The Priest
By any other name is still a Priest
My friends,
Bishop William here, of St.
Michael’s Monastery, member of the Autocephalous Orthodox Catholic Churches of
the Americas. St. Michael’s is the home of the New Warrior Ministries, which is
an outreach ministry going back some 25 years seeking to bring all who have
left the church back to Christ, back to Jesus, for whatever reason that you
have left the church, God’s love will still be never ending. For all who are
seeking the truth and do not yet know that Jesus is the truth, this is for you
as well because Jesus is the truth.
This series is about
spiritual warfare. We are currently filming video number 5 which is titled; SW5
The Priest, by any other name is still a Priest.
This is part 2
In the Liturgy/Mass two Priesthoods fulfill their purpose
in the same act; while the “priesthood of all believers” offer/sacrifice
themselves, the New testament Ministerial/Apostolic Priesthood under the New
Eternal High Priest offers the New Testament Eternal “Once for all” Sacrifice
of Jesus Himself:
“For even Christ our Passover
is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast,” Acts 20: 7 “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples
came together to break bread, (this breaking of the bread was the Eucharist)
Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his
speech until midnight.” In Luke 24:35 “And they told what things
were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.” 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 And when he had
given thanks, he brake it, and said, take, eat: this is my body, which is
broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he
took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my
blood: this do you, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
1 Timothy 3:1-2:
"This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop (ἐπισκοπή episkopḗ,
ep-is-kop-ay), he desires a good work. A
bishop ( ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos)) then must be blameless, the husband of one wife,
temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach."
1
Timothy 5:19 "Against a priest (the word here is; πρεσβύτερος
presbýteros, pres-boo'-ter-os or elder) receive not an accusation, but under
two or three witnesses."
Titus 1: 5-7 For this cause left I you in Crete,
that you should set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders ( πρεσβύτερος
presbýteros, pres-boo'-ter-os) in every city, as I had appointed you: 6 If
any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused
of riot or unruly. 7 For a bishop (ἐπίσκοπος epískopos,
ep-is'-kop-os; from and (in the sense of ); a superintendent) must be
blameless, as the steward of God; not self willed, not soon angry, not given to
wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre.
Titus
is commanded to ordain a number of elders
in every city, and then the apostle immediately lists the qualities that
these bishops must have. Also, we see from 1 Timothy 3 that bishops are given similar and
overlapping qualifications. These offices are not separate and distinct from
one another, they are the same.
1 Peter 5:1-4:
"The elders (πρεσβύτερος presbýteros, pres-boo'-ter-os) who are among
you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of
Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd (ποιμαίνω
poimaínō, poy-mah'-ee-no) [Feed] the
flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers ( ἐπισκοπέω episkopéō, ep-ee-skop-eh'-o) [taking the oversight], not by constraint but
willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those
entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd (ἀρχιποίμην
archipoimēn ar-khee-poy'-mane) appears,
you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away."
In this scripture we see Peter
speaking of elders and calling himself a fellow elder and not distinguishing
himself above the appointed elders. He tells them to shepherd the flock serving them as overseers. He speaks of the Chief
Shepherd who is coming and who is also called the High Priest in other passages and yet the same person is doing the
same job. So here in this passage we have the words used for the same office,
and of the same men. Peter, an elder himself, exhorts other elders to carry out
their duties as God directs. He tells them to feed, or shepherd, tend or pastor
the flock which is among them. They are not to interfere in other flocks, but to
deal just with their own. Each church had its own "presbytery" [presbuterion, basically an order of elders
](I Tim. 4:14: Phil. 1:1-2; Acts 14:23; Jas. 5:14).
In this feeding the flock the
elders serve as overseers, or bishops.
The word "elders"
is from the Greek presbuteros, which in turn is from the root presbos, or
"old." Thus, elder refers to the spiritual maturity of the men who
serve as overseers. They have a wife and children, and are not to be novices (1 Tim. 3:6). They are wise, and mature.
To be an Elder is to have the correct character and does not speak to the age
of the person. Think of Timothy as when the Apostle Paul wrote to him in 1 Timothy 4:12 12 Let no one despise your youth,
but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in
purity.
"Bishop" or "overseer" is
from the Greek episkopos. It is the word for superintendent, a manager. (Epi-
over, and -skopeo, to look or watch.) It speaks to their responsibility and authority.
The verb form of the word is used in 1
Peter 5:2, "exercise oversight." In 1 Timothy 3:1, the word is best rendered "overseership,"
since no word for "office" is actually present.
"Pastor" is from
poimen, which as we have seen, is the word used for a shepherd, and so the use of
the word as feeding, guiding and tending the flock. The verb form is poimaino. In 1 Peter 5, all of these words and
ideas are used of the same men. Peter himself is one of them, as a married man As
in Matthew 8:14 And when Jesus
entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever.
