The priesthood has its evolution throughout
time and history. The existence of the priesthood goes back to ancient times
when primordial religions existed. History unfolds and reveals that there is a
development in priesthood that has been influence by primordial tribes.
Nowadays, people are no longer interested or influence by the priesthood. In
fact, non-Catholics do not know what a priest is or what he represents in the
Church and society. Thus, the fabric of what it means to be a priest was
withered from the minds of modern era. On the other side, Catholics as well as
Orthodox and Byzantines communities have kept the identity of the early church
alive in their communities, but unfortunately, people who have not grown in a
Catholic community have no idea or influence of what the priesthood represents
and its important influence in the lives of others in family, community, and
society. To help others know about what a priest is and how it has been
established by Jesus Christ, one must traced the priesthood back to its origin
to fully understand where the priesthood comes from.
The Primordial Priesthood
The priesthood was a common practice and way of life throughout the
Eastern World. In Egypt, the pagan temples had priest and priestess, who were
responsible to fulfill the duties of worship to different deities. The pagan
priest made sure that the worship and presence of a particular god was being
celebrated. Moreover, there was the presence of a high priest in the
country that governed the community of priests to ensure that the religious duties
were celebrated. Because of the religious affiliation over the people and
politics, the priesthood became very powerful and began to increase. In
addition, the priests had a great influence and prestige in the country as well
as politically. According to Marie Parsons, a researcher in Egyptian
Archeology, the priests played an important role in the economy and government,
which gave them power to influence the Pharaohs.” They also performed
other kinds of duties, such as administrators and record-keeping. Above all,
they were called "servants of the god.” http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/priests.htm Because
of this, the priesthood was raised to a higher standard in society by Pharaoh,
who later became High Priest during the 20th Dynasty.
The First Sign of the Priesthood in Ancient Times
On the other hand, the identity of the priesthood goes back much
further than the Egyptian times. The narrator of Genesis talks about a
mysterious figure that appears as a priest of God Most High (Gn 14:17-20). In
the picture, Abraham is kneeling before the priest. The priest is known as
Melchizedek. He was the king of Salem, and Salem was known to be the ancient
name for Jerusalem. When Abraham defeated his enemy and saved his nephew Lot,
Melchizedek offered bread and wine on behalf of Abraham to God. As a result,
Abraham gave him a tenth of his shares as act of gratitude to God because
Melchizedek was the mediator to God. Abraham knows that Melchizedek was a
representative of God. According to the Torah Commentary, Melchizedek
was a representative of all the pagan gods in the region, and he worshiped the
One true God overriding the rest of the pagan gods in the area. Thus, Abraham
worshiped the same God that Melchizedek worship during his time.
The priesthood, however, began to emerge within the tribe of Levi
throughout time. In the book of Genesis, Leah, who is the wife of Jacob,
conceived three sons. Her last son was called Levi, meaning he will cling. Levi
committed a serious sin by killing Ha'mor and his son Sche'chem (Gn 34:26).
Later, Jacob calls his sons together and says, "Simeon and Levi are
brothers; weapons of violence are their swords (Gn 49:5). As the family
remained in land of Goshen in Egypt, the descendants of Levi began to multiply
within their own community, but they have not obtained the title of Priesthood
yet. The identity begins to unfold when Moses was born from the tribe of Levi.
According to Exodus, Moses was raised by Pharaoh's daughter and than becomes an
important character, leader, and guide for the people of Israel (Gn 2:1). Moses
became the messenger of God, and the one who reveal the true God to the people
of Israel, "I am who I am." He had a special calling from God to
deliver the Israelites from the hands of Pharaoh. Moses accomplished everything
that Lord had commission him to do. Although God never called Moses a priest or
referred to him as a priest, Moses celebrated and performed the religious
duties that the priest would have to follow in order to enter the holy
sanctuary, such as offering sacrifices, reconciling the people from their sins,
peace and cereal offerings, and consecrating the first born to the Lord. Since
Moses came from the tribe of Levi, he stills forms part of the priestly class.
