Priesthood

[Cruxis117]

I myself have complete faith that Jesus Christ set up a Priesthood. However, someone I was discussing this topic with made these points:

• There is no priesthood. The offices of Bishop, Elder, and Deacon are not offices of the Priesthood, but offices of the Church.
• There is no Scriptural support in the New Testament for a Priesthood.
• The Elders were chosen by the body of believers. They were not appointed.

I’m unable to answer them, though I’ve tried. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[catholictiger]

There is no Scriptural support in the New Testament for a Priesthood.

only question I can answer, there is New Testament support, its in teh book of revelation. There are people who believe the book of revelation is a instruction booklet per say for the Mass.

that’s all I can add to this though.

 

[eagle_eye222001]

I myself have complete faith that Jesus Christ set up a Priesthood. However, someone I was discussing this topic with made these points:

• There is no priesthood. The offices of Bishop, Elder, and Deacon are not offices of the Priesthood, but offices of the Church.
• There is no Scriptural support in the New Testament for a Priesthood.
• The Elders were chosen by the body of believers. They were not appointed.

I’m unable to answer them, though I’ve tried. Any help would be much appreciated.

Looking at statement 1.

There is no priesthood. The offices of Bishop, Elder, and Deacon are not offices of the Priesthood, but offices of the Church.

This is semantics. I mean…what does this person really mean by that?

Statement 2.

There is no Scriptural support in the New Testament for a Priesthood.

Would this person agree there is Scripture support for offices of the Church?

Statement 3

The Elders were chosen by the body of believers. They were not appointed.

So? The practice of choosing bishops changed a bit. After all, the Magesterium had the teaching authority to do so.

It seems to me this person is coming from a very Sola Scriptura point of view. I would counter these statements with questioning why must we only regard the Bible as the sole Word of God? No fair in using the Bible to do this as this would be circular reasoning…not to mention nowhere does the Bible say only use the Bible…

 

[Little_One0307]

I myself have complete faith that Jesus Christ set up a Priesthood. However, someone I was discussing this topic with made these points:

• There is no priesthood. The offices of Bishop, Elder, and Deacon are not offices of the Priesthood, but offices of the Church.
• There is no Scriptural support in the New Testament for a Priesthood.
• The Elders were chosen by the body of believers. They were not appointed.

I’m unable to answer them, though I’ve tried. Any help would be much appreciated.

NT office of elder “presbyter” or later “priest”

There is a wonderful book called Theology of the priesthood. Published by Ignatius and by Jean Galot. S.J.

In the book it addressed objections to the ministerial priesthood and refutes it. If you look in the chapter of contents it lists many subjects and referrs to a LOT of Scriptures. I wish I had time to post more in this topic, but I would definetly recommend you perusing this book. I am now only beginning to read it, so I wish I could help more on this.

Little One0307

Acts 15:2
Acts 6:22-23
1 Tim 4:14
1 Tim 5:17-19
Tit 1:5
1 Pet 5:1-5
Jas 5:14-15
2 Jn 1
3 Jn 1

Apostolic succession - where laying on of hands took place and etc.

Jn 20:21
Acts 1:15-26
2 Tim 2:2
Tit 1:5

 

[Phyllo]

I myself have complete faith that Jesus Christ set up a Priesthood. However, someone I was discussing this topic with made these points:

• There is no priesthood. The offices of Bishop, Elder, and Deacon are not offices of the Priesthood, but offices of the Church.
• There is no Scriptural support in the New Testament for a Priesthood.
• The Elders were chosen by the body of believers. They were not appointed.

I’m unable to answer them, though I’ve tried. Any help would be much appreciated.

There is a foreshadow in the OT for Jesus being the eternal priest see Gen 14:17-24. Melchizedek had no beginning and no end. He was just there.

In Hebrews read chapters 5-7-13. The writer compares Jesus to Melchizedek. No beginning and no end. So Jesus is our eternal priest. There is no way your friend can deny the eternal priesthood of Christ.

Does this help?

