Order of Melchizedek: Who is in and who is out

[ParkerD]

Gabriel of 12;
You dont sound confused, except the part of Melchizedek; Note that everytime a covenant was made in the Old Testament a meal was celebrated. Jesus fulfilled the Sedar (Passover) meal, the Mazzoth, feast of tabernacles which included the first fruits, Atonement, Peace offering etc…

The “Todah” sacrifice was a meal celebrated among family and friends when One makes a promise to God and fulfills it, not a King/High Priestly sacrifice and libation, as did the King/High priest Melchizedek, King/High Priest David, King/High Priest Solomon, then KIng/High Priest Jesus who all gave sacrificial meals in the form of bread and libation of wine. Although Jesus fulfilled all these perpetual biblical sacrifices in himself including the “Todah”. There are more priestly “levitical” sacrifices and offerings not mentioned here but these were not yet according to the order of Melchizedek sacrifice being offered to God in the form of bread and wine.

What seperates Melchizedek sacrifices from the Levitical priesthood, is that Melchizedek was a King and a High priest in one, the Levitical priesthood, had Moses, Aaron, Judges, Prophets and Kings, until King David comes along and offers a High Priestly sacrifice with bread and wine who shared it with God’s people, a prefiguration of Jesus who is reigning as our King and High Priest in heaven.

The gifts of bread and wine from the laity, now we are entering the terminology of “oblation”.These offer up the first fruits of God’s own creation with thanksgiving with a pure mind, in faith and in fervent love. They dont become the sacrifice according to Melchizedek until our King and High Priest Jesus Christ takes these gifts from us and perfects them in his body, blood soul and divinity. But it takes a King who is our High Priest to make them according to the order of Melchizedek. The laity are not Kings or High Priest, we are children of the Lord and family members of the High Priest. where only the family members of the High Priest could eat the sacrifice offered to God alone, no one else can consume this unless your are a family member of the High Priest. This is documented in scripture.

Gabriel of 12,
I appreciate reading your posts. I agree that Christ fulfilled the need for the Levitical priesthood and for the law of sacrifice as practiced by the Jews through His great and last Sacrifice, and that He did this as the Great High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek.

One thing I would like to understand is what name is given to the priesthood that Catholic priests, cardinals, and bishops hold, and how that priesthood is transferred from one to another. (Or is it just called “priesthood”?)

 

[racing59]

Gabriel of 12;
You dont sound confused, except the part of Melchizedek; Note that everytime a covenant was made in the Old Testament a meal was celebrated. Jesus fulfilled the Sedar (Passover) meal, the Mazzoth, feast of tabernacles which included the first fruits, Atonement, Peace offering etc…

The “Todah” sacrifice was a meal celebrated among family and friends when One makes a promise to God and fulfills it, not a King/High Priestly sacrifice and libation, as did the King/High priest Melchizedek, King/High Priest David, King/High Priest Solomon, then KIng/High Priest Jesus who all gave sacrificial meals in the form of bread and libation of wine. Although Jesus fulfilled all these perpetual biblical sacrifices in himself including the “Todah”. There are more priestly “levitical” sacrifices and offerings not mentioned here but these were not yet according to the order of Melchizedek sacrifice being offered to God in the form of bread and wine.

What seperates Melchizedek sacrifices from the Levitical priesthood, is that Melchizedek was a King and a High priest in one, the Levitical priesthood, had Moses, Aaron, Judges, Prophets and Kings, until King David comes along and offers a High Priestly sacrifice with bread and wine who shared it with God’s people, a prefiguration of Jesus who is reigning as our King and High Priest in heaven.

The gifts of bread and wine from the laity, now we are entering the terminology of “oblation”.These offer up the first fruits of God’s own creation with thanksgiving with a pure mind, in faith and in fervent love. They dont become the sacrifice according to Melchizedek until our King and High Priest Jesus Christ takes these gifts from us and perfects them in his body, blood soul and divinity. But it takes a King who is our High Priest to make them according to the order of Melchizedek. The laity are not Kings or High Priest, we are children of the Lord and family members of the High Priest. where only the family members of the High Priest could eat the sacrifice offered to God alone, no one else can consume this unless your are a family member of the High Priest. This is documented in scripture.

