Journal of Religion and Theology Volume 4, Issue 2, 2020, PP 6-9 ISSN 2637-5907

Towards an Understanding of Priesthood in the Realistic Sense from the Perspective of Theology

Leo Andoh Korsah Methodist College of Education, PMB Akyem Oda. Eastern Region, Ghana *Corresponding Author: Leo Andoh Korsah, Methodist College of Education, PMB Akyem Oda. Eastern Region, Ghana, Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT has made a lot of emphases on priesthood of all Christian believers and this contributed immensely to the Second Vatican Council’s reexamination of the Sacred Order and reemphasizing the ministerial priesthood which is realistic in essence of the term. The Council also made declarations on the priestly identity of the . The official teaching on the priesthood of the laity has led to the emergence of vibrancy among catholic laity especially in Anglophone West African Countries. This religious phenomenon appears to put into question, the biblical foundation of the priesthood in the realistic sense. This article emphasizes on the biblical foundation of the priesthood in the realistic sense from the perspective of New Testament theology through the approach of a biblical survey. The term “” does not apply to a single person but the entire Christian community in the New Testament. The early Christian community accepted the Jewish priesthood until Christians realized their identity as the “new Israel” and accepted the as a replacement of the Jewish bloody sacrifice leading to the emergence of Christian priesthood in the realistic sense, to which corresponds the ordained priesthood which differs in essence from that of the baptized. Keywords: Eucharist, Presbyter, Priest, Realistic, Sacrifice.

INTRODUCTION its root in the “Sacrament of Orders”. Hence, this article would facilitate a comprehension of Most Christian denominations have people who the realistic priesthood which corresponds to the have been set apart by virtue of to Catholic ordained priesthood. In addition, it make the presence of God real in the would help avoid misapplication of the term communities of faith “through the performance “priest” due to misunderstanding. of sacramental preaching, teaching and pastoral functions” (Ekem 2009:101). In most PRIESTHOOD FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT denominations such people are or (NT) THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ministers of the Gospel and in any case when The term “Priest” has its etymology from the referred to as , it is in the metaphorical sense. In the Catholic tradition, such people are Greek word presbyteros which has been ordained into priesthood in the realistic sense. translated into English as “”. It was mostly This article is to elucidate the foundation of the used in the late antiquity to refer to the elders of realistic priesthood through a New Testament the Jewish and Christian communities. In the theological perspective. course of Christians application, “the semantics of the term shifted from the ordained person‟s The problem is that many people do not place in to his role as a comprehend the concept of the realistic cultic celebrant” (Eliade 1987:529). The Greek priesthood, which is sacramental in its self. word for “cultic celebrant” is hiereus. It Some are even of the view that it is no longer emphasizes religious connotation in the sense necessary as the New Testament abolishes it and that the hiereus plays religious functions such as replaces it with the common priesthood of all interpreting the meaning of events, performing believers. Is this assertion really true? Realistic the rituals of the religion and offering sacrifices. priesthood is different from the royal priesthood In the New Testament (NT), can there be such or the common priesthood of all believers. function for an individual? Halligan (1986:133) affirms, the people of God consist of “” and Gleeson (2006:4) suggested that a thorough “ministerial priesthood”, with the latter finding study of ministry from the NT shows the

