingship matters to particular individuals of all places and kinds. We would do well to send any Christian in need of support to the Mediatorial King.

6. The sixth work of the Mediator to His people is “restraining and overcoming all their enemies” (Ps. 110:1-2, 1 Cor. 15:25). Every particular Christian who faces an enemy will find hope and encouragement in the protective work of the mediatorial King. Mediatorial kingship matters also to our enemies themselves, who are promised judgment at the hands of King Jesus.

7. The seventh work of the Mediator to His people is “powerfully ordering all things for His glory and their good.” This is another mighty act of Christ, to sovereignly rule over all things (Rom. 8:28, 14:10-11). Can this particular truth be a comfort for the young girl who has been abandoned by her parents? Yes, it certainly can! To connect “all things” to the mediator gives purpose to our suffering, meaning to our sorrows, and hope to the one who grieves. Mediatorial kingship is connected to every single event that happens within the providence of God.

8. The eighth and last work of the Mediator is “taking vengeance on the rest, who know not God, and obey not the gospel.” Even the final judgment is ascribed to the mediatorial King (Ps. 2:8-9, John 5:27, 2 Thess. 1:7-9) and understood in terms of how man responds to the gospel. Christ’s mediatorial work touches upon everything that happens in the lives of the individuals we interact with on a daily basis because Christ’s work upon the cross affects everything in the universe. The gospel of Jesus Christ and His mediatorial reign are always relevant to the troubles of man.

Notice that, in so many of these works, the mediator is working on the outside of the church. Many Christians stumble in thinking that Christ is mediator over the church but not over the world. This simply isn’t the case. How can the mediatorial King order all things for His glory unless He has power over all things? How can the mediatorial King take vengeance upon His enemies if His power is limited to the church? Christ’s mediatorial kingship is universal, extending over all things (Matt. 28:18) and “all parts of His creation including wicked men and devils” (RPCNA Testimony 8:2).

Does mediatorial kingship matter? Yes, it matters all the time, to all of God’s children, to all of God’s enemies, to every person in every place and in every calling.