 

[Third_Day]

In the book of Revelation the apostle John saw presbyters ( elders in English) offering incense which is only done by priests in scripture.
In the epistle of James he says if anyone is sick call the presbyters ( elders in English) and they will anoint the sick man with oil, another function of a priest.
In 2 Corinthians Paul says that he forgave sins in the “person of Christ” ( Greek prosopon, Latin persona Christi). Forgiving sins is a function of a priest.
In Romans 15:16 Paul says he is in the “priestly service”.
Hebrews 7:12 says there is a now a change in the priesthood’
Hebrews 13:10 says “we have an altar”. Altars are only used for sacrifice, a function of a priest.
Matthias was chosen by lot in Acts 1:20.
Luke 1:8-9 tells us priests were chosen by lot to enter the Temple.
Jesus told the apostles “Do this in remembrance of me” Do what? Consecrate the Eucharist, the function of a priest. Paul consecrates the Eucharist in 1 Cor. 11:23
Hebrews 8:6 says we now have a better ministry. The Greek word for ministry is “leitourgia” where the word “liturgy” comes from.
The Church Fathers write about offering sacrifice and forgiving sins, a function of a priest.

 

[Phyllo]

I myself have complete faith that Jesus Christ set up a Priesthood. However, someone I was discussing this topic with made these points:

• There is no priesthood. The offices of Bishop, Elder, and Deacon are not offices of the Priesthood, but offices of the Church.
• There is no Scriptural support in the New Testament for a Priesthood.
• The Elders were chosen by the body of believers. They were not appointed.

I’m unable to answer them, though I’ve tried. Any help would be much appreciated.

I replied to this earlier but I just thought of something.

At the last supper Jesus consecrated the bread and wine and told the apostles to do this in remembrance of me. If they were to consecrate the bread and wine in remembrance of Jesus I would think that at that time the apostles were made priest and so on down the line.
Just a thought.

 

[FCEGM]

I myself have complete faith that Jesus Christ set up a Priesthood. However, someone I was discussing this topic with made these points:

• There is no priesthood. The offices of Bishop, Elder, and Deacon are not offices of the Priesthood, but offices of the Church.
• There is no Scriptural support in the New Testament for a Priesthood.
• The Elders were chosen by the body of believers. They were not appointed.

I’m unable to answer them, though I’ve tried. Any help would be much appreciated.

This is article on the ministerial priesthood may be helpful to you:

catholic-legate.com/Apologetics/TheSacraments/Articles/IsMinisterialPriesthoodScriptural.aspx

 

[Tomster]

I myself have complete faith that Jesus Christ set up a Priesthood. However, someone I was discussing this topic with made these points:

• There is no priesthood. The offices of Bishop, Elder, and Deacon are not offices of the Priesthood, but offices of the Church.
• There is no Scriptural support in the New Testament for a Priesthood.
• The Elders were chosen by the body of believers. They were not appointed.

I’m unable to answer them, though I’ve tried. Any help would be much appreciated.

“Every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins.” - Hebrews 5:1

Priesthood and sacrifice are therefore correlative. The essential act of priesthood is the offering of sacrifice, both as the supreme act of man’s worship of God (latreutic), and in expiation for the sins of men (propitiatory); and our High Priest and Mediator, Jesus Christ, performed this supreme act of his Priesthood when he offered himself in sacrifice to his Heavenly Father on the Cross both as the perfect and supreme act of divine worship, and as a the efficacious expiation of the sins of the world.

Another act of our Lord as High Priest and Redeemer was to establish his Church for the salvation of the world through the merits of his sacrifice on Calvary. He, the eternal Priest, would be its Head and High Priest. But since he was about to withdraw his corporal presence from His Church, it was necessary that his Priesthood should be exercised visibly and externally by a body of ministers appointed by himself and acting in his name.

