Is 'Priest' biblical?

[BobRyan]

The Pagan system from which the RCC took power and title…

b]Pontifex maximus[/b]: the Roman high priest.
The pontifex maximus was not a real magistrate: he did not serve for a fixed period but for life, and he remained, officially, a citizen. As the title suggests, the pontifex maximus was 'the greatest' or chairman of the college of the pontifices, 'priests'. They were responsible for the Roman state cult as a whole and for several cults in particular, viz. the cults that had no priestly college of their own (such as the augures, the decemviri sacris faciundis and the fetiales).
The number of pontifices continued to grow. There were originally 5 'real' pontifices, after the Lex Ogulnia (300/299 BCE) 9, after Sulla 15, and after Julius Caesar 16. Another member was the rex sacrorum ('king of the sacrifices') who performed the religious acts that the king had usually done. There were three (later 15) flamines, special priests for the main gods, and there were three mysterious pontifices minores,. Finally, the high priest was also responsible for the eighteen priestesses of the goddess Vesta. This may have been his most important duty, and it comes as no surprise that the residence of the pontifex maximus, the domus publica, was next to the monastery of these women.
The main task of the pontifices was to maintain the pax deorum, the 'peace with the gods'. To obtain this goal, they gave advise to the magistrates, interpreted the omens, controlled the calendar and oversaw funerals. The pontifex maximus was responsible for a large collection of omens (annales maximi); every year, he wrote down the celestial and other signs, and added the events that had followed the omens, so that future generation would be able to better understand the divine will.
….
Julius Caesar was elected pontifex maximus in 63 BCE and kept the office until his death. The house where he spent the night before he was killed, was the domus publica. After his death, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus became pontifex maximus (44-12 BCE); when he died, the emperor Augustus became responsible for the state cult. He also put an end to the election of the pontifices. From then on, a position in the college of pontifices was a sign of special imperial favor, comparable to a decoration in our age.
The word pontifex is sometimes explained as 'bridge builder', but is in fact related to the Etruscan word pont, 'road', and means something like 'preparer of the road'. The pope still calls himself pontifex maximus.
Because the pontifex maximus was not a real magistrate, he was not allowed to wear the toga with the purple border. However, he could be recognized by the iron knife (secespita).

 

[DHK]

The RCC "priesthood" is someways is patterned after the Levitical priesthood, which still offers up sacfrifices, as the RC priest still offers up Christ in a bloodless sacrifice. In the OT the people had to go through the priest to have access to God; so do they in the RCC. Atonement was made by the High Priest. Thus confession of sins to a RC priest and the resulting penance. There is a pattern after the Levitical priesthood in the RCC.

But the New Testament knows no Levitical priesthood nor any pattern thereof. There are priests in the New Testament.

1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Revelation 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
--It is the duty of the priest to offer sacrifice. In the New Testament the sacrifice here is the sacrifice of praise.

--In Romans 12:1 we are told to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice which is only our reasonable service.

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
--The only one who had the privilege of coming straight before the throne of grace, the throne of God, was the High Priest on the Day of Atonement to make an atonement for the sins of the nation. We, as priests, all have that privilege on a daily basis. Any time we can come right before God's throne.

All of the above Scriptures teach the Baptist distnctive which we know as "the priesthood of the believer," that is, that every believer is a priest before God. No believer needs a priest; for every believer is a priest before God, and has the privilege to go straight to God without any human intercessor whatsoever. When people ask me to pray for them I often to tell them (to encourage them): Certainly I will pray for you, but remember that your prayers have just as much power as mine. You can go to God's throne of grace just as easily as I can. God looks down upon all of his children equally. The prayers of one are just as important as the prayers of another.
DHK

 

[BobRyan]

Originally posted by DHK:
The RCC "priesthood" is someways is patterned after the Levitical priesthood, which still offers up sacfrifices, as the RC priest still offers up Christ in a bloodless sacrifice.

Agreed - in the RCC the priests have "magic powers to mark the soul" and by this we mean "magic powers that do NOT leave the priest EVEN if he goes into apostacy".

