Why Do We Need a Levitical Priesthood on Earth?

[jpjd]

Why use priests for our worship when each man could do this if he were a christian and able to teach?

Even if each man were a Christian and able to teach, he could not do it.

The quote “All Christians are of that royal priesthood of God, and have but one great High Priest, Jesus Christ” is referring to the common priesthood of the baptized. When we are baptized, we become sharers in Christ’s mission of priest, prophet, and king. This does NOT mean we are able to offer Mass. It does mean that we are to offer our very selves, our lives and our life’s work, to God for the sake of the world.

Only ministerial priests, those who are ordained through the sacrament of Holy Orders, have the power and authority to offer Mass. These priests share in the *common priesthood *by virtue of their baptism, and they are ministerial priests or ordained priests by virtue of their Holy Orders.

Also, ordained priests are NOT Levitical priests, they are priests in the order of Melchizedek. Levitical priests had to have the proper parentage and other requirements to be priests, and they offered animal sacrifices. Priests in the order of Melchizedek are called by God and offer the Body and Blood of Christ in the sacramental appearance of bread and wine.

As a member of the common priesthood, you should do as my priest once said, " Give back to God what He first gave to you – the gift of your life."

 

[Salamander]

**Holy Orders: **

Genesis 14:18 But Melchisedech the king of Salem, bringing forth bread and wine, for he was the priest of the most high God, Here it specifically speaks of Melchisedech-no one else, right?

Exodus 19:22 The priests also that come to the Lord, let them be sanctified, lest he strike them.

 

[Church_Militant]

**Holy Orders: **
Genesis 14:18 But Melchisedech the king of Salem, bringing forth bread and wine, for he was the priest of the most high God,
Salamander;2473172:

Here it specifically speaks of Melchisedech-no one else, right?

Ever heard of types and foreshadowings? I guess it slipped you notice that this is applied to Christ in the NT.

Exodus 19:22 The priests also that come to the Lord, let them be sanctified, lest he strike them.

Levites - not other men, right?

Certainly sounds like a holy order to me…

Psalm 110:The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.

This is about Jesus, referring in the future to Hebrews 7, right?

So…this is a good example of the holy order…especially since it specifies there is an “order of Melchisedech”. If Jesus is the High Priest, (and the NT says that He is) then why is a Christian holy order in error…especially since the very earliest writings of the church speakof them (Ignatius of Antioch writes of Christian priests “making sacrifice”) and St. Paul plainly tells us that he believed and taught that the Eucharist becomes "the body and blood of the Lord. 1st Corinthians 11:23-30)

Malachi 2:7 For the lips of the priest shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek the law at his mouth: because he is the angel of the Lord of hosts.

Uh, angel? Wouldn’t this change the priests you speak of into a condition other than human? These were messengers

, Levitical priests. Besides, from here up, it’s all about the Law of Moses, not the Law of Christ. (Col. 2:14)Try to stay in the discussion. What does the word Angel mean? and again…we have types and foreshadowings.

COLOR=“DarkRed”]John 20:21 He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you.

His disciples, the eleven (Mark 16:14)

I’d look at the following context of this verse if I were you. I don’t see very many n-Cs who practice this scripturally as we do. (another thread on Confession.)

Acts 9:17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house. And laying his hands upon him, he said: Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus hath sent me, he that appeared to thee in the way as thou camest; that thou mayest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

Jesus sent Ananias for Saul/Paul. He did not ordain him a priest.

Really? Point is that there occurred a laying on of hands…part of every consecration and ordination.

13:3 Then they, fasting and praying, and imposing their hands upon them, sent them away.

Still not priests in the catholic sense.

That’s funny, we see it that way.
(Cont’d)

 

[Church_Militant]

The only problem there is that your modern interpretations do not align with the things that the early church wrote. THE EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO THE SMYRAEANS

CHAP. VIII.–LET NOTHING BE DONE WITHOUT THE BISHOP.
See that ye all follow the bishop, even as Christ Jesus does the Father, and the presbytery as ye would the apostles. Do ye also reverence the deacons, as those that carry out[through their office] the appointment of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper(18) Eucharist, which is[administered] either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude[of the people] also be; by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude[of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. It is not lawful without the bishop either to baptize or to celebrate a love-feast; but whatsoever he shall approve of, that is also pleasing to God, so that everything that is done may be secure and valid.(2) even as where Christ is, there does all the heavenly host stand by, waiting upon Him as the Chief Captain of the Lord’s might, and the Governor of every intelligent nature. It is not lawful without the bishop either to baptize, or to offer, or to present sacrifice, or to celebrate a love-feast.(1) But that which seems good to him, is also well-pleasing to God, that everything ye do may be secure and valid.

 

[Joero]

Er, we don’t have a levitical priesthood anymore.

You are right ! The premise “why do we need a levitical priesthood on earth?” is wrong ! Seems to me that some are riding on a fake horse. But brotherhood is our purpose here, so enjoy it fellows !

 

[Salamander]

You are right ! The premise “why do we need a levitical priesthood on earth?” is wrong ! Seems to me that some are riding on a fake horse. But brotherhood is our purpose here, so enjoy it fellows !

