Priests (Notes on Discernment)
I know, you want me to get to the good stuff – maybe a big list of good and bad Bible teachers, or a six-steps-to-discernment plan.
But there is actually a lot of background that’s very important. And frankly, I think what follows is one of the most astounding and astonishing things that we can learn about the Church and the people in it.
There’s a lot of symbolism in the Old Testament, especially in the ceremonial laws of Israel. The altars, the rituals, the temple, the clothing of the priests. The symbolism visualizes many things about God and His relationship to His people.
In the New Testament, this symbolism is often interpreted in two related ways.
First, in an “ultimate” sense it is applied to Jesus. Jesus is the temple. Jesus is the Great High Priest (and the sacrifice).
But very often these things are applied in a lesser way to the Church, local church, and even individual believers.
In Hebrews 10:15-22, thanks to Jesus’ offering of Himself and the forgiveness of sins, believers are washed clean and enter the Holy Place – and then the Holy of Holies through the curtain.
Believers do what only the priests could do in the Old Testament – in a spiritual sense.
In Christ, believers are priests.
It was always God’s intention that His people be a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:4-6). And we see the ultimate reality in Revelation 1:4-6.
But what does that mean? What do we do, as priests?
Well, we offer spiritual sacrifices, for one thing. That includes a lot of things – praising God (Hebrews 13:15), for example, but really all of our lives (Romans 12:1).
Later in chapter two of 1Peter, the Apostle writes: 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. (1Peter 2:9)
We have the authority, privilege, and responsability to tell others about God. Teaching was always one of the important jobs of the priest (see Malachi 2:7).
Using the analogy of the priesthood, Paul said that he was offering up Gentile believers as an offering in Romans 15:15-16.
As priests we sacrifice to God, teach people the truth about God, and bring people to Him.
The analogy is furthered with the concept of “anointing”. In the Old Testament, priests were anointed with oil as a part of their entrance into the priesthood (Exodus 29:4-7). Once again in the New Testament there are two aspects – Christ is annointed, and those in Him are anointed.
In spite of the way we often throw the term around, in the New Testament every single believer is anointed by the Spirit (see 2Corinthians 1:21-22). In 1John 2:20; 1John 2:27 this is equated with knowledge. We know the basics of the truth and are drawn to God because we are anointed.
(This doesn’t mean we don’t have human teachers in the church, of course (1John 1:3; Ephesians 4:11-14). The idea is that we don’t rely on human wisdom – the Spirit within us helps us find the True God.)
In the Old Testament, priests had a lot of different jobs, from cleaning up around the temple to teaching to sacrifices – the menial to the very up-front.
As priests in Christ, our daily work is very important. The Bible does not say that pastors are priests, or missionaries are priests – but that we all in the Church are priests!
The electrician loves his neighbour and serves his community by fixing a circuit.
The mother loves her family by changing diapers.
The father serves his community by driving his children to school and helping them make a positive impact on society.
All of us intercede with God through prayer, and share the Gospel, and tell others about God.
Every part of our lives (except the sin, of course!) is noble and important – we are priests to God, chosen, anointed, and sent.
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We can’t even start talking about discernment unless we understand why it’s so crucial, and why we all must be discerning. As priests, we all must know and teach and live in the light of the truth – individually and as a believing community. The Royal Priesthood.