The
Scenario:
You’re meeting your new girlfriend’s entire Reformed Evangelical
family for the first time. It’s Easter dinner at her parent’s
house. You’ve met and talked to her parents and three
brothers at various times, but never all at once in such
a formal setting. You’re scared to death!
In your mind, a successful evening would be for you to
be able to conceal your nervous quivering for the duration.
The furthest thing from your mind is entering into a religious
discussion with them. The problem: You’ve recently helped
convert your girlfriend, Mary, to the Catholic Church,
and this has caused much discord among family members.
Mary has warned you to avoid religious topics for a while,
especially during this first formal meeting with the whole
family. You agree wholeheartedly. This seems the prudent
course.
However, when you arrive at Mary’s home, things don’t
go according to plan.
Upon entering the house you greet Mary’s parents, three
brothers — Calvin, John, and Ronald — and their spouses
(all these are Reformed as well). You can feel the tension
in the room as you’re introduced to each one.
As everyone begins to eat and make small talk, you’re
praying everything will go smoothly. But sure enough,
it’s only about fifteen minutes into the meal when Mary’s
father, Calvin Sr., speaks up. He tells of his concern
for the soul of his daughter and asks if you would mind
answering some questions.
Given the situation and the loving, concerned way in which
he’s asking, it’s an offer you can’t refuse. As he begins
the discussion you wonder if everyone in the room hears
your heart beating. It seems all of your prayers for a
peaceful and uneventful meal have been answered with a
definitive no!
Mary’s father asks you why the Catholic Church believes
in priests when “the Bible clearly teaches that we only
have one priest, and that is Jesus Christ.” He reads aloud
Hebrews 7:22-25, emphasizing certain words.
“‘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.’” Calvin Sr. concludes: “Jesus
is our one Intercessor before the Father.”
Calvin Jr. then adds, “I’ll go a step further. The existence
of a New Testament priesthood is illogical if you consider
three simple points: First, a synonym for intercessor
is mediator. Second, the definition of a priest is a mediator
between God and men. And third, 1 Timothy 2:5 says: ‘For
there is one God, and there is one mediator between God
and men, the man Christ Jesus.’”
Then John pipes in and adds: “In 1 Peter chapter 2, verses
5 and 9 tell us, ‘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
. . . But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, God’s own people.’ We’re all priests in the
New Testament. There’s no mention of any specially ordained
priesthood as Catholics claim to have.”
Mary gives you a nod of encouragement as if to say, “Go
for it,” which helps ease your nerves a bit. With her
by your side, you begin to respond.
Step
One:
You decide to point out first the obvious contradiction
between Calvin Sr., Calvin Jr., and John. Calvin Sr.
and Jr. each claimed there can only be one priest in
the New Covenant based on Hebrews 7:22-25 and 1 Timothy
2:5: Jesus Christ. But then John pointed out, and rightly
so, that all Christians are referred to as members of
the “royal priesthood” in 1 Peter 2:5-9.
Houston, we have a problem. By your new Protestant friend’s
own admission, it’s not a contradiction to say Christ
is our one and unique priest/mediator/intercessor and
yet see Christians playing the role of priest, mediator,
and intercessor in the New Testament. The key is to
understand the nature of the body of Christ.
Christians don’t usurp or diminish the priesthood of
Christ when they’re referred to as priests; they participate
in His unique priesthood. So intimate is the union of
the baptized with Christ that St. Paul describes this
mystical union as a “body” (see 1 Cor 12:12-27, Rom
12:5) with Christ as its Head (see Eph 1:22-23). What
can be attributed to a hand in the body doesn’t somehow
take away from the head or the body as a whole.
It’s obvious that Hebrews 7:22-25 and 1 Timothy 2:5
aren’t saying Christians can’t act as mediators or intercessors
in any sense. In fact, just a few verses before that
passage in 1 Timothy, St. Paul says, “First of all,
then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and
all who are in high positions” (2:1-2, emphasis added).
The text urges Christians to act as mediators or intercessors.
But we must understand that Christians can do so only
because they are in the one true Mediator and act as
members of His body.
Step Two:
Ronald now jumps into the fray and says, “Even if
we were to accept the notion of Christians being priests
as you say, and accept your interpretation of 1 Timothy
2:5 and Hebrews 7:22-25, this in no way shows that there
is a distinct ordained priesthood. As John pointed out
before, 1 Peter 2 indicates that all Christians are
priests. And, in fact, the ordained ministers of the
New Covenant are called apostles (see Eph 4:11), presbyters
(see Jas 5:14), and bishops (see Acts 1:20, 1 Tim 3:1).
