All Priests: the priesthood of every believer

THE BATTLE OVER THE BIBLE IS A TALE AS OLD AS TIME. It was the Devil’s first lie- yeah hath God said. And continued into the Dark Ages. If you listen closely you can hear the Medieval priest declare— this is what God’s Word means by what it says…trust us…we’re the experts!

However, Jesus Christ came to destroy this arrangement. Through the merits of Jesus, each and every Christ-follower has been made an able minister of the New Testament.

As someone declared, THE TRUTH IS THAT CHRISTIANITY IS, NOT HAS, A PRIESTHOOD!

John Wycliffe, the Morningstar of the Reformation

a” Morning star" is a common name for the planet Venus when it appears in the eastern sky before sunrise….in other words, the appearance of Venus declares that daylight is on it’s way.

In the 15th Century, a Catholic priest became frustrated with the church.

Wealth and corruption

The church was excessively wealthy, owning a third of England's land tax-free 

The church's taxes were five times higher than what the English paid to their king 

The clergy lived in luxury while the poor suffered 

Abuse of power 

The pope and other clergy abused their power

The pope's office was not justified by scripture

Wycliffe also suggested that the church

and its selling of indulgences was morally wrong

Transubstantiation was an unbiblical

lorded over doctrine, not allowing the laymen the privilege of knowing the Word of God

Wycliffe was condemned by the Church, the Pope, and many in the population, but Wycliffe was undeterred. He said boldly,

“I defy the pope and his laws! If God spares my life, in a few years a plow boy shall know more of the Scriptures than you do.”

In 1415, more than thirty years after his death, the Council of Constance formally condemned forty-five “errors” of Wycliffe. Thirteen years later, in 1428, his bones were dug up and burned. But I want you to notice these powerful words written in his honor:

They burned his bones to ashes and cast them into the Swift, a neighbouring brook running hard by. Thus the brook conveyed his ashes into the Avon, the Avon into the Severn, the Severn into the narrow seas and they into the main ocean. And so the ashes of Wycliffe are symbolic of his doctrine, which is now spread throughout the world

Wycliffe wrote boldly that the believer in Jesus Christ is himself a priest. And out of this teaching came the rich theology of the priesthood of every believer. AND AS OUR TEXT SUGGESTS THIS MORNING, through the merits of the Risen Lamb, we have been made unto our God kings and priests!

What is a priest?

Exodus 19:5 “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:”

Qualifications of a Priest:

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Regulations

1.

2. A MINISTRY TO MEN FOR GOD

intermediaries between the people and God

advisors and leaders of a nation

worked in the temple/sanctuary to teach, maintain the tabernacle

provided instruction for holy living

The Atoning Work of Jesus Christ

Hebrews 10:11-12: And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

Hebrews 7:27 “Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.”

to mediate for the people

Hebrews 5:1–5 “For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.”

1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”

to atone for sin

Hebrews 9:12 “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

to break down the wall of separation

Hebrews 9:3 “And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;”

Hebrews 9:7 “But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:”

Ephesians 2:14 “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;”

to intercede forever for his own

Hebrews 7:25 “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

The Priesthood of All Real Believers

-the term priest in the singular is only used once in the NT and it refers to Jesus

-as it speaks of Jesus, it refers to a priesthood that is not transferrable- Hebrews 7:7 “And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.” Hebrews 7:24 “But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.”

access to God Romans 5:2 “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Ephesians 2:18 “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” Hebrews 4:14–16 “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

offering sacrifices to God

NOT for pardon

of praise and prayer- Hebrews 13:15 “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”

of one’s person- Hebrews 13:18 “Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.”

to read, interpret, and apply God’s Word

1 Corinthians 2:11–13 “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

_____________________Good Samaritan_____________________

thief- what your’s is mine

priest- what’s mine is mine

Levite- what’s your’s is your’s

Samaritan- what’s mine is your’s

-not born into it- a Samaritan

-not called into it-

-not identified as one-

THE MAN WHO WAS NOT A PRIEST BECAME THE PRIEST—

IF PRIESTHOOD LOOKS LIKE…

interceding for the needs of others

advising and leading nations to God’s law and Word

working in the temple/sanctuary to teach, maintain the tabernacle,

teaching, cleaning, preparing for temple services

providing instruction for holy living

WHO HERE THIS MORNING WOULD RECOGNIZE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN MADE UNTO GOD A PRIEST?

___________________________________________

William Tyndale

He was convinced that the Bible should be the primary source of authority for the church, not the traditions or interpretations of the clergy. 

Tyndale believed that all believers should be able to read the Bible in their own language, which led him to translate the scriptures into English. 

He saw the priesthood of all believers as a natural consequence of the fact that all Christians are equally capable of understanding God's word and engaging with it. 

Tyndale's translation of the Bible into English was a direct result of his belief in the priesthood of all believers, as he wanted to make the scriptures accessible to everyone.