Journal of Religion and Theology V4 ● I2 ● 2020 6 Towards an Understanding of Priesthood in the Realistic Sense from the Perspective of New Testament Theology impossibility of enumerating the exact Stephen and his companions (Acts 6:1-7). Burge ministries that existed. Here, the focus is on the (2001:320) also traced the beginning of the presbyterate. However, since it cannot be diaconate to the appointment of the seven whose discussed in isolation, the discussion shall primary duty was to help with the distribution of commence with the ministries of the episcopate food in order for the apostles to continue and diaconate, before narrowing it down to the effectively with preaching. However, they were focus of the article. Macquarrie (1977:431) has not limited to these as Stephen was noted for posited that “in the first few centuries, performing great signs and wonders (Acts 6:8) throughout the whole , the various which led to his martyrdom; Philip was also a ministries of which can be read in the New missionary who preached to and baptized an Testament had become consolidated into the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40). Although the familiar three orders of , priests and seven were called to “service” (diakonia in Acts ”. He further explained that “the bishops 6:1, 4), Luke does not refer to the seven as were thought of as the successors of the “deacons” although tradition ascribes the apostles, who were supposed to have founded institution of the diaconate to the choice of the […] the principal sees of the ancient Church; the seven (Dunn 1990:50). The diaconate spread priests (or presbyters) corresponded to the from the Jerusalem Church to the Gentile pastors indifferently called „bishops‟ or churches. „presbyters‟ in the New Testament; while the According to authors such as Wallace deacons represented those inferior orders of (2001:369), the presbyterate ought to be traced ministry which we can also see in the New to the beginning of the church where they took Testament”. The idea of the bishops being the “their place along with the apostles, prophets, successors of the apostles is more of tradition and teachers”. He identified the presbyterate at than any New Testament biblical evidence. Jerusalem with James in “the government of the “” is translated from the Greek local church after the manner of the synagogue episkopos, which means “overseer”, the bishop, (Acts 11:3; 21:18)”. Gleeson (2006:8) affirmed therefore is an overseer of God‟s flock. The that the presbyterate was “a form of leadership bishop ought to be wholesome and exhibit if not in Jewish synagogues (Acts 15:22) and all, most of the qualities that Paul enumerated in practiced by the first Christians, who were his letters (1 Tim 3:1-8; Titus 1:6-9). For Toon themselves Jews”. The presbyters functioned as (2001:170), the “bishop” was used to overseers in the absence of apostles and describe “the function of the presbyter (elder)” essentially as teachers and preachers (1 Tim during the NT period. The implication of Toon‟s 5:17). The kind of presbyterate practiced by the opinion is a lack of clear distinction between the first Christians should not be thought of as bishop and the presbyter; the latter could be priests in the realistic sense even though the referred to as bishop due to his functions. The Second Vatican Council referred to the latter as bishop is a presbyter who presides over presbyterate. The presbyterate in the mind of the gatherings of presbyters. Second Vatican Council is associated with sacerdotalism and for that matter priesthood in In his contribution to the issue of any distinction essence of the term, although the NT does not between presbyters and bishops, Ratzinger apply the term “priest” to any single person. (1990) postulated that, Jewish Christian leaders With the exception of the priest of Zeus (Acts were referred to as presbyters while the leaders 14:13); any reference to priests and high priest of the Gentile churches were referred to as in the Gospels and Acts “assume an historical “bishops and deacons” for the first time in and religious continuity with the Old Philippians 1:1. This postulation assumes no Testament” (Wood 1996:960). clear distinction between the two. In affirmation with McKenzie (1968:97), there is no clear The Christian community is commissioned as “royal priesthood” and “holy nation” (1 Peter distinction between the bishop and the presbyter 2:5, 9; Rev 1:6) by virtue of baptism, making as there is between the former and the . them participants in the priesthood of Christ. Some theologians such as Macquarrie The concept of a “royal priesthood” and “holy (1977:432,433) have expressed the view that the nation” is not peculiar to Christians, because in diaconate is the least among the three clearly the Old Testament, God referred to the Jews as defined special ministries in the NT and “a priestly kingdom and holy nation” (Exodus recognize its prototype in the ministry of 19:6) and it did not conflict or prevent in

7 Journal of Religion and Theology V4 ● I2 ● 2020 Towards an Understanding of Priesthood in the Realistic Sense from the Perspective of New Testament Theology anyway the emergence of the Jewish priesthood. defends his presentation of Jesus as hiereus Therefore, in the same line of thought, the royal (priest) by appealing to the mysterious figure of priesthood or common priesthood of all Melchizedek (Gen 14:18-20), who is identified believers did not stop the emergence of realistic as a priest long before the institution of the priesthood among the early Christians. Levitical priesthood. Jesus‟ priesthood is presented in the order of Melchizedek (Heb 5:6, The early Christians recognized the Jewish 10; 6:20; 7:17). Powell (2009:438) observed priesthood as valid and therefore did not “that neither the genealogy nor the death of conceive of theirs. According to Brown Melchizedek reported in the Bible indicates […] (1970:17) the Christian community thought of the superior priesthood that he represents […], herself as “a movement within differing having neither beginning nor end”. only in some features (especially in the belief that Jesus was the Messiah, that with him God The priesthood of Jesus Christ is an element of had inaugurated the eschatological times, and the new and better covenant of which he is the […] Gentiles could now participate fully in the mediator by virtue of embracing death by the blessings of Israel without formally adopting all cross. He is the only mediator because his the precepts of the Law of Moses)”. The sacrifice is the means of reconciliation between Christians identified themselves as the “renewed God and human beings. It has taken away sin, Israel” and were in anticipation that all Israel which is the obstacle to the relationship between would soon join the “renewal movement”. Luke God and humanity and restored the relationship. accounts that Jerusalem Christians continued Bourke (1995) affirmed that the superiority of their daily attendance to the Temple although the new covenant to the old is based on the they were also gathering to break bread in their eternity of its priesthood that is in Jesus Christ. homes (Acts 2:46). Paul also continued to go to The author of the letter to the Hebrews the Temple and in some cases participated in emphasized that Jesus is a royal priest, whose offerings (Acts 21:26). death has been the ultimate sacrifice that had rendered continuation of animal sacrifice The early Christians who were mostly Jews, ineffective. He also presented as a according to Martos (1982:464) and others perfect replacement of the old Israel. Christians accepted the validity of the Jewish priesthood, then took on the identity of the new Israel. As and showed this by continuous worship at the the new Israel, Christians needed to replace the temple until its destruction in AD 70 by Roman Jewish bloody sacrifice. soldiers. These prove that the early Christians did not reject the Jewish priesthood from the It is in this context that Brown (1970:19) opined initial stages so they did not see the need for the that “the Eucharist was seen as unbloody development of their own form of priesthood in sacrifice replacing the bloody sacrifices no the realistic sense. longer offered in the now-destroyed Temple”. He posited that, as early as the end of the first Some Christians began to identify themselves century, Christians had identified the Eucharist not just as a movement, but a new religion as a sacrifice. He affirmed his position with different from Judaism and a replacement of the 14: “Assemble on the Lord‟s Day, Jews as “God‟s covenanted people”. Others also breaking bread and celebrating the Eucharist; interpreted the destruction of the Jewish Temple but first confess your sins that your sacrifice as God‟s rejection of the Jews due to their [thysia] may be a pure one… for it was of this failure to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. As that the Lord spoke”. Acknowledging the a result, the concept of “special Christian Eucharist as sacrifice meant that whoever priesthood” in place of the Jewish priesthood presided over it then functioned as priest and it gradually emerged due partly to the above contributed to the emergence of a ministerial reasons. Such a development of priesthood is priesthood. The realistic priesthood therefore assigned in the letter to the Hebrews. became associated with the celebration of the The most striking theme in the letter to the Eucharist which is the unbloody sacrifice that Hebrews is the prominent presentation of Jesus has replaced the bloody sacrifice, offered once as an eternal archiereus (high priest). This may and for all by Jesus Christ the eternal high be surprising because the historical Jesus was priest. Whenever the Eucharistic sacrifice is not a priest and appears to have been a critic of celebrated, it is the re-enactments of the actual the temple practices and was at odds with the sacrifice that Jesus offered in which he was both Jerusalem priesthood (Mk 11:15-18). The author the victim and the priest.