They’re not called priests, which is hiereus in Greek.”
You begin by pointing out the progress made thus far.
At least Ronald has acknowledged that it’s possible
to have priests within the one priesthood of Jesus Christ.
And this isn’t a contradiction when the priests are
understood as participating in the one priesthood of
Jesus Christ. Now you must prove the existence of a
special ordained priesthood within the universal priesthood.
First, you point out First Peter 2:5 and 9, which John
quoted; it’s actually a reference to Exodus 19:6: “And
you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
The Scripture here indicates a universal priesthood
under the Old Covenant.
And yet, in that same Exodus 19:22 we read, “And also
let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate
themselves.” There was already a universal priesthood
in existence in the Old Covenant, but this didn’t mean
there couldn’t be a distinct ordained priesthood as
well. So it is in the New Covenant.
As far as the term “priest” is concerned: It’s not surprising
that the Christians of the first century wouldn’t use
the term “priest” (Greek hiereus) in describing their
ministers. This was the same term being used by the
more numerous Jewish (see Lk 1:8-9) and even pagan (Acts
14:13) priests. Christians used language to distinguish
their priests from the Jewish and pagan priests of their
day.
Step
Three:
Now Elizabeth, John’s wife, takes her turn. She
comes out with both barrels blasting and says, “You
still haven’t demonstrated New Testament ministers are
priests from Scripture. Isn’t this the whole point of
the New Covenant? We don’t have to go to a mediator
on earth anymore. We can go directly to God through
Christ.”
“You’re right,” you respond. “We can go directly to
God through Jesus Christ in offering our prayers and
sacrifices in union with Him. But this isn’t an either/or
proposition. It’s not the case that we either go to
God or go to His representatives on this earth when
we have needs. The Catholic Church, and the Bible I
might add, says we do both. Let me demonstrate what
I mean.
“Philippians 4:6-7 says: ‘Have no anxiety about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God. And the peace
of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’ Here we see
St. Paul encouraging all Christians to exercise their
universal, ‘royal priesthood’ before God. We all agree
on that point.
“However, analogous to what we saw in the Old Testament,
we also have here a special group of men called by Christ
to a special priestly ministry within the body of Christ
in the New Testament. In fact, each of the three ministers
mentioned by Ronald is clearly presented as priestly
in nature in the New Testament. Let’s look at the apostle
first.
“In Scripture, we see our Lord definitively choosing
and sending apostles to act as mediators between God
and men (in Christ, of course). This, again, is the
definition of a priest. For example, after the resurrection,
our Lord appears to the apostles in the upper room.
In John 20:21-23 He says to them: ‘Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And
when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said
to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the
sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins
of any, they are retained.’
“Jesus communicates the power to forgive and retain
sins to the apostles. This is a priestly ministry (see
also Lev 19:21-22). In Second Corinthians 2:10, St.
Paul says to the Corinthians (as your King James Version
puts it): ‘For if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave
it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ.’
St. Paul evidently heard confessions in Corinth carrying
out this priestly commission of the apostle.
“Jesus not only gives the authority to forgive sins
to the apostles, but he gives them divine, infallible
authority to proclaim the gospel as well. ‘He who hears
you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and
he who rejects me rejects him who sent me’ (Lk 10:16).
Once again, in Second Corinthians 2:17 we see St. Paul
carrying out this priestly ministry. ‘For we are not,
like so many, peddlers of God’s word; but as men of
sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God
we speak in Christ.’
“Bishops (Greek episkopoi) are successors of the apostles
according to Scripture. In Acts 1:20 when the apostles
were choosing a successor for Judas, the text reads:
‘And his bishopric (Greek episkopee) let another take.’
So they’re called to carry on the apostolic ministry
in their same priestly function.
“Presbyters are most definitely seen as priests as well.
James 5:14 puts it quite plainly: ‘Is any among you
sick? Let him call for the elders (Gr. presbyteroi)
of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing
him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer
of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise
him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.’
“Notice, the Scripture doesn’t say we should just go
to anyone because we’re all priests. It singles out
the presbyters, and once again they’re seen acting as
mediators in the forgiveness of sins and healing.
“St. Paul tells us the presbyter has been given the
ministry of reconciliation in Second Corinthians 5:20:
‘So we are ambassadors (Greek presbeuomen) for Christ,
God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on
behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.’”