Thats to bad. I thought we were all King/Priest in the Order of Melchizedek, were Jesus Christ is High Priest.The Todah is the only sacrifice to survive the fall of Jerusalem in 70 a.d. I thought there was a conection between the ancient Jews and the Catholic Church. I believe I have been corrected. I just don’t understand why Peter sayed we are all King/Priest in I Peter 2:9-10 " A Royal Priesthood, a Holy nation…" the same as the ancient Hebrews before the fall at the Golden calf Exodus 19: 5-6. An like Peter John sayed we the priesthood and shall riegn on earth Revelation 5:9-10. The very word “priest” means to offer sacrifice.So you would say I’m not a priest in the Order of Melchizedek were Jesus Christ is High Priest?

 

[ladybri77]

Melchizedek is one of the most powerful yet little known character in the Bible. He was a Kingpriest from Shalom which later became Jerashalom(Jerusalem),and offered a bread and wine sacrifice on Abrahams behalf (Gen.14:18-20). Melchizedek was not Hebrew yet he had the authority to do this.Hebrews chapter 7-9 tell us Jesus Christ is High Priest in the Order of Melchizedek. I Peter 2:9-10 tells us as Christians we are in the Order of Melchizedek by now being both Kingship and Priesthood “But now you are a chosen race, a royal priesthhood, a holy nation, a people of his own…”(NAB) This is the same right the ancient Israelites had before the fall at the golden calf. I Peter 2:4-5 calls us to be living stones(rocks) and let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices. My question is this, if we all enter into the Royal Priesthood then does this not give us authority to offer sacrifice like Melchizedek did? Why would we need a priesthood to offer sacrifice for us? So who is in this priesthood and who is out?
Please be respectful of one and nothers beliefs I didn’t start this thread to bash Catholics,it is some questions I have and wish to learn.

There is One who was sacrificed for us all, Jesus Christ. There is now no sacrifice left.

Peace,

 

[racing59]

There is One who was sacrificed for us all, Jesus Christ. There is now no sacrifice left.

Peace,

I thought the very word “Christian” is to be “Christ like” and our lives should be a sacrifice to him? So Jesus did it all, we don’t have to do a thing? Once saved always saved? Melchizedek offered a Bread and Wine sacrifice on Abrahams behalf, then why is Jesus Christ High Priest in the order of Melchizedek? Why do Catholic say, " May the Lord except our Sacrifice at your hands for our good and the good of all the Church." ? Maybe not exact, but I know it’s close.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

I thought the very word “Christian” is to be “Christ like” and our lives should be a sacrifice to him? So Jesus did it all, we don’t have to do a thing? Once saved always saved? Melchizedek offered a Bread and Wine sacrifice on Abrahams behalf, then why is Jesus Christ High Priest in the order of Melchizedek? Why do Catholic say, " May the Lord except our Sacrifice at your hands for our good and the good of all the Church." ? Maybe not exact, but I know it’s close.

Hence an ancient Irish custom of Put It On the Paten. At that point we put all our hurts and woes of the day on the paten with the bread to be offered up to God.

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

Thats to bad. I thought we were all King/Priest in the Order of Melchizedek, were Jesus Christ is High Priest.The Todah is the only sacrifice to survive the fall of Jerusalem in 70 a.d. I thought there was a conection between the ancient Jews and the Catholic Church. I believe I have been corrected. I just don’t understand why Peter sayed we are all King/Priest in I Peter 2:9-10 " A Royal Priesthood, a Holy nation…" the same as the ancient Hebrews before the fall at the Golden calf Exodus 19: 5-6. An like Peter John sayed we the priesthood and shall riegn on earth Revelation 5:9-10. The very word “priest” means to offer sacrifice.So you would say I’m not a priest in the Order of Melchizedek were Jesus Christ is High Priest?

Gabriel of 12;

racing59; you are correct, we have not summed up all that needs to be said here about the King/High Priesthood of Jesus. The connection between the ancient Jewish feasts and sacrifices have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Todah Sacrifice is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The Todah sacrifice is still practiced by Catholics, all these are fulfilled in the
Eucharist. My Mother herself always made a “Todah” sacrifice for all her children with a promised fulfilled to God, and we celebrated not with common bread and wine as Melchizedek did, but with the True bread from heaven Jesus Christ in his Eucharist. So you are correct from this aspect, when we place Jesus Christ first, we can do all things.

We are a Holy Nation, a Royal Priesthood, we have the Priesthood that never ends, because we do all things in Jesus Christ. But above all, we are in Jesus Christ, members of his body, partakers of his divinity. We are all one family in God, so we do all these things as you mentioned, but not by ourselves alone we need Jesus to accomplish them all.

You spoke about the gifts from the laity, this is the Kiss, when the bride of Jesus Christ, offers her gift, and the bride groom Jesus gives his gift back to her in the exchange with a divine Kiss who gives his life for his bride when the two “Apocolypsis” what you state is from the book of “Revelation” both bride and bride groom unveil (Revelations) themselves to one another in the wedding supper of the lamb.