Among those magic powers is the "power to confect GOD!" -- as though God is a "pastry".

The RCC admits that if its claims to confect God via the priests is false - then it is practicing idolatry "worshipping a piece of bread as though it were God!"

RC Eucharist is “idolatry” (if non-Catholics are right) according to the RCC.

The Faith Explained – A bestselling RC commentary on the Baltimore Catechism post Vatican II by Leo J. Trese is promoted as “A standard reference for every Catholic home and library”. Complete with Papal Imprimatur -- Quote from page 350-351

Parenthetical inserts “mine”

The Faith Explained – Page 350

“On this, the last night before His death, Jesus is making His last will and testament.

Ibid. Page 351
A last will is no place for figurative speech (in the Catholic opinion); under the best of circumstances (human) courts sometimes have difficulty in interpreting a testator’s intentions aright, even without the confusion of symbolic language. Moreover, since Jesus is God, He knew that as a result of His words that night, untold millions of people would be worshipping him through the centuries under the appearance of the bread. if he would not really be present under those appearances, the worshippers would be adoring a mere piece of bread, and would be guilty of idolatry,. Certainly that is something that God Himself would set the stage for, by talking in obscure figurative speech.
…
IF Jesus was using a metaphor; if what He really meant was, “This bread is a sort of SYMBOL of My Body, and this is a SYMBOL of My Blood (not yet spilled – so they were not then participating in sacrifice); hereafter, any time that My followers get together and partake of the bread and wine like this, they will be honoring Me and representing My death”; if that IS what Jesus meant (as many protestants claim), then the apostles got Him all wrong (in the Catholic option here). And through their misunderstanding (can the Catholic document blame the Apostles instead of the Catholic church’s tradition that interjects this RC heresy?), mankind has for centuries worshiped A PIECE OF BREAD as God”

Indeed such "magic powers" were not the domain of OT Levitical priests - but the concept of separation of profane laity from sacred clergy with the clergy having "powers and access" not available to the laity was there.

And the "continual sacrifice" was there - as well.

By contrast in the Christian Gospel HEB 10 tells us of a "ONCE FOR ALL TIME" sacrifice of Christ that puts a STOP to all sacrifice "in the midst of the week" ! 3.5 years into the start of Christ's ministry.

In Christ,

Bob

 

[Eliyahu]

Originally posted by nate:
Yet you have no Scripture to back any of this. While on the other hand using Dictionaries we have traced the roots of the English word Priest back to Presbyter a word Paul himself used was St. Paul wrong? [/QB]

Nope! Paul never said Priest is the contraction of Presbyter.

Do you think you can change the Bible by using a dictionary? Is a Dictionary superior to Bible?

Why does the Scripture have Words for Priests and Elders separately?

Deut 31:9
9 And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi , which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and unto all the elders of Israel .

Leviticus 4:15-6
15 And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD: and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD. 16 And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock's blood to the tabernacle of the congregation:

Matt 16:21
Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, ( Are these elders the priests?)

Acts 4:23
And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.


Did Latin Words exist before the time of Moses?
Otherwise did they exist before Christianity came into Roman Empire? If they did, they must belong to pagan religion.

Did Latin words start to be used in Catholic after Christianity came into Roman Empire?

Then RC must have brought the paganism into the NT churches, ignoring the Bible truth which clearly says the Separate words for Priest( Cohen, Hiereus) and Elder ( Zaqen, Presbyteros).

If you insist on the groundless, unreasonable theory, God cannot offer you the wisdom.

 

[Eliyahu]

TITLE AND CALLING Elders:

Jesus said:
Matt 23:8

But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. all ye are brethren

Peter called Paul Brother:

2 Pet 3:15
even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you

Peter called Sylvanus a faithful Brother ( 1 Pet 5:12)

Philippian Overseers and Deacons were called Brethren :

Phil 1:1
1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops(Overseers) and deacons:

Phil 3:1
Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.