Peter says that even he is
simply a "fellow-elder," and that there is one "Chief
Shepherd" or archipoimenos, Jesus Christ Himself.
From St. Justin Martyr 100-165 AD
Executed for his faith
He wrote to the Roman Senate to explain the Christian
understanding, knowingly placing his life in a perilous situation
And
on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather
together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the
prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased,
the president (this could be translated the Presider
also (the one who presides or sits in the first place.)) verbally
instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise
together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and
wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and
thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen;
and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which
thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the
deacons.
Friends,
again we have the bread and wine, also another office is given here and that is
of the office of the Reader, the
reader of the Holy Scripture is actually an office because the words are Holy
that are being read. The reader is appointed. Notice that Justin Martyr does
not speak of an elder but of a president or presider over the people or
congregation and he also includes the office of the deacon in his writings to Rome. The President or Presider is the
same as the Elder, or the Shepherd, or the Bishop or the overseer. It is the
same office that is appointed as the one who performs the liturgy or mass or
worship service.
Why again is this office appointed? Acts
14:20-23 20 But when the
disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city; and on the next
day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 When they
had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned
to Lystra and to Ico′nium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening
the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying
that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And
when they had appointed elders for them
in every church, with prayer and fasting, they committed them to the Lord in
whom they believed.
So now that we should finally
understand that Bishops, Priests, Elders, Shepherds, Pastors, Ministers or any
other name that one chooses to call them are appointed to the position, we
should see in the name the same as in the response of Juliette in Shakespeare’s
Romeo and Juliette; Juliette; 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; thou art
thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor
arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's
in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet; So
Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection which he
owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name which is no
part of thee take all myself.
The same can be said for the
Priest. Whatever name Holy Scripture uses or whatever name one chooses, the
position is the same, to offer sacrifice for himself and for the people, how
can it be a true spiritual sacrifice might be your question? I will tell you.
Spiritual Sacrifice offered by the Priest
From the Didache
So what is this Didache? It
is a Christian document written in the 1st century AD, some argue early 2nd
century Ad, who really cares? I do not. This was Christian teaching from the
first Christian churches on how to build and run a church and who could
participate in the Eucharist or Holy Communion or the Body and Blood.
There was no Bible at this
time, this is the early Christian church and this document is required reading
and understanding for anyone who chooses to become ordained through the Western
Rite group of the Autocephalous Orthodox Catholic Churches of the Americas.
Didache
CHAPTER 14
1EVERY day that you gather together to break bread;
give thanks after having confessed your
transgressions, so that your
sacrifice may be pure. 2. But let no one that is at variance
with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned. 3.
For this is that which was spoken by the Lord: In every place and time offer to me a pure sacrifice; for I
am a great King, says the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the nations.
CHAPTER
15
1.
APPOINT, therefore, for yourselves,
bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, men meek, and not lovers of money, and
truthful and proved; for they also render to you the service of prophets and
teachers. 2. Despise them not therefore, for they are your honored
ones, together with the prophets and teachers. 3. And reprove one
another, not in anger, but in peace, as you have it in the Gospel; but
to everyone that acts amiss against another, let no one speak, nor let him hear
anything from you until he repent. 4. But your prayers and alms and
all your deeds so do, as you have it
in the Gospel of our Lord.
Is our
worship a Spiritual Sacrifice?
On this spiritual sense of
“sacrifice,” comp. Rom. 12: 1 I appeal
to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a
living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Phil. 2:
17 Even if I am to be poured as a libation upon the sacrificial offering of
your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Heb. 13:15
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that
is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 1 Pet. 2: 5 and 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.
Is the Eucharist a True Sacrifice?
What is the Eucharist anyway?
The Eucharist is a memorial thanksgiving meal that is called a sacrifice in
everything that we have read, giving thanks to God through Jesus Christ in the
power of the Holy Spirit for Almighty God’s mercy on us through the giving of
His Only Begotten Son to die for our sins, it is a thanksgiving to Jesus Christ
for His love, compassion, and mercy on us and giving His life as the final
sacrifice for our sins.
We give thanks by offering up
our sacrifice to God. In ancient Israel there were several types of sacrifices
given, one of the types was a thanksgiving sacrifice of grain, which we heard
of this grain and cereal earlier in this video did we not: Leviticus
2:1-3
“When any one brings a cereal offering as an offering to the Lord,
his offering shall be of fine flour; he shall pour oil upon it, and put
frankincense on it, 2 and
bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. And he shall take from it a handful of
the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense; and the priest shall burn
this as its memorial portion upon the altar, an offering by fire, a pleasing
odor to the Lord. 3 And
what is left of the cereal offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a
most holy part of the offerings by fire to the Lord.
