Christian Priests?

I recently read a couple thought-provoking quotes from James Dunn (1939-2020).

Dunn served as a New Testament professor at the University of Durham for about twenty years. In his book Jesus according to the New Testament, which I highly recommend, Dunn explores how Jesus is presented in each section of the New Testament. In chapter 7 titled Jesus according to Hebrews, Dunn traces the author’s argument regarding Christ’s “unique and unrepeatable” priesthood. Since Christ is our great high priest, we now have direct access to God through Christ’s blood (Heb 10:19-22).

And this leads to the elimination of the need for priests as mediators between God and believers.

Dunn then writes:

For if we have properly understood Hebrews, it would have been most natural to conclude that the worshipers of Jesus no longer needed priests. Christ himself was the only priest now needed. All could go directly, for themselves, into the presence of God. But, despite Hebrews, the centrality of priests as intermediaries and essential to effective worship was reaffirmed in second-century Christianity—and quickly became established, again despite Hebrews. Quite how Hebrews could be so prized (as to become canonical) and yet at the same time could be so ignored (by the reaffirmation that priests are still necessary for legitimate worship of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ) is one of the great puzzles in the early history of Christianity. (153)

Dunn adds that the return to priests is the opposite of what occurred in Judaism after the destruction of the temple.

This always strikes me as one of the most astonishing developments of the late first and early second century in the two religions closest to the heart of Jesus and the first disciples. Despite its long history of being a temple-centered religion, with priests and sacrifices so fundamental to the religion that the religion could hardly be conceived without priest and sacrifice, Judaism became something different from the second century onwards—a religion of book (Torah) and teacher (rabbi), no longer priest and sacrifice. In contrast—indeed in complete contrast—Christianity began with a focus on the word which Jesus preached and embodied, with priest and sacrifice not at all at the center; and yet in the second century Christianity reverted to the concept and practice of religion as focused on priest and sacrifice. The Lord’s Supper was in effect transformed from being part of a shared meal into a reenactment of a priestly sacrifice. Whereas in Judaism priestly ritual gave way to word expounded, in Christianity the word became in effect subordinated to the revived priestly ritual. (154)

Dunn is right; these are truly “astonishing developments.” For sure, the early church had leaders as attested by the New Testament, but were these leaders priests? Consider the following data.

Acts

• The Twelve apostles with Peter as the primary leader (Acts 1-5)
• The Twelve appointed seven men to serve the widows (Acts 6)
• The church in Antioch had prophets and teachers (Acts 13)
• Barnabas and Saul (Paul) were set apart for missionary work (Acts 13)
• In Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch in Syria, “Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust” (Acts 14:23). The Greek word for “elder” is presbyteros, from which we get the word presbytery.
• Apostles and elders were in Jerusalem (Acts 15:2, 4, 6, 22, 23; 21:18)
• Paul had a special farewell with the elders from Ephesus (Acts 20:17). These elders are also called overseers in verse 28.

Philippians

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons (1:1)

1 Timothy

• The letter, addressed to Timothy in Ephesus, gives instructions for how the church is to function so it presupposes that Timothy is a leader.
• Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. (4:14)
• The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. (5:17)
• But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. (5:20)

Titus

The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you (1:5). Since Paul continues by talking about overseers in verse 7, he seems to be using elder and overseer interchangeably.

Hebrews

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. (13:7)

James

Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. (5:14)

1 Peter

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed (5:1)

Conclusion

The first churches had a leadership structure as seen in the office of elder. Bill Mounce concludes,

It appears best to interpret Paul’s use of the terms “overseer” and “elder” as interchangeable references to the same group of church leaders. “Elder” may historically show that much of the leadership in the church was drawn from the older men, and “overseer” is more indicative of their function. (308)

Qualifications for overseers (and deacons) are given in 1 Timothy 3. Elders or overseers were responsible for directing “the affairs of the church” and “preaching and teaching” (1 Tim 5:17). Notably, “elders” is almost always in the plural, indicating multiple elders in each location.

What happened to the priesthood?

According to Peter, the priesthood is now composed of all believers.

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Pet 2:4-5)

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Pet 2:9)

All believers are priests who offer spiritual sacrifices.

Why, then, did the Christian movement return to the priesthood as reserved for a select group, especially when the book of Hebrews emphatically rejects such a notion? If “priest” merely means church leader, there is no major issue. As we have seen, the church has always had leaders. Using the term priest, though, may still cause confusion.

However, if believers consider the priest to be their mediator with God then a major theological problem exists because “there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people” (1 Tim 2:5-6). The church has leaders, but they are not your intermediaries with God. Christ alone stands between you and God the Father.  

Les Bridgeman

After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia. I enjoy traveling, writing, and playing the drums. For a deep dive into church history and the character of God, see my book Surprised by Hell.