Paul called Apolos Brother ( 1 Cor 16:12) Tychicus a beloved Brother ( Eph 6:21) Onesimus a faithful and beloved Brother ( Col 4:9)

Elders :
Peter, allegedly called as the first Pope by Roman Catholic called himself “ Elder” 1 Pet 5:1 where he mentions the church leaders “ Elders”
He never mentioned Pope for his title, never claimed any supremacy over other churches or apostles.


Apostle John called himself as “Elder” 2 John 1:1, 3John 1:1

Paul called the elders of the Ephesus church ( Acts 20:17) then told them Holy Spirit appointed them as Overseers ( Bishops) of the church. ( Acts 20:28)
Paul instruct Titus to elect Elders for each city( Tit 1:5) then explains him that Overseers should have the some qualifications in Tit 1:7, which hints us that Elders are the same as Overseers as mentioned in 1 Tim 3:1-7

 

[Eliyahu]

Saints:


All believers who are truly born again in Christ by Holy Spirit are Saints:

1 Cor 1:2
Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints , with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

 

[Eliyahu]

Originally posted by Matt Black:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Eliyahu:
Maybe you have a special relationship with him like father and son as mentioned by Jesus in John 8:44, that's why you know it.

Now, if that's not a personal attack, then I don't know what is. </font>[/QUOTE]Yes, if you ignore the followings, you are right. But if you see the following with the same measuring balance, you can see it as a just reaction:

Satan was able to trick you into doubting God's promises for you and thereby drive you to the brink of destruction

Unless someone has a special relationship with Satan, he or she can hardly condemn anyone else who confess the faith in Jesus and denounce Idol Worship, as the person driven by Satan.
This is not unusual since Jesus was condemned as Beelzebub by unbelievers.

 

[Chemnitz]

Except I have never condemned you as you have regularly condemned me. Besides I was only commenting on your own story of doubt and self destruction.

This thing is really sad as I have never actually questioned your salvation, where as you have done so to me on a regular basis. You know I have to wonder now by your own words you condemn yourself.

Unless someone has a special relationship with Satan, he or she can hardly condemn anyone else who confess the faith in Jesus and denounce Idol Worship, as the person driven by Satan.

 

[nate]

Originally posted by Eliyahu:
Saints:


All believers who are truly born again in Christ by Holy Spirit are Saints:

No one debates this. But this has nothing to do with calling a spiritual leader "Priest".

 

[DHK]

Originally posted by nate:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Eliyahu:
Saints:


All believers who are truly born again in Christ by Holy Spirit are Saints:

No one debates this. But this has nothing to do with calling a spiritual leader "Priest". </font>[/QUOTE]Yes it does. All believers are priests under God. We are a holy priesthood. Each one of us can come straight before the throne of God. We offer sacrifices--sacrifices of praise. We offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). We are all priests, each believer in Christ. It is a very important point.

That makes the term and title of "priest" in the RCC sense totally unbiblical. It is an imitation of the OT Levitical priesthood which was done away with at the cross. But the Catholic Church really doesn't believe that Christ paid the full penalty for our sins any way. If they did, there would be no need for purgatory, a place where man has to further be cleansed from the sins that Jesus already cleansed him from with His own blood. Christ made the ransom payment with his blood. The atonement was made. It was all sufficient, and accepted by God the Father. But the RCC says no it is not sufficient for me. I need to help Christ have a part in the work of His salvation by:
1. being baptized.
2. spending time in purgatory
3. keeping the ten commandments and other good works.
4. confessing my sins to a priest.
5. And in general keeping the sacraments of the church.

But the Bible says that salvation is as simple as accepting the sacrifice of Christ by faith and faith alone.
DHK

 

[nate]

Originally posted by DHK:
Yes it does.

No it doesn't.

DHK
All believers are priests under God. We are a holy priesthood. Each one of us can come straight before the throne of God. We offer sacrifices--sacrifices of praise. We offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). We are all priests, each believer in Christ. It is a very important point.

