On account of the various ranks and orders which the Papacy has created contrary to God's Word (the Roman Catholic hierarchy), it is necessary to emphasize the Scripture truth that all Christian ministers are equal in rank and dignity, Matt. 23, 8; 1 Pet. o, 1. As Christian pastors have no power over their congregations outside that which God has given them as ministers of the Word, so by divine right (iure divino) they have no power at all over their fellow-ministers. Whatever ranks there are in the Church are only of human right (iure humano).
Luther writes on this point: "Neither is the Pope higher than the bishops nor the bishop higher than all presbyters, according to divine right." This is true Scriptural doctrine.
As the Romanists, so also the Episcopalians and other Romanizing Protestant bodies pervert the Scriptural doctrine regarding the equality of Christian ministers.
With respect to the terms presbyters (πρεσβύτεροι) and bishops (ἐπίσκοποι) Scripture makes no distinction whatever, but denominates the same persons by both names, Acts 20, 17. 28; Titus 1, 5. 7.
The prohibition of St. Paul to Christians not to be servants of men, 1 Cor. 7, 23, applies also to all attempts at establishing human authority (Menschenknechtschaft) in the Church through the inauguration of hierarchism. Cp. Christl. Dogmatik, III, 524 ff.