Priest

Biblical Occurrences

A priest held the office of offering sacrifices and teaching the Law, standing between God and the people. The Hebrew term is kohen, and the Greek term is hiereus. Israel's priestly system begins in Exodus 28–29, which contains the regulations for installing Aaron and his sons as priests. The ordination ceremony then takes place in Leviticus 8–9. Even before the giving of the Law, Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18) and Jethro of Midian (Exodus 3:1) are called priests. In the New Testament, Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, serves in the temple as a priest (Luke 1:5–9). The Epistle to the Hebrews presents Jesus as the high priest.

Duties and Background

• Sacrifice: Priests offered sacrifices in the tabernacle and later in the Jerusalem temple.
• Teaching and rulings: They taught the Law (Leviticus 10:11; Malachi 2:7) and pronounced judgments on what was clean and unclean (Leviticus 13).
• Blessing: They blessed the people with a prescribed formula (Numbers 6:22–27).

The priesthood was reserved for the descendants of Aaron within the tribe of Levi. The remaining Levites assisted with the work of the tabernacle (Numbers 3). The high priest, the head of the priests, wore the ephod, carried the Urim and Thummim, and entered the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement. Priests did not receive land as an inheritance (a portion passed down from generation to generation); instead, they lived on a share of the offerings and tithes (Numbers 18:20–28). First Chronicles 24 records that in David's time the priests were divided into twenty-four courses (divisions that served in rotation). In the New Testament period, the high-priestly families were closely associated with the Sadducees and led the Sanhedrin. After the Roman army destroyed the temple in AD 70, temple sacrifice ceased.

How the New Testament Carries the Office Forward

Exodus 19:5–6 calls the whole nation of Israel "a kingdom of priests." The New Testament develops this concept along two lines.

• The high priesthood of Christ: Hebrews presents Jesus as an eternal high priest after the order of Melchizedek. Because Jesus offered himself once for all, it says, there is no need to repeat the sacrifice (Hebrews 7:27; 9:11–12).
• The priesthood of all believers: 1 Peter 2:5, 9 and Revelation 1:6 call all believers priests.

Interpretation and Points of Debate

Since Martin Luther, Protestants have appealed to these passages to emphasize the priesthood of all believers. Accordingly, they regard pastors not as priests who offer sacrifice but as ministers entrusted with the Word and the sacraments. The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church maintain the office of priest as a ministry that participates in the priesthood of Christ. The Anglican Church of Korea also uses the title of priest. Churches also differ in how they understand the relationship between the Eucharist and sacrifice.

A story frequently told in sermons holds that a rope was tied to the high priest's ankle in case he died in the Most Holy Place. Scripture, however, records only that bells were attached to the hem of the high priest's robe (Exodus 28:33–35) and says nothing about a rope. The story is generally understood to have arisen from later tradition.

In the Korean Church

The benediction pronounced at the close of worship most commonly uses 2 Corinthians 13:13 (13:14 in English Bibles). Some churches also use the Aaronic blessing of Numbers 6:24–26. In preaching, the phrase "a royal priesthood" is often cited in discussions of believers' identity. The regulations for the support of priests and Levites are frequently raised in the tithing debate.