Reference: Priest
Hastings
Priest' (Gr. hiereus) is employed in the NT to denote anyone whose function it is to offer a religious sacrifice. 1. It is used of a Gentile priesthood in Ac 14:15 ('the priest of Jupiter'), and also in Heb. as applied to the 'order of Melchizedek' (Ac 5:8,10; 7:1 ff.), for Melchizedek, it is evident, was not merely a pre-Aaronic but a Gentile priest.
2. It is constantly employed to denote the members of the Jewish priesthood in their various ranks and functions. The ordinary officiating priests of the Temple come before us discharging the same offices of which we read in the OT. They burn incense (Lu 1:5,8), present the sacrificial offerings (Mt 12:5, cf. Nu 28:9-10), effect the ceremonial cleansing of the leper (Mt 8:4 = Mr 1:44 = Lu 5:14; cf. Lu 17:14). The high priest (archiereus) appears as president of the Sanhedrin (Mt 26:57; Ac 5:27; 7:1; 23:2 etc.), and as entering every year on the Day of Atonement into the Most Holy Place with his offering of blood (Heb 9:25). Most frequently of all the word occurs in the plural form 'chief priests' (archiereis), an expression that probably designates a high-priestly party consisting of the high priest proper, the ex-high priests, and the members of those privileged families from which the high priests were drawn.
3. In the Ep. to the Hebrews Christ is described as both priest and high priest, but the fact that Melchizedek (wh. see), the chosen type of His eternal priesthood, is also described by the same two terms (cf. Heb 5:6 with Heb 5:10; 6:20 with Heb 7:1) shows that no distinction in principle is to be thought of, and that Christ is called a high priest simply to bring out the dignity of His priesthood. This conception of Christ as a priest is clearly stated in no other book of the NT, though suggestions of it appear elsewhere, and esp. in the Johannine writings (e.g. Joh 17:19; Re 1:13). In Heb. it is the regulating idea in the contrast that the author works out with such elaboration between the Old and the New Covenants. He thinks of a mediating priest as essential to a religion, and his purpose is to show the immense superiority in this respect of the new religion over the old. He finds certain points of contact between the priesthood of Aaron and that of Christ. This, indeed, was essential to his whole conception of the Law as having a shadow of the good things to come (Heb 10:1), and of the priests who offer gifts according to the Law as serving 'that which is a copy and shadow of the heavenly things' (Heb 8:5). Christ, e.g., was Divinely called and commissioned, even as Aaron was (Heb 5:4,6). He too was taken from among men, was tempted like His fellows, learned obedience through suffering, and so was qualified by His own human sympathies to be the High Priest of the human race (Heb 4:15 ff., Heb 5:1 ff.). But it is pre-eminently by way of antithesis and not of likeness that the Aaronic priesthood is used to illustrate the priesthood of Christ. The priests of the Jewish faith were sinful men (Heb 5:3), while Jesus was absolutely sinless (Heb 4:15). They were mortal creatures, 'many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing' (Heb 7:23), while Jesus 'abideth for ever,' and so 'hath his priesthood unchangeable' (Heb 7:24). The sacrifices of the Jewish Law were imperfect (Heb 10:1 ff.); but Christ 'by one offering hath perfected for ever them that are being sanctified' (Heb 10:14). The sanctuary of the old religion was a worldly structure (Heb 9:1), and so liable to destruction or decay; but Christ enters 'into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God for us' (Heb 9:24).
And this contrast between the priesthood of Aaron and the priesthood of Christ is brought to a head when Jesus is declared to be a priest
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Jesus said to him: See that you tell no one. But go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.
Or, have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath-days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?
And those who took Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the chief priest, where the scribes and elders had come together.
and said to him: See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.
There was, in the days of Herod the king of Judea, a certain priest, named Zachariah, of the class of Abijah; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Eliza beth.
It came to pass, while he was officiating as priest before God, in the order of his class, that,
And he charged him to tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and make offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, that it may be a testimony to them.