Let me stop here; Before I go on into explaining the Mass through the book of Revelations. I would like you to know, all you spoke about is true, its just putting it in biblical perspective knowing all these things are accomplished through Jesus Christ of which we are members of his body in the Catholic Church. So yes we are of the Priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek, possessing the faith that we are in Jesus Christ who has accomplished all these things. There is so much more to reflect in the Lord Jesus Christ, and how we are members of his body in his Catholic Church.

I dont believe correction was made here, just a true perspective of how it is through Jesus all these things are accomplished and more.

Our Priesthood of which you are of the Holy Royal Priesthood of Jesus Christ fulfilled that of Melchizedek. But our priest hood is eternal, we are not of this world, but we are in the world, for it is the “Spirit that gives life, where the flesh is of no avail” say’s Jesus.

Peace be with you

 

[Gabriel_of_12]

Gabriel of 12,
I appreciate reading your posts. I agree that Christ fulfilled the need for the Levitical priesthood and for the law of sacrifice as practiced by the Jews through His great and last Sacrifice, and that He did this as the Great High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek.

One thing I would like to understand is what name is given to the priesthood that Catholic priests, cardinals, and bishops hold, and how that priesthood is transferred from one to another. (Or is it just called “priesthood”?)

Gabriel of 12;

Thank you for your kind words, Praise be the Lord Jesus Christ; I am only repeating what the early church fathers taught about the Kingly High Priesthood of Melchizedek which finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ a King who has conquered death, and an eternal High Priest offering himself for our sins before God the Father, in time for every age from earth in his body, blood in the Eucharist, and eternally in heaven as the Lamb of God who “TAKES AWAY” sin of the world.

The name of the Priesthood Jesus built upon the Apostles who handed down this Liturgy to their disciples and successors, from Jesus breathing upon the disciples, making them priest’s at the last supper to “do this in remembrance of me”. The ordained Priest hood comes from Jesus himself through the apostles from the successors of the apostles which are our Bishops who ordain the Priests and deacons with unbroken succession in the Holy Spirit.

Now their are many different offices of Holy Orders that go by different titles "oblates of St. Joseph, Dominicans, Jesuits etc. But these are all of the High Priest hood of Jesus Christ to “Do this in memory of me”, in other words the Ordained Priest during the consecration of the Eucharist is “In persona Christi” The Words of Jesus Christ are made present in the person of the Ordained Priest. There is much more to expound on this topic.

I like the initials on the Pope’s vestments at times during the Liturgy, Two P’s with a cross, symbolism of Peter and Paul in Jesus Christ.

The different titles of the offices of Holy Orders do many different functions for the body of Jesus Christ, that go by many names, some after the example of Christianity lived such as “Fransicans” from St. Frances, but these all are ordained by the imposition of hands a biblical Apostolic Tradition to confect the Eucharist. Where the Bishop is there is the body of Jesus Christ.

To be able to confect the Eucharist validly, the Bishop or Priest must be ordained from a successor to the apostles. Which you will find unbroken in the Catholic church for 2000 years.

Peace be with you.

 

[Finrock]

Once again thankyou Finrock for posting. Fascinating to me once again LDS believes similar to the Catholic Church, just like the Tree of Life.

Hello racing59! I hope you are having a great day.

It is true that there are some similarities with the Catholic view of the priesthood and the LDS view of the priesthood. However, there are some real distinctions which I briefly touched on in my posts. The function of the priesthood differs. There is a real difference in how the Catholic church and the LDS church understands the priesthood duties and functions and who is ordained to the priesthood. For instance, in the LDS church, all church organizations and callings are priesthood organizations or callings and fall under priesthood jurisdiction. From the librarian to the Bishop, it is directed under presiding priesthood authority. Priesthood is also seen as an oath and a covenant, necessary for exaltation. Which means all members need to enter in to this oath and covenant. In the LDS Church there is also two divisions of the priesthood. In addition to the Melchizedek priesthood, there is the Aaronic priesthood. The Aaronic priesthood is considered to be a preparatory priesthood. A worthy male at age 12 can receive the Aaronic priesthood and is ordained a Deacon. At age 14 they can be ordained a Teacher and at age 16 they can be ordained to a Priest. All of these offices are Aaronic priesthood offices. The Melchizedek priesthood is considered to be the higher priesthood, which the Aaronic priesthood only being a shadow of the Melchizedek priesthood. Where as the Aaroni priesthood concentrated more on outward performances of faith, the Melchizedek priesthood concentrates on the spiritual. All males 18 and older in the LDS church are encouraged to be worthy to receive the Melchizedek priesthood. In the LDS church, the laity are the leaders of the branches, wards (parish), and stakes (diocese). For instance, any Melchizedek priesthood holder (usually all males 18 or older) in the ward can be called as a Bishop (equivalent to a Catholic Priest) to lead the ward. All callings at the stake level and below are lay members who serve without compensation for a period of time.

