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All Christians are Priests

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Mungo

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The Bible says all Christians are priests.
“be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…………… But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people”. (1 Pet. 2:5,9).
So why do Catholics have only some people as priests?

Yes, Catholics believe in the common priesthood of all believers.
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church (para 1546)
Christ, high priest and unique mediator, has made of the Church "a kingdom, priests for his God and Father." The whole community of believers is, as such, priestly. the faithful exercise their baptismal priesthood through their participation, each according to his own vocation, in Christ's mission as priest, prophet, and king. Through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation the faithful are "consecrated to be . . . a holy priesthood.".

We are all part of the royal priesthood a holy nation, but we are not all ministerial priests. Only those who are chosen and called are ministerial priests. Ministerial priests are called by God to serve God and the people of God.

We find this in the Old Testament
"Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests--Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.” (Ex 28:1).

Whilst God called some to serve him and his people as special priests he called all Israel to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation
“Now therefore, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own possession among all peoples; for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Ex 19:5-6)

Similarly whilst all Christians are part of the holy nation and a kingdom of priests, only some are called to be ministerial priests. As the Catechism explains (para 1547)
“…..the ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood. It is directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace of all Christians. the ministerial priesthood is a means by which Christ unceasingly builds up and leads his Church.”

This is biblical:
“But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 15:15-16).
 
Catholics used to exclude the idea that we are all priests, until Martin Luther came. They staunchly denied it and then a while after the reformation, capitulated to what the Bible says
 
So you claim. But I see no evidence, or do you expect me to buy the book to find out it is not true.
Historically at least, only the priest drinks wine at mass. That is because of the denial of universal priesthood. Ordination was a sacrament in the Catholic church, and when Luther demolished that idea, a sound basis for universal priesthood was established.
 
St. Augustine (354-430) in - The City of God (Book XX), Chapter 7 quotes Rev 20:6
And I saw an angel come down from heaven. . . . Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

Then in Chapter 10 he returns to that passage and writes:
To the words, In them the second death has no power, are added the words, but they shall be priests of God and Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years; and this refers not to the bishops alone, and presbyters, who are now specially called priests in the Church; but as we call all believers Christians on account of the mystical chrism, so we call all priests because they are members of the one Priest. Of them the Apostle Peter says, A holy people, a royal priesthood. 1 Peter 2:9
 
The Bible says all Christians are priests.
“be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…………… But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people”. (1 Pet. 2:5,9).
So why do Catholics have only some people as priests?

Yes, Catholics believe in the common priesthood of all believers.
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church (para 1546)
Christ, high priest and unique mediator, has made of the Church "a kingdom, priests for his God and Father." The whole community of believers is, as such, priestly. the faithful exercise their baptismal priesthood through their participation, each according to his own vocation, in Christ's mission as priest, prophet, and king. Through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation the faithful are "consecrated to be . . . a holy priesthood.".

We are all part of the royal priesthood a holy nation, but we are not all ministerial priests. Only those who are chosen and called are ministerial priests. Ministerial priests are called by God to serve God and the people of God.

We find this in the Old Testament
"Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests--Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.” (Ex 28:1).

Whilst God called some to serve him and his people as special priests he called all Israel to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation
“Now therefore, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own possession among all peoples; for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Ex 19:5-6)

Similarly whilst all Christians are part of the holy nation and a kingdom of priests, only some are called to be ministerial priests. As the Catechism explains (para 1547)
“…..the ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood. It is directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace of all Christians. the ministerial priesthood is a means by which Christ unceasingly builds up and leads his Church.”

This is biblical:
“But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 15:15-16).

It's convenient to cite the Old Testament to justify Christian doctrine, but it's clearly wrong. How many animals will you burn today to appease God?
 
It's convenient to cite the Old Testament to justify Christian doctrine, but it's clearly wrong. How many animals will you burn today to appease God?
Your ignorance of the Bible is remarkable, to be honest. The book of 1 Peter explicitly makes the comparison.
You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ... 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. (1 Pet. 2:5, 9)
Romans 15:15-16:
But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Here he clearly references Isaiah 66:20-21:
And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to Yahweh, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says Yahweh, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of Yahweh. And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says Yahweh.
Notice how remarkable this theme is. It references in v. 19,
...Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory...
The message will be spread to all the nations that have not heard of God, and some of them (i.e., those that accept the message) will become priests.