In fact, the Lord called Aaron, who is Moses' brother, to serve as a priest in
the Liturgy. He says, "Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and
his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, to serve me as priests— Aaron
and Aaron's sons, Na'dab and Abi'hu, Elea'zar and Ith'amar" (Ex.28:1).
Here is the beginning of ordained ministers for God to act out the duties of
public worship for the people. They became the instrument that God used to
unite humanity back to God in accordance with His covenant.
The Inheritance of the Priesthood is Designated by God.
After the Israelites have committed apostasy, Moses spoke to the
people and said to make a choice either to be against him or with him. Once the
Levites heard the declaration by Moses immediately they took Moses side and
three thousand men fell on that day (Ex. 32:26-28). The Levites, then, began to
form an identity from the rest of the Israelites. The Lord spoke to Moses and
said, "Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest,
that they may minister to him. They shall perform duties for him and for
the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle
(Num. 3:6-7).
The Levites not only form part of the priestly class, but they had a
new identity within the people off Israel. Aaron is considered the first priest
in the tribe of Israel because he too was from the tribe of Levi. When the Lord
called Moses and Aaron to serve as priests, there was a rite for ordination.
First, Moses is the principle celebrant of the ceremony. God calls Aaron and
his sons through Moses to participate in God's Priesthood. The ceremony will
last for seven days as they offer sacrifices to the Lord on behalf of Moses,
Aaron, and his sons. During the week, Aaron and his sons will perform purity rituals,
which consists of washing. Next, they will be clothed with priestly vestments.
Following, they will be anointed by Moses, and they will offer animal
sacrifices and cereal offerings in order to be sanctified (Ex.29). With all
this being said, the priesthood was set apart for the tribe of Levi. They had
to continue their office as priest to serve the Lord and no one was able to
become a priest unless he was connected to the tribe of Levi.
The Priesthood in the New Testament
In the New Testament, the word priest was not used to describe the
priesthood that exists today. In fact, Jesus himself did not use the word
priest or high priest. There is evidence within Jerusalem that there was a
chief priest and a High Priest in the temple. The High Priest was Cai'aphas,
who was the son in law of Ananias, a High Priest. Cai'aphas was considered the
temple priest at that time that represented the entire of people of Israel.
Since the Israelites were under Roman authority, they did not have a legitimate
King or heir for the throne. In fact, they were still waiting for the political
Messiah to arrive. Again, from the comparison of the Egyptian political system
when the High Priest became the central figure of power, leadership, and
influence over society, the political system in Jerusalem becomes evident again,
where the High Priest and chief priest had a lot of power, control, and
influence over the people.
In Gospel of Luke, Luke points out in his first chapter that
Zechariah was a priest. Zechariah, who was from the tribe of Levi, had an
epiphany while he was offering incense. The scene reveals the appearance of the
angel Gabriel, who is God's messenger. In the encounter with the angel, the
practices of the priesthood continued to be celebrated in the same way that was
revealed in the Old Testament. Luke says, "according to the custom of the
priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and
burn incense" (Lk 1:9). This shows clearly that the presence of the
priesthood was still eminent in Jerusalem. As the angel delivers his message,
he tells Zechariah that John the Baptist will come in the Spirit of Elijah to
prepare the coming of the Lord. To point out something interesting, could it be
that John the Baptist also identified himself as a priest before the Scribes,
Pharisees, Sadducee's, and the Chief Priest in Jerusalem? Or could it be that
his involvement in religion and the priestly system, that existed, caused him
to counter act towards the corruption that existed in the political system that
affected the priesthood? John the Baptist spoke with harsh words towards his
adversaries, and he does claimed to be a Prophet who prepares the way for the
Lord Jesus. However, there is evidence that John the Baptist is from the tribe
of Levi, since every first-born male had to be consecrated to the Lord. With
this being said, not only is John the Baptist a prophet, but he is also a
priest that calls people to repentance and sanctification for the glory of God.