You now see several of Mary’s family wanting to respond,
so you quickly get in two more points anticipating their
objections.
“Don’t let the word ‘priest’ prejudice you from what
the Scriptures plainly teach. New Testament ministers
are, in fact, priests even though the noun isn’t found
there referring to them. However, I do think it’s significant
that the verb form of hiereus is found when St. Paul
refers to his apostolic ministry. He refers to his ministry
as a ‘priestly service’: ‘because of the grace given
me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles
in the priestly service of the gospel of God” (Rom 15:15b-16a).
“I think people can easily fall into the same trap as
those who would reject the doctrine of the Trinity because
the word ‘Trinity’ isn’t found in Scripture. Yet the
reality of the Trinity is there. The Church uses this
word to define the mystery of three divine Persons in
one essence. So it is with the priesthood.”
John’s wife is the first to speak, and she says that
you’re twisting the Scriptures to fit a pre-conceived
belief. She then gives an example by claiming she’s
just recently been to a Bible study where her pastor
explained John 20:21-23. He said the verb form used
by St. John makes it clear that when Jesus said, “If
you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven,” He
actually meant that if you forgive the sins of any,
they have already been forgiven. Not by the apostle,
but by God.
Step
Four:
You respond: “I want you all honestly to examine
the text and see who is ‘twisting the Scripture to fit
a pre-conceived belief.’ It’s true that a perfect passive
form of the verbs ‘to forgive’ and ‘to retain’ are used
in the text. And this does mean ‘have been forgiven’
and ‘have been retained.’
“But look at the text! It very plainly tells us when
the sins were ‘already forgiven.’ When you (the apostles)
forgive them! The Catholic Church isn’t saying the apostles
are doing this by some magical powers or by their own
powers. Jesus ‘breathed on them’ and gave them the power
of the Holy Spirit to forgive sins. But the fact is
the apostles are the instruments of God’s forgiveness.
If this isn’t a priest, then what is a priest?”
Conclusion:
At this point you feel it’s time to cut the conversation
short before the discussion turns heated. So before
you change the subject and get to Mary’s delicious-looking
strawberry pie, you just have to make one challenge
to the family. You ask them to do what you have already
done — what really helped solidify you in your Catholic
faith: Read the early Church Fathers on this issue of
the priesthood. From the very beginning, the central
reason for the clergy’s existence has been to offer
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as priests of almighty
God.
You explain how Jesus acted as Priest of the New Covenant
when He celebrated the Passover with His disciples in
the Upper Room. This Jewish Passover was considered
a true sacrifice — not only the bloody aspect of the
Passover that took place on the first day of the Passover
week, but the unbloody aspect of it as well. Exodus
12:1-14 and Malachi 1:7-11 tell us that the unleavened
bread was considered an unbloody sacrifice just as the
lambs of sacrifice were considered a bloody sacrifice.
When Jesus said the immortal words “This is my body”
and “This cup . . . is the new covenant in my blood”
(see Lk 22:19-20), He established this sacrificial banquet
for all time. They would no longer be consuming a lamb
that could never take away sins (see Heb 10:11), but
rather the true “Lamb of God who takes away the sins
of the world” (John 1:29, 6:53-54). And when He then
said to His disciples, “Do this in remembrance of me,”
He ordained them to go out and share this same cup of
our salvation to the ends of the earth.
In the writings of St. Clement of Rome (A.D. 95), St.
Ignatius of Antioch (A.D. 110), St. Justin Martyr (A.D.
150), St. Irenaeus of Lyons (A.D. 180), St. Hippolytus
(A.D. 200), and St. Cyprian of Carthage (A.D. 250) and
beyond you’ll read the same thing. They all speak of
the priesthood’s offering the Holy Sacrifice. You’ll
also read of confession, apostolic succession, papal
primacy and much more, but one thing is certain: Christians
universally understood the reality of the New Testament
priesthood in the early Church.
Quickly now you move to accomplish three things:
First,
ease the tension in the room by saying, “Perhaps we
can talk about these things another time.”
Second, make the move on Mary’s strawberry pie.
Third, think of something else to talk about.
You
accomplish the first two with no problem, but as you
go to make small talk with Calvin Jr., the first thing
out of your mouth is, “So tell me about your church.”
He begins by saying, “We are staunch TULIP Calvinists.”
Oops! You realize you’ve just begun another debate.
Tim
Staples is the director of evangelization for the
Catholic Resource Center in West Covina, CA.
He can be reached at 626-334-3549.
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