Do Christians Need Priests?
Bible Teaching About Church Organisation
FOR many people the organisation and traditions of religion create
large barriers to its acceptance. Believing that God can be worshipped
acceptably by an individual in a forest or on a mountain-places which
bring readily to mind His awesome creative power - they shy away from
grand robes and imposing buildings. When it is suggested that somehow
God cannot he properly worshipped other than through a human
intermediary and according to set rites, their worst fears are
confirmed. The hierarchy of priests (cardinals, archbishops, bishops,
canons, etc.), is confusing to them and also suggests that there are
two categories of worshipper - priests and lay people. Possibly, even
that those who claim to be ordained by God are more favoured than
everyone else.
Churchmen argue that priests and the church speak on God's behalf;
they interpret God's commandments for men, and plead with God on man's
behalf; only they are allowed to bless the sacraments of communion:
the bread and wine shared by worshippers in remembrance of Christ's
sacrifice. They claim that today's priests are the rightful successors
to the Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles; that God speaks today
through the church as He spoke in earlier centuries through prophets
and apostles.
What can we make of these claims? Has God commanded that He should
be worshipped only through the mediation of human priests? Do men
today have the right to speak for God? Are there two categories of
worshippers, the priests and the laity?
A Reliable Authority
To answer these questions we need to have a reliable source of
authority, something that is totally trustworthy, having stood the
test of time. Priests speak with the authority they believe they
receive from their church. The churches claim their authority direct
from God Himself. But we are not interested in claims alone. We
need some reliable evidence.
If God has declared anything about how He should be worshipped,
that would surely be the reliable authority we are looking for. And
God has spoken! The Bible claims to be the written word of God.
Nor is this only a claim. If it was, it would be no different from the
churches' claim to speak on God's behalf. God's word contains various
tests so that His claim can be proved.
God Does not Change
Primarily there is the evidence of fulfilled prophecy (for more
information on this subject see the booklet in this series: Bible
Prophecy). God revealed to His prophets certain events long before
they happened. Their words also had a further importance:
"If a prophet arises among you . . . and if he
says, 'Let us go after other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let
us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or
to that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you, to
know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart"
(Deuteronomy 13:1-3).
Look how crucial this passage is. In times past God revealed His
mind to certain men and women. Their words could be tested. What they
spoke about future events had to be fulfilled if they were truly
speaking for God. More than that, if they contradicted previous
messages from God, they were clearly false prophets - for God does not
change This establishes an important principle. God has revealed His
purpose for mankind, and this is verified by the tests He provided.
Anyone who speaks today and contradicts the teachings in His word
cannot claim that His authority lies behind what they say. The Bible
thus becomes an important source of authority on religious matters
today - it is the living Word of God.
This question of authority is crucial to our consideration. True
believers in Christ accept only one authority, the word of God. Christ
was "the word made flesh" (John 1:14). He always upheld and
never contradicted his Father's word. His followers must aim for
nothing less in their own worship. Let us therefore approach God's
Word reverently to see what is revealed about the priesthood, and
about the organisation of believers in Christ. In this way the claims
of churchmen for themselves and for their churches can be tested.
Priesthood in the Old Testament
In the beginning of the Bible record God spoke directly with some men
and women by means of His angels. He did not command the establishment
of a priesthood until after the descendants of Jacob were delivered
from slavery in pagan Egypt and led by Moses to the land of Canaan.
During their forty year journey, they were being welded into a
nation-and into a religious congregation. Stephen spoke to the Jewish
leaders of his day about "the church in the
wilderness" under the leadership of Moses, through whom God
provided laws to govern their national life (Acts 7:38).
"The church" was not a special building for their
worship, it is a term used to describe the whole group of people
separated to God. As it is a word connected in modern use almost
exclusively with a building, it may help to understand its true
meaning to learn that the word in the New Testament's original
language (Greek), was ekklesia. Our English word
"congregation" is a good translation of it: a group of
people gathered together for a special purpose. Because the
"congregation in the wilderness" consisted of God's people,
all their laws had a spiritual purpose, and were to be taught and
maintained by His representatives. God chose the tribe of Levi out of
their twelve tribes to fulfil this role.
The reason for choosing Levi was important. Moses had been called
up into a mountain to receive the nation's laws. In his absence from
their camp, the people called for a festival. During their revelry
they gave golden jewellery to Moses' brother Aaron, and he made a
golden calf, like the gods worshipped in Egypt. Returning from the
mountain when the orgy was at its height, Moses was distressed by
their behaviour, and immediately took charge. Calling out, "Who
is on the Lord's side?", he determined to purge the camp of all
the revellers who had turned away from worshipping God to worship the
golden calf.
Levi's sons responded immediately, and Moses was able to say to
them, "Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the
Lord" (Exodus 32:29). The tribe of Levi thus became responsible
for instructing the nation in the things to do with God and His ways.
The nation had shown itself to be weak and with a tendency easily to
turn away from God. The Levites had shown their faithfulness to Him in
a time of trial and now had to show the same judgement through their
lives for the benefit of others. They were to act as intermediaries
between a faithless people and a "God of mercy, yet of
holiness".
Man Separated from God
God indicated His close involvement with the nation of Israel when the
glory of His presence occupied part of the portable Tabernacle, and
later the more permanent Temple - centres for the nation's worship.
The Most Holy Place, as this part was called, could not be entered
regularly by anyone. It was a room wholly set aside for God. Though He
was among His people, the perfection of His character and the
sinfulness of theirs did not allow free and open concourse between
them. Just once each year the High Priest was allowed to enter, but
only after rigorous and careful preparation.
By the sacrifices and offerings commanded under the law, and by the
priests' involvement with them, the people were constantly to be
reminded of God's holiness, and that He cannot be approached casually
or insincerely. The chief priest wore on his forehead a small gold
plate inscribed with the words, "Holiness to the Lord"
(Exodus 28:36). Together with his clothing, it was meant to represent
the attitude of mind necessary in priest and people if they were to be
acceptable to God.
A close consideration of all the Old Testament teaching concerning
the priesthood reveals the following important aspects:
- God is pure and holy - He cannot be approached directly by
sinful men and women.
- Angels were employed by God to communicate with mankind.
- The priesthood was commanded by God only when there was a group
specially prepared to worship Him, and with laws controlling that
worship. These people formed a "church".
- The priest was a man from a family chosen by God and separated
from the people.
- Men and women who wanted to repent of their sins and receive
forgiveness had to employ the services of a priest who would
assist them to offer a sacrifice.
- The presence of God was located in the inner portion of the
tabernacle and temple. Only the High Priest could enter once a
year, after special preparation.
- The priest had to be washed clean before he could mediate for
the people, and he had to offer for his own sins first.
This last aspect is specially important. Though the Levites had
shown great promise in the matter of the golden calf, they were really
as sinful as the rest of the people. When Israel's history unfolds in
the Bible record, the priests become as involved in the nation's
transgression as those they were meant to be teaching, and often can
be found leading the nation in false worship. What was needed was a
representative for man, sharing all his propensities to sin, but
perfectly obedient to the commands of God. A man like that could
fulfil all the requirements for priesthood: chosen by God and
separated from the people.
Priesthood in the New Testament
The apostle Paul, commenting upon the law given through Moses in his
letter to the Galatians, described it as a "schoolmaster to bring
us to Christ' 13:24). In every aspect, the law declared its inability
to bring salvation to sinful mankind. A sacrifice had to be offered every
time someone sinned. All this did was constantly to remind man
that sin separates him from God. There was no provision in the jaw for
finally removing sin from the earth. Anyone carefully meditating upon
the law's significance would realise the urgent need for a Saviour
from sin.
This need was met when Jesus was born. He was given that name, as
an angel declared to Mary's husband Joseph, because "he will save
his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). Jesus fulfilled all
the requirements that the priests under the law were unable to
achieve. Where they were weak, he was strong. He was subject to the
same things that caused their weakness: he knew the temptations they
had to grapple with. But they often gave in to temptation. Jesus never
did. He shared his physical nature with them: an ageing body,
susceptible to tiredness, injury, disease and, ultimately, death. But,
instead of focusing his mind on himself and his needs, as this weak
nature has for the rest of mankind, Jesus' mind was devoted completely
to the things of his heavenly Father. Where sin has ensnared all the
rest of humankind, Jesus never succumbed. Men have constantly failed;
Jesus was supremely victorious.
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God", is
how Paul described the state of mankind (Romans 3:23). But Jesus
"committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips" (1 Peter
2:22). His victory over sin and death was complete when God raised him
from the dead - to die no more. He is "a priest for ever"
(Hebrews 7:17).
The Perfect Priest
Here is someone ideally fitted to be a priest:
- Jesus came into the world as a human being and lived amongst men
and women.
- He learned real obedience to the Father through the suffering he
endured.
- He overcame every temptation, lived an utterly sinless life, and
offered himself completely when he submitted to death on the
cross.
- Since Jesus was undeserving of death, God raised him from the
grave and gave him a nature that cannot perish or die; he is now
immortal, and lives and reigns with God.
- Because he shared our humanity, he can sympathise with our
trials and problems.
- Having himself overcome similar trials, he can offer a share in
his victory to those willing to associate themselves with him.
These factors set Jesus aside from every other person who has ever
lived. As these are the qualities of true priesthood, there can only
be one priest. The Jewish priests of Jesus' day should have seen that
he fulfilled the requirements for priesthood where they had manifestly
failed. With a blinding pride, however, they saw none of this, and
were among the leaders of the group intent on putting him to death.
Because they should have known better, and should have taken the
responsibility of priesthood under the law more seriously, Jesus
called them "blind guides" and "whitewashed tombs"
(Matthew 15:14; 23:27).
He scathingly denounced them for their hypocrisy. He warned the
people against them, because they "like to go about in long
robes, and love salutations in the market places and the best seats at
synagogues at id the places of honour at feasts" (Luke 20:46).
Jesus' attitude to their pride is part of the answer to our question
about the justification for two 'levels' of worshipper; humility, not
pride, must be the characteristic of the true follower of Christ:
"For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who
humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 14:11).
The true church, based on Biblical principles, is a congregation of
men and women with no hierarchy, devoted to the worship of God, and
honouring the sacrifice made on their behalf by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Through him only can they acceptably approach God in prayer.
In Jesus the Jewish law was both fulfilled and replaced. His work
had also been anticipated by the provisions in the law, but its
complete objective could not be achieved by any of the Levite priests.
Christ in Contrast to the Law
1. Jesus was chosen by God to be High Priest. After
Aaron had first been appointed High Priest under the Law of Moses, all
subsequent holders of that position were eldest sons, taking over on
the death of their fathers. They were thus chosen "by the will of
man", not by the will of God. They could only approach into God's
presence once each year. Jesus now lives for evermore, and always sits
in the presence of God:
"The former priests were many in number, because
they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but he holds
his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever.
Consequently he is able for all time to save those who draw near to
God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for
them" (Hebrews 7:23-25).
2. Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice, once and for all.
Under the law sacrifices had to be offered again and again. The Jewish
priests had to recognise their own sins by offering first for
themselves before they could officiate on behalf of the people:
"He has no need, like those high priests, to
offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of
the people; he did this once for all when he offered himself"
(verse 27).
3. Jesus was able to replace the law by perfectly
fulfilling it, and by being totally obedient to his Father's will:
"Christ has obtained a ministry which is as much
more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better,
since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had
been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second . . .
In speaking of a new covenant he treats the first as obsolete"
(Hebrews 8:6,7,13).
4. Jesus conquered sin, and true believers can
receive forgiveness of sins because of his victory:
"Christ has entered, not . . to offer himself
repeatedly, as the high priest enters the Holy Place yearly . . . for
then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of
the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of
the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Hebrews
9:24-26).
One Mediator
His priesthood is unique, and no human being can achieve what he did.
He said himself, speaking first of all to his disciples who could have
greater claim to represent him than anyone else: "No man cometh
unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6}. In unmistakable terms,
the apostle Paul confirms this true position:
"There is one God, and there is one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a
ransom for all" (1 Timothy 2:5,6).
Furthermore, Paul wrote these words in a section of his letter to
Timothy dealing with the organisation of the believers in Ephesus. Had
he wished there to be a category of believers with special duties to
represent God to man, here was the opportunity to say so. Instead, he
clearly states that Jesus alone fulfils this function.
Many churches today claim that only an ordained priest can bless
and distribute the bread and wine, end that only bishops can ordain
priests. The New Testament certainly records the first occasion bread
and wine were shared by the disciples in Jesus' presence, and later
how the apostles described the believers' duty to meet regularly for
this purpose. But it never suggests that the person presiding over
this memorial service has to be specially ordained - in fact there is
no mention of such a person, only of the command to believers:
"As often as you eat this bread and drink this wine you proclaim
the Lord's death until he comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26).
It must be noted that this command specifically places a
responsibility on individual believers, whether meeting on their own
or in company with others, to take bread and wine in remembrance of
Jesus' sacrifice. The practice of some churches to restrict the
sharing of wine to the priests only, finds no place in the Bible
record.
The Organisation of the Early Church
Having seen that the Jewish priesthood was replaced by the work of
Christ, we must now turn to consider how the early believers organised
themselves. Did the Lord's apostles command the establishment of a
human priesthood modelled on that of Christ's? Did they instruct that
special buildings, intricately decorated, should be erected; that
there should be special robes, or special phraseology to make worship
acceptable? Were there to be special functions for certain believers?
The New Testament account of the early Christian church reveals an
active, lively, and rapidly growing community. Although believers
performed many different functions, there were no distinctions in
terms of status:
"For as in one body we have many members, and
all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are
one body in Christ, and individually members one of another"
(Romans 12:4,5).
Through all that was written during this exciting period, and while
the gospel message was scorching through the Mediterranean world
assisted by the communication systems provided by the Roman Empire,
there was clearly great concern that no one person, or group of people
should dominate the fellowship of believers. To suggest otherwise
would effectively dethrone their Lord, for:
"Christ is the head of the church, his body, and
is himself its Saviour" (Ephesians 5:23).
Service is the Keynote
Jesus' own words to his followers should be the guide in these
matters. He taught all of his disciples to be servants, and
there was to be no differentiation in terms of rank. He set the
example himself when he washed the feet of his disciples-in his day
the most menial task of the most insignificant slave: "I have
given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to
you" (John 13:15). He also warned his followers about the dangers
of treating some men or women differently from others. They had seen,
as he had, the corruption of the Jewish leaders in their day. Jesus
warned his own followers not to fall into the same trap:
"You are not to be called rabbi, for you have
one teacher, and you are all brethren. And call no man your father on
earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called
masters, for you have one master, the Christ" (Matthew 23:8-10).
Elsewhere in his teaching, Jesus upheld the family unit, and spoke
about the need for children to respect their parents. He was therefore
clearly talking on this occasion about their religious organisation
needing to be founded as a brotherhood. His words here
concerning fathers relate to the practice of calling religious leaders
"father", showing how alien it is to Christ's ideal of the
relationship between believers. To do so in the face of Jesus' own
teaching is an affront to the majesty of God Himself.
The Family of Believers
The idea of a family is a very useful way of understanding how the
early believers organised themselves in accordance with the advice of
Jesus and his apostles. God was their Father, and the Lord Jesus
Christ their Saviour, the head of their community. But like a normal,
human family with older and younger members, where those who are more
experienced take a greater share in the daily responsibilities, so in
the early Christian congregations there were elder and younger
members. Certain responsibilities were given to the elders, but they
were not to lord it over the rest of the congregation. They were to
"treat younger men like brothers . . . younger women like
sisters, in all purity" (1 Timothy 5:1,2).
Yes, there were different tasks, and different responsibilities
according to circumstance, but the first century congregations knew
nothing of the distinction between priests and laymen, so common in
today's churches. The selection of elders to look after each
congregation was the responsibility of the members in that place. Paul
wrote to Titus, in Crete, and told him to: "appoint elders in
every town" (Titus 1:5). It would presumably have been possible
for Paul to have given a list of appropriate names. But this would not
have helped believers elsewhere, or in a later age. So that the task
could subsequently be done by the members of any congregation, Paul
set down the qualities that fit a man to be an elder:
"Men who are blameless, the husband of one wife,
whose children are believers and not open to the charge of being
profligate or insubordinate" (verse 6).
Elders, Bishops and Deacons
These elders, sometimes called "bishops" (meaning shepherds
or overseers had, as we have seen, responsibilities towards their
fellow believers. The bishop's role was that of a shepherd. He was not
in Jesus' place in the community, but had to display the same concern
for the "flock" - of which he was also a part.
Other tasks, also of service, were entrusted to men and women
qualified to fulfil them. Whereas elders' responsibilities were
directed more to the spiritual needs of believers, "deacons"
were involved with their physical needs. In the New Testament only the
Lord Jesus Christ is recognised as a priest. Nor do any of the
descriptions of the work of elders, bishops or deacons suggest that
these had any priestly function. None of the other church
"offices" are Bible terms either: they have all been
invented by men.
Nowhere do the Apostles mention the sort of building believers
should meet in. On one occasion the apostle Paul joined a group of
worshippers who met by the riverside. Everything he had to say about
this group, and others like them, commends their practices. Nor are
special clothes mentioned. The only time there are references to what
worshippers should wear, there are strong indications that clothes in
flamboyant colours or costly materials should be carefully avoided (1
Peter 3:3,4, for example).
Another distinction between clergy and laymen in many churches
today is that the clergy receive payment for their work. In the first
century, those involved in the spiritual welfare of the community were
entitled in principle to material or financial support. The apostle
Paul wrote to the Corinthians about this. He said: "Do we not
have the right to our food and drink? The Lord commanded that those
who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel" (1
Corinthians 9:4-14). Nevertheless, Paul recognised the possibility of
corruption entering into the community through this provision, and
declared about himself: "I have made no use of any of these
rights in my preaching I make the gospel free of charge . . . I do it
all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its
blessings" (verses 15-23).
The history of churches where payment has been made to its clergy
unfortunately bears out the apostle's concerns. In the Middle Ages the
churches were extremely corrupt, and many priests became infinitely
more wealthy and powerful than the members of their congregations. The
problem still exists today. Scandals involving church finances occur
only too regularly. A return to the New Testament principle of
"the right to food and drink" for those "who proclaim
the gospel" would help to prevent many of these crimes.
The Work of the Apostles
It is important to recognise that these arrangements for each
congregation to elect ministers (i.e., servants) from within its own
membership were being made when the apostles of Jesus were still
active among the infant church. In the absence of a reliable written
account of the work and teachings of Christ (for the gospels were not
widely available in their present form until towards the end of the
first century A.D.), the apostles were inspired witnesses of Jesus'
life, death and resurrection. On them rested the power of God, His
Holy Spirit. It gave them ready recall of all that Jesus did and said;
and by it they were able to work miracles to reinforce the truth of
their teachings, as Jesus had.
Once the New Testament account was complete, man had in his
possession, together with the books of the Old Testament, a book that
contains all that is necessary to teach him about God's offer of
salvation:
the holy scriptures . . . "are able to instruct
you to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15).
Each believer becomes individually responsible to God for the
answer he makes to the call of the gospel. As the Psalmist wrote:
"None can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a
ransom for him" (49:7) Through the word of God man learns of His
offer of salvation. Others may assist him to grow in his
understanding. But once he comes to an appreciation of the saving work
of Christ and the faithful response he should make, he stands on his
own before God. His only mediator is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Apostolic Succession
But, it has been argued, the apostles were leaders of the Church; they
acted in Christ's place. To the extent that they witnessed to him, and
preached the same gospel message, this is true. But the apostles, even
though they had the power of the Holy Spirit, did not act as mediators
on behalf of other men and women, as priests today claim for
themselves. We have seen that the purpose of the Holy Spirit in the
apostles' lives was to guarantee the truth of their witness. As this
was no longer necessary once the scriptures were complete, there was
also no need to provide for a succession of men to take on the role of
apostles. Nowhere in the Bible record can we find apostleship being
passed on to a new generation.
It is sometimes claimed that the practice of "laying on
hands" provided divinely appointed successors to the apostles.
But the term has a variety of meanings, many of them unrelated to the
idea of succession, such as identification with an offering, or the
award of a blessing.
When Moses was specifically commanded to appoint Joshua to succeed
him, God said: "Lay your hand upon him . . you shall invest him
with some of your authority" (Numbers 27:18,19). The history of
the nation soon shows that the people were to look upon Joshua as they
had once viewed Moses. If the laying on of hands in the New Testament
has only this special meaning, we should expect to find apostles being
replaced as they died, if not before. But they were not. The apostle
James died quite soon after the ascension of Jesus (Acts 12:2), and
there is no mention of a replacement for him. We have already seen
that the election and appointment of elders was made specifically with
the consent and approval of each individual congregation, and not
directly by the apostles.
After the Apostles
Evidence from early church history indicates that it was not until the
middle of the second century A.D. that the practice developed of
separating bishops from elders. Bishops were elevated to a position
where their role was that of master or lord rather than servant. At
about the same time there were signs of the emergence of a separate
priesthood which began to assume certain features of the Jewish
priesthood. Elaborate rituals developed connected with religious
services and in the ordination of church officials. Soon there were
the special buildings, clothing and language that so mark out much of
religious activity today Though contrary to Bible teaching, this was
not a wholly unexpected development. Even during the period when the
apostles were active there was a constant struggle to prevent the
intrusion of both Jewish and pagan practices into the infant Christian
community.
Jesus and his apostles warned about the emergence of "false
teachers", "false prophets", and even of "false
Christs", who would deceive many and turn away disciples after
them (Matthew 24:4,5,11,24). Paul showed that false teachers would
arise from within the church itself: "From among your own selves
will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples
after them" (Acts 20:28-30). Towards the end of the first
century, the apostle John wrote: "As you have heard that
antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come" (1 John
2:18). The term "antichrist" refers not only to those who
openly oppose Christ's teaching, but also to those who claim to
represent him, yet who, by their teachings and practices, actually
oppose him.
These warnings are just as important today. Any survey of the
history of Christianity shows how the simple faith and practices of
the apostles and their fellow believers have been corrupted. The only
way to ensure compliance with them is to examine modern beliefs and
behaviour in the light of Bible teaching.
Living Sacrifices
Learning that present believers do not act as priests, interceding or
offering on behalf of others, we can recognise only the Lord Jesus
Christ as priest for his church. However, there are aspects that
formerly were part of the priesthood that believers now have to fulfil
on their own behalf. As the Levites were "taken out" of
Israel to serve God under the law of Moses, so the believers in Christ
are "taken out" of the world to be a selected company to
offer praise unto God:
"Through him (Christ) then let us continually
offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that
acknowledge his name" (Hebrews 13:15).
"Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy
and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship" (Romans
12:1).
These passages teach that so far as the believer is concerned,
there is to be no separation into that which is "holy" and
that which is "profane", for the whole of a true Christian's
life is dedicated to being "holy". What is specially
significant is that the believers themselves are instructed to do the
"presenting". No priest can do this for them. Prior to their
conversion, whether they were pagans or Jews, this act of offering a
sacrifice would have been the privilege and responsibility of a
priest. But Christ's disciples are to make sacrifices now in acts of
self-denial to demonstrate their allegiance to Jesus and his future
rule over God's kingdom on earth. They forsake the things of the
present world because of their commitment to the world to come. Jesus'
sacrifice, offered once for the benefit of all who will avail
themselves of it, is the guarantee that a life of service now will be
rewarded when he comes back to the earth.
- MICHAEL ASHTON
Most Bible quotations are from the Revised Standard Version