Moreover, Mary, who is the mother of God, gives birth to the Son of
God. Now, the genealogy of Mary also is another aspect that connects Jesus to
the Priesthood. The angel informs Mary that her relative, Elizabeth, is six
months pregnant (Lk 1:36). Here, there is evidence that the family of Mary is
within the priestly class. The reason for this speculation is that the priestly
class was not allowed to marry outside of the tribe. The connection exists with
Mary giving birth to the Son of God within two lines of history, the priesthood,
and the Davidic dynasty. Joseph, who was betrothed to Mary, was from the line
of David, which connects Jesus to the line of Kingship and fulfilling the
promise of God. In addition, Mary lineage is traced back to the tribe of Levi,
which connects Jesus to the Priesthood.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus never calls himself a priest, but his
words connect him to the events that occurred in the Old Testament. John
records the words of Jesus by saying, "I am the living bread* which
came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever;
and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my
flesh." Here Jesus is identifying himself as the living sacrifice for the
sake of all of humanity, but he also points to an event that occurred in the
wilderness with the Israelites. "Then the LORD said to Moses,
"Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people
shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them,
whether they will walk in my law or not" (Ex. 16:4). The manna was
reserved and placed inside of the Tabernacle along with the staff of Aaron that
represented the Priesthood, and the Ten Commandments. Jesus states that He
himself is the bread that comes down from heaven, but he comes down from Heaven
and makes his dwelling in the womb of the Virgin Mary. In the womb, Christ
becomes Bread as the Sacrifice that will be offer to the Father; he also is a
priest as the one who represents the Priesthood of Aaron; and He represents the
Ten Commandments because he is the Law giver and fulfillment of the Law in Old
Testament.
Likewise, Jesus is the victim and sacrifice for the sake of
humanity. He offers his own humanity that was received from Mary, to be a
living Sacrifice for sins of mankind. He fulfills the role of victim as he
suffers in His Passion and crucifixion. His Sacrifice on the cross replaces the
old sacrifices in the Old Testament. The author to the Hebrews says,
"Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired but a body have
you prepared for me" (Heb 10:5). The priest in the Old Testament had to
offer sacrifices and offerings to God before they entered the Holy of Hollies.
Jesus offers His own Body and Blood as a living Sacrifice too enters the holy
of Hollies’. Even though he was human and experience suffering and pain, he
committed no sin. The author to the Hebrews states that he was tempted like
every human being but committed no sin: "For because he
himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted
(Heb. 2:18); For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our
weakness, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without
sinning" (Heb 4:15). Jesus triumphed over temptation as man (Mt. 4:1-11).
Thus, Jesus' Sacrifice replaces all sacrifices in the Old Testament once and
for all. He offered his Body and Blood as the Perfect Sacrifice for the
remission of sins.
The Early Church and The Identity of Priesthood:
When Jesus Christ rose on the third day, He appeared to the Twelve;
but he first appeared to Mary Magdalene. The apostles already had a mentality
that was prophetic, kingly, and priestly. Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He commissions
his Apostles to do everything that He thought them:
And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven
and on earth has been
given to me. Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all that I have
commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the
close of the age. (Mt
28:18-20)
Peter, who is the first Pope, receives the authority that is also
shared with his Apostles, the college of bishops. This authority is given by
God himself to govern his Church on earth, but it is also to exercise his
kingly role by guiding His Church on earth through Peter. The priestly role is
to administer the sacraments (Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation) and
sanctify the people by the forgiveness of sins. The prophetic that Peter takes
upon himself is to teach the people of God the Gospel and proclaim anything
that is contrary to the teachings of Christ. Although the Peter and the
Apostles never called themselves priest, they did use the word Priesthood to
emphasize their identity with Christ.