This grain offering would be
also given with a drink offering of wine; one-quarter hin (about a quart) of
wine, which was poured into the fire on the altar. In Numbers 15:4–5 we see the grain offering along with the wine
offering and a burnt offering: 4 then he who brings his
offering shall offer to the Lord a cereal offering of a tenth of an
ephah of fine flour, mixed with a fourth of a hin of oil; 5 and
wine for the drink offering, a fourth of a hin, you shall prepare with the
burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, for each lamb.
In Numbers 10:10 in the Greek we read this: and in the days of your
gladness, and in your holidays, and in your new moons, you shall trump with the
trumpets at the whole burnt offerings, and at the sacrifice of your deliverance
offerings, and it shall be to you for a remembrance before your God. I am the Lord your God.
We are not simply remembering
events of the past here, but also through this offering, this sacrifice we
bring ourselves and our need for mercy to God. When Jesus the Christ institutes
the celebration of the Eucharist, his command to his disciples and apostles is
to ‘do this as my remembrance’ (Luke 22:19
And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to
them, saying,
“This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance
of me.
In the Eucharist, we offer to
God the fruit of our labors, bread and wine, in fulfillment of the offerings of
first fruits, of grain offerings and drink offerings. This is in specific
imitation of the offering of Melchizedek Genesis
14:18 And Melchiz′edek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was
priest of God Most High. After whose priesthood Christ’s is patterned (Psalm 110:4
The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest for ever
after
the order of Melchiz′edek.”, Hebrews 7:13-17 13 For
the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which
no one has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from
Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.
15 This becomes even
more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchiz′edek, 16 who has become a priest,
not according to a legal requirement concerning bodily descent but by the power
of an indestructible life. 17 For
it is witnessed of him,
“You are a priest for ever, after the order of
Melchiz′edek.”
With this we see that the new
priesthood is not in the line of Aaron, it is a new and different priesthood
with the new and different High Priest being the Lord Jesus Himself. Christ
offers Himself to us in fulfillment of the law and we in turn offer ourselves
and our gifts which we have received not of ourselves but from the Creator of
all that is seen and unseen, Almighty God the Father.
The animal sacrificial system
is gone, Christ being the final bloody sacrifice. The Eucharist which now forms
the center of our worship and our lives is our sacrificial offering back to God
through Jesus.
What we offer now is an
un-bloody sacrifice in memory of the sacrifice of Jesus the Christ. Not just in
memory of what Jesus did at the Last Supper but also remembering the mercy of
Almighty God towards us, and the love of Almighty God towards us. We remember
His compassion and patience when we offer ourselves up to him.
So let’s take one last look
at the priesthood of all believers; Today we are not currently climbing on crosses
and dying as a sacrifice. Although there were many martyrs who did this along
with being stoned, burned, and fed to wild beasts rather than to deny the Lord
Jesus Christ. We are still called to be a personal sacrifice to others, helping
others, doing what we should do in the name of Jesus, not counting the cost. It
can be frustrating, nagging, it can create anger, and cause disruption, this is
why it is a sacrifice, we do it anyway in His Holy Name.
Luke 9:23 “And
Jesus said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Colossians 1:24 “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill
up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's
sake, which is the church:”
This is a priest, offering
sacrifice, the elected priest at the altar offers the un-bloody sacrifice for
himself and all others, the priesthood of all believers which in fact does
include the elected priest, is to offer themselves as a sacrifice to all others
in the name of Jesus Christ, to glorify God, so let your light shine before
others that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in
heaven.
This is not a game called
life where you roll the dice and make a move according to chance and the winner
takes all. This is the very salvation of all of humanity. Partaking of the Body
and Blood of Jesus the Christ is a holy event. Do not make light of it. Was it
Albert Einstein who said; “Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” ?
Seek Wisdom. Seek the Lord Jesus Christ, your very life depends on it.
Continue to praise and
worship Jesus the Christ and the Father through Him. Never cease to pray and
live according to the gospel. Allow the Holy Ghost to guide you. Love God with
all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind, and with all
of your strength; love your neighbor as yourself. You never know whose life you
will change because of this love of God in you.
The light has entered the
world and the times are changing, the war rages ever stronger. If one does
not have love for the soul of mankind and the desire that all come to the truth
than one does not have Christ in them fully.
Little children, love one
another; because this is our Lord’s command and if you fulfill this, nothing
else is needed. Through love and because of love we will follow all of the
commandments that we have been given. They are written on our hearts by the hand
of Almighty God. We simply need to see them within us and follow.
Remember; if we confess our
sins and repent, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all iniquity.
May the peace of our Lord
Jesus the Christ be with you throughout this day and the rest of your life. May
the Holy Spirit fill us all to overflowing so that everyone in whose path we
cross may receive a blessing from our Lord Jesus the Christ.
Be
blessed and be a blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In Christ.
+William
Many Blessings!
+William