Why? I proved that the English word Priest comes from the Latin and Greek Prebyter which is used in the Bible. What happened to Sola Scripture?

 

[DHK]

Originally posted by nate:
Why? I proved that the English word Priest comes from the Latin and Greek Prebyter which is used in the Bible. What happened to Sola Scripture?

Yes, what did happen to sola scriptura?
Here is a quote from Barnes commenting on Acts 14:23, where Paul ordained elders in every church.

Elders. Greek, Presbyters. Literally, this word refers to the aged. Cmt. on Ac 11:30. But it may also be a word relating to office, denoting those who were more experienced than others, to preside over and to instruct the rest. What was the nature of this office, and what was the design of the appointment, is not intimated in this word. All that seems to be implied is, that they were to take the charge of the churches during the absence of the apostles. The apostles were about to leave them. They were just organized into churches; were inexperienced; needed counsel and direction; were exposed to dangers; and it was necessary, therefore, that persons should be designated to watch over the spiritual interests of the brethren. The probability is, that they performed all the functions that were required in the infant and feeble churches; in exhorting, instructing, governing, etc

The Greek word translated elder is presbuteros. It has nothing to do with priest. So what did happen to sola scriptura. Using sola scriptura we compare scripture with scripture and we find this:

Matthew 23:9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

The RCC "priests" also call themselves "Fathers" which is condemned in Scriptures. We don't have priests or "Fathers" in the New Testament. We have one spiritual Father, and each one of us are a priest before that Father. I don't need anyone to mediate for my sns. That is a function of a priest: to mediate between two people. But the Bible says:

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Jesus is my Great High Priest. I need no other. There is no other mediator beside Christ. To say that there is any other priest beside Christ is heresy. He alone intercedes for me, as he sits at the right hand of the Father ever living to make intercession for the saints. No man can do that.

Sola Scriptura teaches that although there was a priesthood in the Old Testament it was done away at the cross. There remains no more sacrifice for sins. Christ was sacrificed once, and once for all. The Levitical system of priesthood (as the RCC have is totally unbiblical and a slap in the face of Jesus.
DHK

 

[nate]

Originally posted by DHK:

Jesus is my Great High Priest. I need no other. There is no other mediator beside Christ. To say that there is any other priest beside Christ is heresy.

I thought we were all "priests".

 

[DHK]

Originally posted by nate:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by DHK:

Jesus is my Great High Priest. I need no other. There is no other mediator beside Christ. To say that there is any other priest beside Christ is heresy.

I thought we were all "priests". </font>[/QUOTE]We are all priests. Christ is our Great High Priest.

 

[DHK]

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
--Christ is our high priest (4:15)
--As priests we also have access unto the throne of grace.

 

[Eliyahu]

There is no need to call any leaders in the church as Priests. The reason or background why any church try to call them as Priests is because they intend to conduct the "Sacrifices" as they believe Jesus Christ didn't complete His Work at the Cross.

Jesus Christ finished all the Scrifice at the Cross. There is no need for the church to have any further Priest at all!

Priests and Presbyteros are separate words.
Any attempt to have Priests in NT churches is groundless. Maybe in Pagan worship of Babylonian style such title Priest is necessary.

Priest as an office at the church denies the Truth of "Every Born-Again Believers( Saints) are Priests"

 

[Claudia_T]

In the new testament it only talks about priests
n the book of Acts, Hebrews, the book of Peter and Revelation..

In Peter and Revelation is talks about us all being priests.

In Hebrews it mostly about Jesus being our high priest


Everywhere else in the New Testament where it talks about duties of church leaders it never calls them priests, its always Elders, Bishops, etc

 

[Claudia_T]

I dont know if that has anything to do with anything but I typed it into my desktop computer and thats what I came up with

 

[Eliyahu]

Hebrews 10:11-12

11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins :


Hbr 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever , sat down on the right hand of God


We all are Priests because Jesus Christ has become our true Sacrifice at the Cross Once for ALL. There is no special person as a Priest at the church. The only Special person is Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest.

 

[Matt Black]

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