Our Lord, therefore, on the day before he suffered, having for the last time celebrated with his Apostles the legal feast of the Paschal Lamb, instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice of the New Testament, first, as the perennial commemoration of the Sacrifice of Redemption on Calvary, and secondly, in order that the merits of the Sacrifice of the Cross might be applied to individual souls for the remission of their sins. Further, in order that this memorial Sacrifice might be offered in the Church till the end of time, and

“SHEW FORTH THE DEATH OF THE LORD UNTIL HE COME,” (1 Corinthians 11:26), by the words,

“DO THIS FOR A COMMEMORATION OF ME,”

he ordained his Apostles priests and gave them power to ordain others in their turn, and thus established in his Church a permanent and perpetual Order of Christian Priesthood.

 

[Randy_Carson]

I myself have complete faith that Jesus Christ set up a Priesthood. However, someone I was discussing this topic with made these points:

• There is no priesthood. The offices of Bishop, Elder, and Deacon are not offices of the Priesthood, but offices of the Church.
• There is no Scriptural support in the New Testament for a Priesthood.
• The Elders were chosen by the body of believers. They were not appointed.

I’m unable to answer them, though I’ve tried. Any help would be much appreciated.

Articles on the Priesthood

**The Three-Fold Ministry **
By James Akin
catholic.com/thisrock/1998/9806chap.asp

Bishop, Priest and Deacon
catholic.com/library/Bishop_Priest_and_Deacon.asp

Did Jesus Give Priests to the Church?
By Kenneth J. Howell
catholic.com/thisrock/2004/0404sbs.asp

 

[James224]

I myself have complete faith that Jesus Christ set up a Priesthood. However, someone I was discussing this topic with made these points:

• There is no priesthood. The offices of Bishop, Elder, and Deacon are not offices of the Priesthood, but offices of the Church.
• There is no Scriptural support in the New Testament for a Priesthood.
• The Elders were chosen by the body of believers. They were not appointed.

I’m unable to answer them, though I’ve tried. Any help would be much appreciated.

The Aaronic and Levitical Priesthoods were discontinued but the Melchesidechian Priesthood continues. Gen 14:18 says, “But Melchisedech, the king of Salem, bringing forth bread and wine, for he was the priest of the most high God…” Melchisedech offered bread and wine. This is what Christ offered and our priests offer. In Heb 7:3 the author is showing the inferiority of the Levitical Prieshood.
Melchesidech is unlike the Levitical Priesthood, he was much better. Heb 7:4 Abraham paid tithes to Melchesidech. This shows Melchesidech is superior to Abraham. Heb 7:5 Shows Melchesidech is superior to the Levites.
Heb 8:3-4 Christ was not a priest according to this Levitical Priesthood.
Heb 8:6 Christ hath obtained a better ministry – This is the Melchesidechian
Priesthood. Heb 8:8 The Lord prophecies that we would perfect a New Testament.
Heb 13:9-10 “We have an altar…” – This shows we have a New Testament
Melchesidechian Priesthood. A priest presides over a sacrifical altar. The author just said, “ Remember your prelates” (Heb 13:7) & “Obey your prelates”.(Heb 13:17) Paul speaks of a new priesthood according to Melchisedech and says it in Heb 7:17 which says “For he testifieth: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.” If Christ is a priest according to the order of Melchesidech then the men he ordained at the last Supper are of the same order. There is so much more but the point is that our priesthood comes from the Melchesidechian Prieshood and it’s superior. Christ was of this priesthood and He perfected it with His sacrifice. Then Jesus ordains men priests at the Last Supper and we have this continuation down to today. This is a start.

Edit: I wanted to add that there is a tradition that the spot where Melchesidech offered bread and wine (Gen 14:28) is the exact spot, the Upper Room, where Christ offered bread and wine at the Lat Supper.

 

[Subrosa]

Presbyters are priests. John refers to himself as one in his second epistle, and Titus is told by Paul to appoint them in that epistle.

thefreedictionary.com/priest

priest (prhttp://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/emacr.gifst)*n.***1. ** In many Christian churches, a member of the second grade of clergy ranking below a bishop but above a deacon and having authority to administer the sacraments.
**2. ** A person having the authority to perform and administer religious rites.

tr.v. priest·ed, priest·ing, priests To ordain or admit to the priesthood.

[Middle English preost, from Old English pr