Anways, those are some of the differences. Of course, it is hard to explain everything there is about the LDS understanding of priesthood in a single post, but if anything wasn’t clear or if I mixed things up, please let me know and I’ll try to clarify.

Kind Regards,
Finrock

 

[racing59]

Hello racing59! I hope you are having a great day.

It is true that there are some similarities with the Catholic view of the priesthood and the LDS view of the priesthood. However, there are some real distinctions which I briefly touched on in my posts. The function of the priesthood differs. There is a real difference in how the Catholic church and the LDS church understands the priesthood duties and functions and who is ordained to the priesthood. For instance, in the LDS church, all church organizations and callings are priesthood organizations or callings and fall under priesthood jurisdiction. From the librarian to the Bishop, it is directed under presiding priesthood authority. Priesthood is also seen as an oath and a covenant, necessary for exaltation. Which means all members need to enter in to this oath and covenant. In the LDS Church there is also two divisions of the priesthood. In addition to the Melchizedek priesthood, there is the Aaronic priesthood. The Aaronic priesthood is considered to be a preparatory priesthood. A worthy male at age 12 can receive the Aaronic priesthood and is ordained a Deacon. At age 14 they can be ordained a Teacher and at age 16 they can be ordained to a Priest. All of these offices are Aaronic priesthood offices. The Melchizedek priesthood is considered to be the higher priesthood, which the Aaronic priesthood only being a shadow of the Melchizedek priesthood. Where as the Aaroni priesthood concentrated more on outward performances of faith, the Melchizedek priesthood concentrates on the spiritual. All males 18 and older in the LDS church are encouraged to be worthy to receive the Melchizedek priesthood. In the LDS church, the laity are the leaders of the branches, wards (parish), and stakes (diocese). For instance, any Melchizedek priesthood holder (usually all males 18 or older) in the ward can be called as a Bishop (equivalent to a Catholic Priest) to lead the ward. All callings at the stake level and below are lay members who serve without compensation for a period of time.

Anways, those are some of the differences. Of course, it is hard to explain everything there is about the LDS understanding of priesthood in a single post, but if anything wasn’t clear or if I mixed things up, please let me know and I’ll try to clarify.

Kind Regards,
Finrock

Thankyou once again Finrock for explaining what LDS believes. I’m having a battle with a person on another post that is insulting non Catholics, telling us what we believe. I ask for prayers because I have about had it with the post on these threads. People don’t seem to be intrested in getting deep into Scripture, they seem more like they want to shove their Favorite passage down your throwt. Please say a prayer for me. I wish more people could be like you and Rebecca J.
God Bless:thumbsup:

 

[swplan76]

Thats to bad. I thought we were all King/Priest in the Order of Melchizedek, were Jesus Christ is High Priest.The Todah is the only sacrifice to survive the fall of Jerusalem in 70 a.d. I thought there was a conection between the ancient Jews and the Catholic Church. I believe I have been corrected. I just don’t understand why Peter sayed we are all King/Priest in I Peter 2:9-10 " A Royal Priesthood, a Holy nation…" the same as the ancient Hebrews before the fall at the Golden calf Exodus 19: 5-6. An like Peter John sayed we the priesthood and shall riegn on earth Revelation 5:9-10. The very word “priest” means to offer sacrifice.So you would say I’m not a priest in the Order of Melchizedek were Jesus Christ is High Priest?

A Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation…

Yeah, there is a lot of things that the church is… In Isaiah we were called to be a “House of Prayer.” There is a lot of things that the church is seen to be a fulfillment of from the OT. There is a connection between the Church and the ancient Jews. Peter says what he says because it is supposed to influence the way we operate - we are not just some social club - we are part of something divine, something massive - “A Royal Priesthood, a Holy nation…” We are not just a bunch of hicks hanging around doing our own thing - our thing is His Kingdom - it is the purpose of the universe. We have reason to celebrate and to expect huge things to happen through us and around us.

Yes, if you are a Christ follower and you have given yourself over to Him, you are a saint - you are a priest. This happens through the Holy Spirit. Evidence of this comes as you choose to surrender your life to Him, as it is lived for Him.