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
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And now if hearing, ye shall hear to my voice, and watch my covenant, and ye were to me wealth above all peoples, for to me is all the earth.
And in the day of the Sabbath, two blameless lambs, sons of a year, and two tenths of fine flour, a gift mingled with oil, and its libation: A burnt-offering of the Sabbath in its Sabbath, upon the burnt-offering of continuance, and its libation.
And Jesus says to him, See thou tell no one; but retire, show thyself to the priest, and bring near the gift which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.
Or have ye not read in the law, that in the sabbaths, the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are innocent?
And they having held Jesus, brought to Caiaphas the chief priest, where the scribes and elders were gathered together.
And says to him, See thou say nothing to any one: but retire, shew thyself to the priest, and bring forward for thy cleansing what things Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.
There was in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the daily order of Abia: and his wife the daughter of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth.
And it was in his being priest, in the arranging of the daily order before God,
And he enjoined him to tell none: but having departed, show thyself to the priest, and bring near for thy cleansing as Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.
And having seen, he said to them, Having gone, show yourselves to the priests. And it was in their retiring they were cleansed.
And for them I render myself holy, that they also be rendered holy in the truth;
And Peter answered to her, Tell me, if for so much ye sold the farm? And she said, Yes, for so much.
And she fell immediately at his feet, and expired: and the young men having come in, found her dead, and having carried out, interred near her husband.
And having brought them, they set in the council: and the chief priest asked them,
And the chief priest said, Hold these things thus?
And the chief priest said, Hold these things thus?
And saying, Men, why do ye these things? We also are men of similar passions with you, announcing good news to turn you back from these vanities to the living God, who made heaven, and earth, and sea, and all in them:
And the chief priest Ananias commanded those standing by him to strike his month.
By whom also we have had access by faith into this grace in which we have stood, and we boast upon hope of the glory of God.
I Beseech you therefore, brethren, by the compassions of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, your reasonable service.
And that he might reconcile anew both in one body to God by the cross, having slain the eninity in it:
In whom we have freedom of speech and access with confidence by his faith.
For we have not a chief priest unable to suffer with our weaknesses; but tried in all things as a resemblance, without sin.
For we have not a chief priest unable to suffer with our weaknesses; but tried in all things as a resemblance, without sin. We should therefore go with freedom of speech to the throne of grace, that we receive mercy, and find grace for timely assistance.
For every chief priest taken from men is appointed for men for things to God, that he bring both gifts and sacrifices for sins:
And for this he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to bring in for sins.
And for this he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to bring in for sins. And not any takes this honour to himself; but the called of God, as also Aaron.
And also in another he says, Thou a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedec.
And also in another he says, Thou a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedec.
And being perfected, he became to all them lending a willing ear to him the origin of eternal salvation Addressed by God the chief priest according to the order of Melchisedec.
Where the forerunner, Jesus, went in for us, according to the order of Melchisedec, being a high priest forever.
For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, having met Abraham returning from the cutting off of the kings, and praised him;
If truly therefore completion were by the Levitical priesthood, (for the people received legislation by it,) what further need according to the order of Melchisedec for another priest to be raised, and not according to the order of Aaron?
And they truly are become many priests, by reason of death being hindered from remaining: And he, because he remains forever, has an inviolable priesthood. read more. Wherefore he is able to save entirely those coming to God by him, always living to supplicate for them.
Who serve the pattern and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was given an intimation of the divine will, being about to complete the tent: for, See, says he, thou make all things according to the type shewed thee in the mount.
And truly therefore the first had precepts of divine service for him, and a worldly holy place.
And Christ being present, a chief priest of good things about to be, by a greater and more perfect tent, not made with hands, that is; not of this creation; Neither by the blood of he-goats and calves, and by his own blood he went in once for all to the holies, having found eternal deliverance. read more. For if the blood of bulls and he-goats, and the ashes of a heifer besprinkling the polluted, consecrates to the purity of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who by the eternal Spirit offered himself blameless to God, purify your consciousness from dead works to serve the living God? And for this he is mediator of a new covenant, that death having been, for redemption of the transgressions for the first covenant, the called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a will, the necessity for the death of him having willed to be brought forward.
For Christ came not into the holy places made with hands, the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to be shown clearly to the face of God for us:
For Christ came not into the holy places made with hands, the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to be shown clearly to the face of God for us: Neither that he should offer himself many times, as the chief priest comes in to the holy places yearly with blood pertaining to others;
So Christ, once offered to have borne the sins of many, of the second time, without sin, shall be seen to them expecting him for salvation.
For the law having a shadow of good things about to be, not the same image of the things, with these sacrifices which they bring in yearly in continuance never can render perfect them coming thereto.
For the law having a shadow of good things about to be, not the same image of the things, with these sacrifices which they bring in yearly in continuance never can render perfect them coming thereto.
For by one offering has he perfected forever the consecrated.
And where remission of these, no more bringing in for sin. Having therefore, brethren, freedom of speech for the entering in of the holies by the blood of Jesus,
Having therefore, brethren, freedom of speech for the entering in of the holies by the blood of Jesus, A way publicly declared and living, which he consecrated to us, through the veil, that is, his flesh;
A way publicly declared and living, which he consecrated to us, through the veil, that is, his flesh; And a great priest over the house of God;
And a great priest over the house of God; Let us approach with a true heart in complete certainty of faith, having our hearts besprinkled from an evil consciousness, and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us approach with a true heart in complete certainty of faith, having our hearts besprinkled from an evil consciousness, and having our bodies washed with pure water.
By him therefore we should always bring up the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of the lips assenting to his name. And the doing good and mutual participation forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
And ye yourselves are built, as living stones, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to bring up spiritual sacrifice; acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
And ye yourselves are built, as living stones, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to bring up spiritual sacrifice; acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
And ye a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for acquisition; so that ye should proclaim the excellencies of him having called you out of darkness into his wonderful light:
And he made us kings and priests to God and his Father; to him the glory and strength for the times of times.
And in the midst of the seven chandeliers one like to the Son of man, dressed in a garment descending to the feet, and girded at the breast with a golden girdle.
And madest us kings and priests to our God: and we shall reign upon the earth.
And another angel came and was placed by the altar, having a golden censer; and many perfumes were given him, that he might give to the prayers of the holy upon the golden altar before the throne.
Happy and holy he having a part in the first rising up: over these has the second death no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they shall reign with him a thousand years.