Journal of Religion and Theology V4 ● I2 ● 2020 8 Towards an Understanding of Priesthood in the Realistic Sense from the Perspective of New Testament Theology

CONCLUSION Relevance for Mother-Tongue Biblical Interpretation. Accra: SonLife Press. The discussion has been on biblical foundations [6] Eliade, M. (Gen. Ed). 1987. The Encyclopedia of ministerial priesthood which is realistic in of Religion. Vol. II, New York: Macmillan essence. From the New Testament theological Publishing Company. perspective the term “priest” did not apply to a [7] Gleeson, B. 2006. Ordained Persons and their single person but the entire Christian Ministries: New Testament Foundations and community. The early Christian community also Variations. Australian eJournal of Theology, 7, accepted the Jewish priesthood until Christians 1-13 pp. realized their identity as the “new Israel” and [8] Halligan, N., 1986. The Sacraments and their accepted the Eucharist as a replacement of the Celebration. New York: Society of St. Paul Jewish bloody sacrifice leading to the [9] Macquarrie, J. 1977. Principles of Christian emergence of a ministerial priesthood to which Theology. 2nd ed. New York: Charles Scribner‟s corresponds priesthood in the realistic sense and Sons. this kind can be found in the Catholic tradition. [10] McKenzie, J.L. 1968. Dictionary of the Bible. London: Cassell Publishers Limited. REFERENCES [11] Powell M.A. 2009. Introducing the New [1] Bourke, M.M. 1995. “The epistle to the Testament: A Historical, Literary and Hebrews”. In: The New Biblical Theological Survey. Michigan: Baker Commentary. London: Burns and Oates. Academic. [2] Brown, R.E. 1970. Priest and Bishop: biblical [12] Ratzinger, J. 1990. On the Nature of the reflections. New York: Paulist Press. Priesthood [online] (1990) available at: http:// CatholicCulture.org. [3] Burge, G.M. 2001. “Deacon, Deaconess”. In: [13] Toon, P. 2001. “Bishop”. In: Evangelical Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd ed. Dictionary of Theology, 2nd ed. Michigan: Michigan: Baker Academic. Baker Academic. [4] Dunn, P.J. 1990. Priesthood: a re-examination [14] Wallace, R.S. 2001. “Elder”. In: Evangelical of the Roman Catholic theology of the Dictionary of Theology, 2nd ed. Michigan: Presbyterate. New York: Alba House. Baker Academic. [15] Wood, D.R.W. (Gen. Ed.), 1996. New Bible [5] Ekem, J.D.K. 2009. Priesthood in Context: A rd study of Priesthood in some Christian and Dictionary. 3 Ed. Nottingham: Inter-Varsity Primal Communities of Ghana and its Press.

Citation: Leo Andoh Korsah. “Towards an Understanding of Priesthood in the Realistic Sense from the Perspective of New Testament Theology”, 4(2), 2020, pp. 6-9. Copyright: © 2020 Leo Andoh Korsah. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the

Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

9 Journal of Religion and Theology V4 ● I2 ● 2020