Priesthood of all believers
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The priesthood of all believers is a Protestant doctrine based on several passages of the New Testament. One prominent example is found in the First Epistle of Peter, 2:9:
- But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. (NLT)
Other relevant Scripture passages include 1 Peter 2:4-8, Revelation 1:4-6, 5:6-10, and many passages in the Epistle to the Hebrews.
In ancient Israel, priests acted as mediators between God and people. They ministered according to God's instruction and they offered sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. Once a year, the high priest would enter the holiest part of the temple and offer a sacrifice for the sins of all the people, including all the priests.
Many religions still use priests. But Protestants recognize only one mediator between them and God, Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). The Epistle to the Hebrews calls Jesus the supreme "high priest," who offered himself as a perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 7:23-28). Protestants believe that through Christ they have been given direct access to God, just like a priest; thus the doctrine is called the priesthood of all believers. God is equally accessible to all the faithful, and every Christian has equal potential to minister for God.
This doctrine effectively removes the possibility of a spiritual aristocracy or hierarchy within Protestant Christianity. In this, it meshes with other Scripture passages that say that God is no respecter of persons, and in him there is neither Hebrew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female. (Galatians 3:28)
The origins of the doctrine within Protestantism is somewhat obscure. The idea was found in a radical form in Lollard thought. Martin Luther later picked up on the idea, and it became a central tenet of Lutheranism.
Recent scholarship, however, has made an important distinction between what Luther understood and how the matter has been interpreted by the Protestantism of later generations. In fact, it seems Luther never made use of the phrase nor did he deny the importance of distinguishing a "common priesthood of all the baptized" for works of charity from the specific sacramental role of properly ordained clergy (to whom belongs, for instance, exclusive authority to celebrate the Lord's Supper).
The doctrine is strongly asserted within Methodism, and can plausibly be linked to the strong emphasis on social action and political radicalism evident within that denomination. Baptist movements, which generally operate on a form of congregational polity, also lean heavily on this concept.
The vast majority of Protestants nonetheless draw some distinction between their own ordained ministers and lay people, but regard it as a matter of church order and discipline rather than spiritual hierarchy.
[edit] Non-Protestant Interpretations of 1 Peter 2:9
Orthodox Christians and Roman Catholic Christians traditionally believe that this passage gives responsibility to all believers for the preservation and propagation of the Gospel and the Church, as distinct from the liturgical and sacramental roles of the ordained priesthood and consecrated episcopate (see Apostolic Succession). This is justified biblically with the citation of Exodus 19:6, to which Saint Peter was alluding in the First Epistle of Peter:
- " ...you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites." (NIV)
In spite of this Old Testament verse, the Kingdom of Israel had a priesthood distinct from the common priesthood of the Israelites, the chosen people of God. To reaffirm this interpretation the Schism of Korah from Israel. Korah restates Exodus 19:6 in [(Numbers 16:3)] saying:
"The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD'S assembly?" ([NIV])
Korah then with his 250 followers break away from the authority of Moses to follow there person misinterpretation of the "priesthood" and as a result are slain by God for offering incense [(Numbers 16:35)]:
"And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense." ([NIV])
This story is also cited as reason to believe in the episcopacy and the needed obedience to it. Showing there is in fact a "hierarchy" with someone someone set up over faith and worship. 1 Timothy 2:5 to Christians of Apostolic Churches is understood as meaning Jesus is the only mediator meaning of the sacrifice for salvation, as seen in 1 Timothy 2:6:
"who gave himself as ransom for all. This was the testimony at the proper time."
Also seeing the ministerial priesthood as being necessary as Christ command it when saying "Do this in memory (anamnesis) of me."
The Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox Churches have always taught implicitly that a Christian's personal relationship with God is independent of whatever ordination they have received.
