My position is there is only one; Jesus Christ.
Or.der 'o.rd-*r\ n [MF ordre, fr. ML & L; ML ordin-, ordo ecclesiastical order,]fr. L, arrangement, group, class; akin to L ordiri to lay the warp, begin. I want a horse on the order of an appaloosa.
The ‘order of Melchizedek’ means someone like Melchizedek. The author of Hebrews reminds us how Christ was like Melchizedek in Chapter 7:1-3 – Melchizedek appears without father, mother, or children, and was a priest always. Melchizedek is compared to the divine Christ, the Son of Man; who was born without earthly parents, or children, and was a priest always. The Levitical priesthood past down through one tribe and Christ was not of that tribe. Melchizedek was not of that tribe either.
The oath was God’s promise to us. (Psalm 110:3)
He did not hold Melchizedek priesthood authority because there is no such thing. Melchizedek suddenly appears with no genealogy; no parents or children gives Abram bread and wine; blesses Abram, then disappears. But God promises a High Priest like him; not from Aaron but straight from God.
This was actually a mistranslation of Hebrews. It should have parenthesis before verse 7 and after verse 8 in this manner:
6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
7 (Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered);
9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. (Hebrews 5:6-11)
Verse 7 and 8 refer to Melchizedek. Verse 6 and 9 refer to Christ.
Christ did not need to “learn obedience” because he was already perfectly obedient. With this idea in mind, Melchizedek was actually a mortal man similar to Abraham. Mormon and Jewish traditions sometimes believe that Melchizedek was actually Shem, the Son of Noah. Thus the reference to Melchizedek’s father (Noah would have been quite the father to have…)
Regardless, the priesthood of Melchizedek was the priesthood of Noah and the priesthood of Noah’s great grandfather Enoch. Enoch received this priesthood, if the scriptures are clear, while Adam was still alive. Melchizedek gave this priesthood and authority to Abraham when he visited him and when Abraham gave him tithes.
So, thus there was an unbroken line of this Higher Priesthood from Adam to Abraham. This priesthood was again an unbroken line until Moses who received it from his father-in-law Jethro.
After Moses, the higher priesthood of Melchizedek was taken away because the Children of Israel loved Egypt more than God and a lesser priesthood remained through Aaron’s posterity. This is the priesthood that administered the rites of the tabernacle and Solomon’s temple. This was the priesthood that John the baptist held as the “seed of Aaron.” See the reference to his parents here:
5 ¶ THERE was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. (Luke 1:5-6)
It is why Christ came to him to be baptized. John held the priesthood of Aaron and the authority to baptize. In fact John was the High Priest after the order of Aaron and all of Judea came to be baptized of him:
4 And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. (Matthew 3:4-6)
But John always said he was only preparing the way for one who was greater:
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: (Matthew 3:11)
This, in part, was because Jesus was given the Melchizedek or Higher Priesthood and was a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. By this authority, Jesus could not only baptize with water, but also with fire and with the Holy Ghost. This was also the power to heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out unclean spirits.
Jesus gave this authority to Peter and the apostles here:
Code:
1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, ***he gave them power*** against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. (Matthew 10:1-4)
Peter gave this power to Paul, probably at this time:
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,
16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother. (Galatians 1:1,15-19)
That is my guess…
Then, of course, we believe this same power was given to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in 1829 by Peter, James, and John. This priesthood has since been passed down to every Melchizedek priesthood holder throughout the whole church.
Thus we believe that our authority traces not just back to Christ, but back to Adam who received the authority from God himself.
:whacky: