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A Royal Priesthood
A Royal Priesthood
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. I Pet. 2:9, ESV
In this passage in I Peter 2, v. 5 emphasizes that we are a holy priesthood offering up spiritual sacrifices. And then in v. 9 quoted above, he speaks of the priesthood as our calling, by which we proclaim the excellencies, or glories of God. The priesthood is both holy and royal, conforming to our High Priest who is both Priest and King. We do not reflect enough on the idea of our priesthood, nor on what we are called to and equipped for as priests of God.
Isaiah prophesied the redeemed of the new covenant would be “priests of Jehovah” (61:1-6, 66:18-21), and Jesus relates that day to His day (Lu. 4:17-21). Physical Israel was called “a kingdom of priests” (Ex. 19:6), and although the people apparently forfeited this right (Ex. 20:19 Deut. 5:23-f), the language is applied anew to spiritual Israel, God’s people of the New Covenant. In Heb. 7, Christ is declared to be our High Priest “after the order of Melchisedec” - who was both King and Priest.
Since all saints are priests, the church has no “clergy-laity” distinctions. Christ said, Matt. 23:8, “One is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren.” Concerning high positions and arbitrary rule, Christ said, “It shall not be so among you” (Matt. 20:26). A direct and immediate relationship exists between saints and God, through Christ (1 Tim. 2:5), and no other mediator is needed. The overseers have a function to perform, but are not “officers” in any hierarchal sense. (Study the Greek text of 1 Tim. 3:1). God’s church has no official “administrators” of baptism, the Lord’ s Supper, etc.; nor does “the church” have to validate such matters. [these two paragraphs quoted from Robert Turner, Plain Talk v. 12, 1975].
In the OT, the priest's life before God was redeemed by and for service to Jehovah. It was a selfless role of serving the Lord and others. Holiness and prayer and sacrifice are also OUR obligations as priests. We are dedicated to the service of Jehovah, and to prepare us for that service, Jehovah made us what He wants us to be as He created us in Christ, cleansing us and devoting us, making us holy (Ep 2:1-10). We are His "heritage" (Ep 1:11), very special to Him. We are "the riches of the glory of His inheritance" (Ep 1:18).
The idea of our holy calling as priests ought to humble each one of us. I cannot leave it to the preacher, or to the elders. I have MY preparation to make, MY prayers to offer, MY service to render, MY work to do. And yet I am not to focus on self, but on Jehovah and on others. It is not within me, and it is not up to me.
In my priesthood, I proclaim the excellencies of HIM who called me.
Larry Walker, Sept 2009
- A_Royal_Priesthood.doc (64.51 kB)
