What is the Priesthood of all Believers?

How many of us feel our work is not “spiritual” enough or doesn’t matter in God’s grand design? Understanding this concept of a priesthood of all believers can help us see how all our vocations bear great importance.

The “priesthood of all believers” is an important Biblical idea that has great implications for our personal spirituality, our public life in the church and the world, and our work.

So what is the “priesthood of all believers,” and what does it have to do with faith & work?

When Martin Luther referred to the priesthood of all believers, he was maintaining that the plowboy and the milkmaid could do priestly work. In fact, their plowing and milking were priestly work. There was no hierarchy in which the priesthood was a “vocation” and milking the cow was not. Both were tasks that God calls us to do, each according to their gifts.

Continue reading at blog.tifwe.org

« Previous Article

Posting Policy

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment where we can engage in reasonable discourse. Read more.

http://www.facebook.com/MidActs Jim Hanratty

Isreal was to be the priestly nation and take the gospel to the Gentile nations but they rejected their messiah and persuated the Romans to kill him. They will eventually become a priestly after the body of Christ is removed from the earth,
- Evermyrtle
  
  Had you not heard HIS body has been out of that grave 2,000 years. I believe you need to buy yourself a Bible and read it.
  - petroskhan
    
    By "body of Christ" he might mean "followers of Christ" or His church, those who follow His will.
    
    Just guessing, I read it the same way you are (literally, that is), but I thought about it, and I don't think he means Christ's body when he says "body of Christ".
    - Evermyrtle
      
      You very well may be right, I do hope so.If so I do apologize, Jim!!!
- Old Observer
  
  The Jewish people will recognize their error during the tribulation–the 144,000 referred to in the Bible will be Jewish believers who will bring the message to them – God has not, and will not, discard them, and the church had not replaced them
  - Despeville
    
    BOLOGNA… Read this and from Christians first and then Jews and not "Messianic" and for a very good reason:
    "NOT REPLACEMENT…EXPANSION!" ~ http://www.chaim.org/xpansion.htm
  - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=58215905 Wesley Woods
    
    the Jews refused to recognize their error in the Great Tribulation for 2/3rd died the temple was destroyed and Jerusalem was leveled. some Jews were converted in the first three years after Pentecost Sunday, but most hardened their hearts and decided to persecute the converts with the the most famous of which is Saul of Tarsus who became the apostle Paul after his encounter with the risen Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus.
  - Bighoss
    
    The old covenant that was the law for Israel has been done away with and Christians and Jews and any other humans who wish to honor God and His word will live under the new covenant and will NOT ever relapse to that covenant that has been done away with forever. Read the Book of Hebrews straight through and get yourself straightened out on this matter. If you don't have the stamina to read the entire book, than just read chapters 8-10 and get your mind right.
- Bighoss
  
  They will become no such thing. The old covenant that was the law for that "priestly nation" has been done away with and Christians and Jews and any other humans who wish to honor God and His word will live under that new covenant and will NOT ever relapse to that covenant that has been done away with forever. Read the Book of Hebrews straight through and get yourself straightened out on this matter. If you don't have the stamina to read the entire boolk, than just read chapters 8-10 and get your mind right.
Evermyrtle

Faith and works when used together means being saved or not. If you truly believe that JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD AND YOUR SAVIOR,you will strive daily to live by HIS WORD leaving nothing out of it, for any reason nor trying to add or to patch it will not work. We cannot make it without faith and "faith without works id dead." Self righteousness will not hack it either, we are all sinners and cannot trust that we are better than our neighbor. If we say we have no sin, HE says, "we lie and the truth is not in us!" When it comes to casting blame on others we need to read Matthew 7:1-5 where we find we will be judged with the same we judgment that we use on others.
- http://www.facebook.com/people/David-B-Severy/557985964 David B Severy
  
  ///////////////////
  - Evermyrtle
    
    Are you that far out of it???
Winston

Based on my own experience and observation attending various churches, this is a spiritual "theory" but most always NOT in practice…especially in churches which the pastor denies the acceptance that the Holy Spirit is working in and through people since the end of the first century. That restraining of the work of the Holy Spirit has made most churches stale and dead…and the pastors, elders (spiritual leaders) nothing but self-seekers and man-followers. They think and preach that "all" believers will experience the rapture but they are delusional. I'd rather be in a private home church than be required to sign a document to be a "member" in those apostate churches.
- Despeville
  
  They are indeed apostate but for far more important reasons than their take of eschaton.
  And you write, most of these churches are functioning like businesses, even the one who are fairly truthful to the Gospel. Especially those with "satellite" model and pastor on TV screens.
aceituna

God has blessed each of us with specific gifts that are to compliment each other and so we get the work of the Kingdom done between us. We are all to be witnesses, but getting into the specifices of the gifts we are each unique and have special nichs. Pray that God will reveal and guide us to use our gifts for His purposes. Pray that we may be Spirit filled and that the HOly Spirit will be our guide.
Bill Kother

There are fellowships of Christians that endeavor to follow the NT teaching of gathering as a church. The priesthood of believers is not an idea, but a NT truth clearly set forth in the first epistle of Peter, where in chapter 2 believers are both holy and royal priests. As holy priests we enter into the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ ( GOD manifested in the flesh ) and worship. As royal priest we are ambassadors for Christ in the world. There is no differentiation between sacred an secular employment in the Bible for believers, we are to do our work ( as servants / employees ) as unto the Lord.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004047180339 John Adams

The priesthood of the believer means that we do not need to go through anyone other than Jesus Christ to the Father. We have no one standing between us and God.
Bighoss

We surely do not need a sacerdotal (priestly) elite class in order to approach the throne of God. "There is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus," and not some celibate dude with his collar turned backward. And we certainly don't need any former Virgin Mary or any "saints" between us and our God.
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Andrew-Patton/592034163 Andrew Patton
  
  James 5:14-15 says otherwise. It says the sick are to call for the presbyters to anoint them for healing and forgiveness of their sins, not that just anyone can do this. All of 1 Timothy says we need priests, for there would be no purpose in ordaining bishops and presbyters were they not necessary for the Church.