The comparison of believers to priests is a crucial theme of the New Testament, and I am surprised you seem to be unaware of it. Or perhaps your post is just motivated by anti-Catholic sentiment. Even though the universal priesthood of believers was one of the most important things Martin Luther argued for, over against the Catholic church of the time. (Clearly the Catholics have changed their doctrine.)
 
Your ignorance of the Bible is remarkable, to be honest. The book of 1 Peter explicitly makes the comparison.

Romans 15:15-16:

Here he clearly references Isaiah 66:20-21:

Notice how remarkable this theme is. It references in v. 19,

The message will be spread to all the nations that have not heard of God, and some of them (i.e., those that accept the message) will become priests.

The comparison of believers to priests is a crucial theme of the New Testament, and I am surprised you seem to be unaware of it. Or perhaps your post is just motivated by anti-Catholic sentiment. Even though the universal priesthood of believers was one of the most important things Martin Luther argued for, over against the Catholic church of the time. (Clearly the Catholics have changed their doctrine.)

Whilst I applaud your answer to Jaybo and the evidence you supplied, your comment about the Catholic Church changing it's doctrine is wrong (as I showed in post #8) and you supply no evidence for your claim.

In addition to St. Augustine, St Thomas Aquinus (1275-1274) - another great theologian - wrote this in his Summa Theologica:
A devout layman is united with Christ by spiritual union through faith and charity, but not by sacramental power: consequently he has a spiritual priesthood for offering spiritual sacrifices, of which it is said (Psalm 1:19): "A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit"; and (Romans 12:1): "Present your bodies a living sacrifice." Hence, too, it is written (1 Peter 2:5): "A holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices.
 
In addition to St. Augustine, St Thomas Aquinus (1275-1274) - another great theologian - wrote this in his Summa Theologica:
A devout layman is united with Christ by spiritual union through faith and charity, but not by sacramental power: consequently he has a spiritual priesthood for offering spiritual sacrifices, of which it is said (Psalm 1:19): "A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit"; and (Romans 12:1): "Present your bodies a living sacrifice." Hence, too, it is written (1 Peter 2:5): "A holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices.
Yeah, the Catholic church just can't make up its mind... not only did they ignore the Bible, they even ignored their own founder, Aquinas!

But it was all power. Denying universal priesthood gave the Catholics in charge of the church even more power.
 
Your ignorance of the Bible is remarkable, to be honest. The book of 1 Peter explicitly makes the comparison.

Romans 15:15-16:

Here he clearly references Isaiah 66:20-21:

Notice how remarkable this theme is. It references in v. 19,

The message will be spread to all the nations that have not heard of God, and some of them (i.e., those that accept the message) will become priests.

The comparison of believers to priests is a crucial theme of the New Testament, and cite the Old Testament to justify Christian doctrine Or perhaps your post is just motivated by anti-Catholic sentiment. Even though the universal priesthood of believers was one of the most important things Martin Luther argued for, over against the Catholic church of the time. (Clearly the Catholics have changed their doctrine.)

Your negative attitude is remarkable. My post was in reply to an earlier post . I said "It's convenient to cite the Old Testament to justify Christian doctrine, but it's clearly wrong." I stand by what I said. Do you actually think that citing the Old Testament to justify Christian doctrine is correct? Do you not realize that there is a new covenant made between God and those who accept the sacrifice of His Son?
 
Do you actually think that citing the Old Testament to justify Christian doctrine is correct?
Sometimes, I wish the biblical authors were still alive. I think the author of Hebrews would give you a serious talking-down.
 
Yeah, the Catholic church just can't make up its mind... not only did they ignore the Bible, they even ignored their own founder, Aquinas!

But it was all power. Denying universal priesthood gave the Catholics in charge of the church even more power.

Do you realize that you are contradicting yourself?
 
Yeah, the Catholic church just can't make up its mind... not only did they ignore the Bible, they even ignored their own founder, Aquinas!

But it was all power. Denying universal priesthood gave the Catholics in charge of the church even more power.
That's ridiculous.
Thomas Aquinas didn't found the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church doesn't ignore the Bible.
The Catholic Church has not denied the universal priesthood
The Catholic Church has not changed it's teaching on the priesthood.
You give no evidence for any of your wild claims.
 
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