Not wrong. You speak of sacrifices by the priests. If Jesus is the sacrifice “once and for all”, why continually offer up sacrifices at the alter? Try this article on for size and the quiz right after and give me your comments please. Thanks.

bible.ca/interactive/worship-14-communion.htm

 

[Teflon93]

Not wrong. You speak of sacrifices by the priests. If Jesus is the sacrifice “once and for all”, why continually offer up sacrifices at the alter? Try this article on for size and the quiz right after and give me your comments please. Thanks.

bible.ca/interactive/worship-14-communion.htm

The Mass is not the re-sacrifice of Christ, it is the same sacrifice occurring simultaneously. God is not bound by Time.

 

[Evan]

If you like the word ‘Elder’ instead of ‘Priest’ that’s fine. But keep in mind, Elder is the translation from greek to english. The word priest is the original greek word Presbyter as it has modified itself through 2000 years. Priest is Presbyter:

Priest (English) from
Old Englist preost
Shortened from the Old High German prestar
From Old Fris. prestere
from Vulgate Latin (Latin of the common people) prester
from presbyter in Greek

Another Word
Bishop from Old English bisceop
from Late Latin episcopus
from Greek **episkopos **“watcher, overseer,” a title for various government officials, later taken over in a Church sense, from epi- “over” + skopos “watcher,” but the word also was used in the N.T. as a descriptive title for elders

Another Word
**Pastor **from Latin **Pastor **meaning shepherd

 

[Joero]

Not wrong. You speak of sacrifices by the priests. If Jesus is the sacrifice “once and for all”, why continually offer up sacrifices at the alter? Try this article on for size and the quiz right after and give me your comments please. Thanks.

bible.ca/interactive/worship-14-communion.htm

I had read it Salamander, and thank you. But it is a wrong concept that the holy sacrifice of the mass celebrated by any priest (ordained priest) whether he be a Pope, a Cardinal and etc. is the one who offers the holy sacrifice to God the Father. It is Jesus Christ himself, as the High Priest in the new covenant, who offers it to God the Father (although not visible by our sense of sight but by our faith). We will go first to the old covenant. It is known to us that priesthood for the old covenant would only be for the descendants of Levi, one of the offsprings of Jacob (Num.3:40-45 / Num.8:5-26). Moses, Aaron and Joshua were among them (Num. 26:59). From among the descendants of Levi, Aaron was chosen by God to be the High Priest and his descendants only to qualify for the priesthood functions and told Moses to ordain them (Exo. 40:12-15 / Num.18: 1-7)

Look here the High Priest function of Aaron! Aaron would be the one who offerered it to God. His sons (who were also priests) would only gave all those necessary stuffs to Aaron (Lev. 9: 9-21)

In the same manner, our priest, who celebrates the holy sacrifice of the mass, is not the one who offers it to God the Father but our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the High Priest. After the consecration of the bread and wine, it becomes the body and blood of our Lord. If it stays to be bread and wine alone, these stuffs had been used by the Aaronic priesthood and unacceptable by God as prophecized by prophet Isaiah ( Isa. 1: 11-14) and the old covenant according to St. Paul, God does away with all the old sacrifices and puts the sacrifice of Christ in their place ( Heb. 10: 9 ). If the priest who celebrates the holy sacrifice of the mass is the one who offers it to God the Father, it is not acceptable to Him. Why? The one who offers is a human being alone, and the sacrifice that is being offered is a God-Man Jesus Christ. It would be unethical to conceive that the offerer is of lesser dignity than the sacrifice being offered. So, Jesus Christ himself, being the High Priest, is the one who offers it to God the Father, during the celebration of the holy sacrifice of the mass.

 

[Salamander]

If you like the word ‘Elder’ instead of ‘Priest’ that’s fine. But keep in mind, Elder is the translation from greek to english. The word priest is the original greek word Presbyter as it has modified itself through 2000 years. Priest is Presbyter:

Priest (English) from
Old Englist preost
Shortened from the Old High German prestar
From Old Fris. prestere
from Vulgate Latin (Latin of the common people) prester
from presbyter in Greek

Another Word
Bishop from Old English bisceop
from Late Latin episcopus
from Greek **episkopos **“watcher, overseer,” a title for various government officials, later taken over in a Church sense, from epi- “over” + skopos “watcher,” but the word also was used in the N.T. as a descriptive title for elders

Another Word
**Pastor **from Latin **Pastor **meaning shepherd

…and here is an excerpt of information I have from one of my sources concerning Elders, Bishops, Pastors, and Presbyters (you might be surprised what you learn by reading the entire article):

bible.ca/ntx-elders-pastors-bishops.htm

“There are four main terms used to describe this position of authority: (elder, overseer, shepherd, steward). Each term gives us a little more information about the function of the office: Christians are described as: priests, saints, children citizens, soldiers, etc. In the same way we have different descriptive terms for the eldership.
These terms are not honorary titles but descriptions of work to be done: a. It would be wrong to call someone “Elder Smith”, or “Pastor Brown”.
In the table below, you will notice four individual terms (elder, overseer, shepherd, steward) and one collective term (eldership: which is simply the plural of term elder).
Five terms describing the office of an elder
Term—Greek word—Definition:—Emphasis
Elder or presbyter–Presbureros–An older man a senior–Experience
Overseer or bishop–Episcopos–A guardian or superintendent–Oversight
Shepherd or pastor–Poimen–Metaphoric term (tending flocks)–Protection
Steward–Oikonomo–Metaphoric term (treasurer)–Trustworthy
Eldership–Presbuterion–Group of older men/elders–Plurality & equality”

“Acts 20:17,28------Tit 1:5,7------1 Pe 5:1,2------All terms refer to same single office”