And when he saw them, he said to them: Go, show your selves to the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were made clean.
and for them I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified through the truth.
And Peter answered her: Tell me, did you sell the land for so much? She replied: Yes; for so much.
And she immediately fell down at his feet, and expired. And the young men came in and found her dead; and they carried her out, and buried her by the side of her husband.
And when they had brought them, they made them stand before the Sanhedrin; and the chief priest asked them,
And the chief priest said: Are these things so?
And the chief priest said: Are these things so?
and saying: Men, why are you doing these things? We also are human beings, with passions like your own, and we preach the gospel to you, that you may turn from these vanities to the living God, who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them;
And the chief priest, Ananias, commanded those who stood by to smite him on the mouth.
through whom we have had access, by faith, into this grace in which we stand; and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
and that he might reconcile both, in one body, to God, through the cross, having by it put to death the cause of enmity;
in whom we have boldness and access with confidence, through our faith in him.
For we have not a high priest that can not sympathize with our infirmities; but he was tempted in all things like ourselves, yet without sin.
For we have not a high priest that can not sympathize with our infirmities; but he was tempted in all things like ourselves, yet without sin. Let us come, therefore, with boldness, to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and find grace to help in every time of need.
For every high priest chosen from among men, is appointed for men, in things pertaining to God, that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for sins:
and on account of this, he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to make offering for sins.
and on account of this, he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to make offering for sins. And no one takes this honor to himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron also was called.
as he says also in another place, Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchisedec.
as he says also in another place, Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchisedec.
and, having been made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation to all that obey him, being called by God a high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
whither a forerunner for us has gone, even Jesus, who is made a high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec.
For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him,
If, then, there had been a perfect expiation by means of the Levitical priesthood, (for with reference to it, the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should be raised up after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
And those priests, indeed, have been many, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office. But this man, because he continues forever, has an unchangeable priest hood. read more. Wherefore, he is able also to save through all time those who come to God by him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
and these serve the copy and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: See now, says he, that you make all things according to the pattern shown you in the mount.
Now, the first covenant also had ordinances of worship, and the worldly sanctuary:
But Christ, having come a high priest of the good things to come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, (that is, not of this building,) entered, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, once for all, into the most holy, having obtained eternal redemption. read more. For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, cleanses them as it respects the purity of the flesh, how much more will the blood of the Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works, in order that you may serve the living God? And for this reason, he is the mediator of the new covenant: that, since his death has taken place for the redemption of transgressions that were under the former covenant, those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, it is necessary that there be brought in the death of the testator:
For the Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, the copies of the true; but he has entered heaven itself, now to present himself in the presence of God for us.
For the Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, the copies of the true; but he has entered heaven itself, now to present himself in the presence of God for us. Nor has he entered, that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with the blood of another:
so the Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and to those who look for him he will appear the second time, without a sin-offering, in order to salvation.
For the law, having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never, with the same sacrifices, which they offer year by year continually, make a perfect expiation for those who come to them:
For the law, having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never, with the same sacrifices, which they offer year by year continually, make a perfect expiation for those who come to them:
For by one offering, he has made a perfect and perpetual expiation for the sanctified.
Now, where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, confidence to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Having therefore, brethren, confidence to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he has dedicated for us, through the vail, that is, his flesh;
by a new and living way which he has dedicated for us, through the vail, that is, his flesh; and having a great high, priest over the house of God,
and having a great high, priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having; our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water;
let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having; our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water;
Through him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. But forget not to do good, and to be liberal: for with such, sacrifices God is well pleased.
you, also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, that you may offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
you, also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, that you may offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people, that you should show forth the virtues of him who has called you out of darkness into his wonderful light:
and has made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father; to him be glory and might from age to age. Amen.
and in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one like the Son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to his feet, and girded about the breast with a golden girdle.
and hast made us to our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.
And another angel came, and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he might offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar that is before the throne.
Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection; over such the second death has no power: but they shall be priests of God and of the Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.