What Is the Priesthood of All Believers?

Summary

Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.

A royal priesthood — against the medieval backdrop

• The question posed (in the host's frame): in his first epistle, Peter wrote, that Believers are part of a royal priesthood. In many cultures, the word priest evokes images of religious leaders conducting rituals. What did Peter mean, by his use of this word? (The episode also carries an invitation, in Bernard's own voice, to the gathering it names — which stands verbatim-only, as episode furniture, not as part of the answer.) The host's question: in your latest book (the one the question names), you use a phrase, that is not original to you, of course. But that phrase is: the priesthood of all believers. And that's a reference to what Peter said, when he wrote that we are a royal priesthood — in First Peter 2:9 (as the question cites it). in our culture, when people think of the word priest, they may think of somebody in a long robe, who's conducting religious rituals. But what does that terminology mean, for that person who's listening to this podcast today, who's part of a church like ours (as the question styles it)? What is the priesthood of all believers? The answer: oh, you rightly mentioned first Peter 2:9: we are a royal priesthood, a chosen generation, A peculiar, or unique, people. In similar language, Revelation chapter 5 says that we're Kings and Priests, unto God. So the New Testament very definitely considers all believers — what we call Saints — to be priests. This is significant, historically, because it became one of the core doctrines, of the Protestant Reformation, started by Martin Luther, in 1517 (as the year stands). He was reacting, to the medieval Church, where the Roman Catholic church had priests: they did the preaching; they heard confession of sins; they could pronounce, you know, God's forgiveness over you, if you confess; but they would prescribe Penance. By the time of the Middle Ages, people spoke many different languages, in Europe. But the priests would continue — the mass, in Latin. So the common people didn't even understand it. So it became — the theology became: well, the priests are the ones, who are the spiritual people, who do all the spiritual work, who do all the work of the church. And the average person just is supposed to show up. They're just supposed to confess their sins, to the priest. They don't even know what's going on. They don't even understand the service. But it doesn't matter. They don't need to understand. They just need to obey. They're not supposed to read the Bible. In fact, the Bible is put on the list of forbidden books. So it was thought, that the average layperson — even if they could read — the Bible is in Latin, and so they couldn't read it. But even if they could, they were discouraged from doing so, because they're just ordinary people. They had — would — misunderstand it. They just need to follow what the church said. So the priest could read the Bible, and understand. The priests could preach. The priest could administer confession, and Penance, and Absolution, from sins. But average layperson really was nothing, and could do nothing. And so people had to go through a priest, to get to God. The priest became the mediator.

Scriptures: 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 5

No human mediator — direct access, and priests for ourselves

• Well: Martin Luther emphasized, rightly so, that there was no human mediator, except the Lord Jesus Christ. That Jesus Christ died for our sins, and rose again. He became our high priest, as we see in the book of Hebrews. And so we go through him, as the man Christ Jesus. And we have direct access to God. Second Corinthians 5:19: to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. So God, in Christ, has reconciled us to himself. Jesus is our high priest. So the only person we need to go to, to confess our sins, is Jesus Christ. We don't need to go to a human priest. We each have direct access to God. So, in the Old Testament priesthood, then: the best comparison is not to preachers today, but to all believers today. So: Jesus Christ is our high priest. Each of us are priests, unto God. What does that mean, practically? Number one: we can intercede to God, for ourselves. So we can go directly to God, if we have sinned, or if we have a special need. The book of Hebrews says: we can go directly. We can come boldly, to the throne of grace. We don't have to go to a temple, or a tabernacle, and offer a sacrifice. Jesus Christ has already offered the sacrifice. We don't have to go to a priest, to ask him to represent us to God. Jesus Christ is our high priest. He's already represented us. Therefore, we can go directly to the throne of grace. We can make our petitions known to God. We can feel the presence of God. We can be filled with the Holy Spirit, which the people in the Old Testament couldn't receive. And that's not just for preachers. That's for every believer — or, those who we call Saints. So that's the first significance: that each believer, each person who is born again, can go to God directly, for his or her own needs. To intercede, for his or her own life — through repentance of sins, faith in God, asking God to supply the needs, receiving God's spirit, and living In God's Presence.

Scriptures: Hebrews (book-only); 2 Corinthians 5:19

Priests for others — intercession without a channel

• The second thing the priesthood of Believers means, is: that we can intercede, on behalf of others. So we can be a priest for others. Not in the sense, that we take the place of Jesus Christ. Or not in the sense, of the medieval priests, that people have to confess sins to us. But it means, that we can go to God, on behalf of our brothers and sisters, or our lost loved ones, or anybody that we come in contact with. We can intercede on their behalf, to God: intercessory prayer. So not only can we represent ourselves to God, we can represent other people. And while each person has to exercise his, or her, own will, in accepting salvation — when we pray for people, God will respond to our prayers. God will work in their lives. God will move on their behalf. God will answer our prayers, for them. So: if someone is sick, and can't even — is not even conscious (as the sentence stands), or can hardly think straight, or struggling to believe — but we can pray the prayer of faith, for them. And God can heal them, based on our prayers. If someone is lost in sin, we can pray. And God will respond to our prayers, by moving in their lives, bringing conviction to them, arranging circumstances where his presence becomes known, leading them. Of course, they still will have to finally assent, in order to receive salvation. But our prayers can bring them, before God's throne. So that's an exciting thought: that we're not dependent upon a priest. Or — while we do respect our pastors, and other ministers, and there's definitely a role of Spiritual Authority — the point is: our Salvation, or the salvation of others, doesn't have to be channeled, through another human being. But we can pray directly to God, for ourselves. And we can pray directly to God, for other people. We are Kings and Priests, unto God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Scripture index: 1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 5; Hebrews (book-only); 2 Corinthians 5:19.