For instance, St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, says, "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" (Rm 15:16). Paul's role,
as an ordained minister who was chosen and called by God, performed priestly
duties, which was to teach (prophet), sanctify (priest), and govern (king) the
baptized community. In addition, he wanted to imitate Jesus so much that he
himself wanted to be a victim like him. He says, "Even if I am to be
poured as a libation upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I
am glad and rejoice with you all" (Phi. 2:17). Moreover, his life resemble
the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross when he says, "Now I rejoice
in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is
lacking* in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the
Church," (Col. 1:24).
On the other side, St. Peter also used the word Priesthood to
identify himself and the community like this: "and like living stones be
yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Pt. 2:5).
Such spiritual sacrifices were the sufferings that each member had to go
through by giving witnessing to the Gospel. Thus, each member and head were
considered to be icons of Christ on the cross in order to imitate Jesus as a
priest.
Jesus the High Priest
Although Jesus never called himself a priest, there is a place in
the New Testament where it states that Jesus is a priest. In the letter to the
Hebrews, the author states, So also Christ did not exalt
himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to
him,"You are my Son, today I have begotten you"; * as he
says also in another place, "You are a priest for
ever, according to the order of Melchizedek." 7 In
the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications,
with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and
he was heard for his godly fear. Although he was a Son,
he learned obedience through what he suffered; and
being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to
all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest
according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hb 5:5-10) Thus, the mysterious
figure that appears in the book of Genesis now reappears again. Jesus, who
appeared to Abraham, is the High Priest that represents the True God of Israel.
He also calls himself the Good Shepherd. In the Gospel of John, Jesus calls
himself the Good Shepherd that is willing to lay down his life for his sheep.
He becomes a victim fulfilling Isaiah where he talks about the Suffering
Servant. The Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53 illustrates the suffering he had to
endure "like a lamb led to the slaughter." Jesus not only fulfills
the role of the High Priest, but he enters through the sanctuary with his own
blood. Luke states, "It was now about the sixth hour, and there was
darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's
light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in
two" (Lk 23:44-45). The spotless and acceptable Sacrifice of Jesus allows
him to enter the Temple's sanctuary on earth and in heaven. The psalmist gives
a good description when Jesus ascends onto heaven because the angels could not
recognize who He was: He says,
Lift up
your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O
ancient doors!
that the King of glory
may come in.
Who is
the King of glory?
The LORD, strong and
mighty,
the LORD, mighty in
battle!
Lift up
your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up,a O
ancient doors!
that the King of glory
may come in.
Who is
this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of
glory! Selah (Psalm 24)
Furthermore, Christ enters Heaven with Priestly garments. For every
high priest, according to the Law, had to offer sacrifices for his sins and the
people to enter the Holy of Hollies. He also had to wear priestly garments in
order to represent the Priesthood from the time of Aaron. Christ enters heaven
in priestly garments and establishing a new covenant. The letter to the Hebrews
states as follows,
This makes Jesus the surety of a better covenant. 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 forever. 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. For it was fitting that we should
have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners,
exalted above the heavens. 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 up himself.
(Heb 7:22-28)
The Priesthood of Today
The priesthood of Jesus Christ continues to this day. There has been
an apostolic succession from the time of the Apostles up to the present moment
with Pope Francis who represents Christ here on earth. Most people who are not
Catholic will be understand the primacy of Peter unless they become open and
study the history of the Church and how that authority has been handed down
from one generation to the next. The Priesthood of Jesus continues to be
exercise here on earth in a new and radical way through the ordained priest in
the Catholic Church and Eastern rites. The priest does not repeat the sacrifice
of Christ on the Cross-in a bloody manner, but he makes present the Sacrifice
of Christ on the Cross-that unites all people to enter into a new covenant
relationship. Jesus, himself, becomes present in the priest, who is ordained,
to make a new covenant with his people in a very personal way. May God continue
to enlighten us as we search deeper into the mystery of his love reveal in his
Church and the people.
