Priesthood of all Believers
By Karen Essiful-Ansah
The Methodist has been trained to believe in the “Priesthood of all Believers” for our Father and Founder John Wesley so declared and that is what we are. And rightly so for the Bible says we are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light”. [2 Peter 2:9]
In Leviticus Chapters 8 and 9 we see the Lord ordain Aaron and his sons as Priests before Him through Moses. The roles of men of God are varied but primarily they are set apart for God. In 1 Chronicles 23 verse 13, we learn that the first Priest “Aaron was set apart, he and his descendants forever, to consecrate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices before the LORD, to minister before him and to pronounce blessings in his name forever”.
It is interesting to note that in laying down the duties of men of God one thing clearly missing and which however appears to occupy many a mind as regards the role of a Priest or a man of God is “Preaching” or in other parlance –‘mounting the pulpit.’ It is undoubtedly an integral part of the vocation possibly introduced later as part of worship in the house of God. Ezra is on record as having publicly preached and taught the children of Israel after their return from exile. For we read in Ezra 7 verse 10, ‘For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.’
In New Testament times we learn of Peter’s day of Pentecost ‘sermon’ which won several souls and many others like it. The Apostle Paul exhorted his son in the faith, Timothy as follows ‘until I come devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching’. Preaching and teaching of the word of God are thus vital for Christian worship and growth.
However it is not the only ‘job’ for a priest. Our father, John Wesley is also on record as having said, “It is not your business, to preach so many times, and to take care of this or that Society: but to save as many souls as you can; to bring as many sinners as you possibly can to Repentence,..”.
And St Francis of Assisi once said “Preach without ceasing. If you MUST use words.” Here an illustration from his very way of life would help reveal the meaning of this antithetical phrase:
St. Francis of Assisi once invited an apprentice to go with him to a nearby village to preach. The young monk agreed since he was happy to hear his teacher the famous Monk preach. When they arrived in the village, St. Francis began to visit some villagers. First he stopped to see the village butcher. His next call was on the cobbler. From there he went to a widow (for she had just recently lost her dear husband). When the apprentice thought it was all over he was asked to join his Teacher to see the village teacher. This continued all morning. Later a disappointed apprentice was asked to return to the Abbey.
“But we came to preach”, he could not help reminding his Mentor.” We haven’t preached a sermon”, he observed.
“Haven’t we?” asked St Francis. “People have watched us, listened to us, responded to us. Every word we have spoken, every deed we have done has been a sermon, we have preached all morning.”
This is a word to the wise. Even though no one can claim Heaven by good works as we learn in the Book of James our works in Christ’s service prove that we are Heaven bound. We are Priests because we preach with every deed, every word. Apostle Paul tells us we are letters, “written on (our) hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts”. [2 Corinthians 3: 2&3]
Aristides, a second century Christian Apologist is on record as having informed Hadrian, the Roman Emperor of the day that Christians at the time “love one another. They never fail to help widows; they save orphans from those who would hurt them. If they have something, they give freely to the man who has nothing; if they see a stranger, they take him home, and they are happy as though he were a real brother. They don’t consider themselves brothers in the usual sense, but brothers instead through the Spirit, in God.”
This was the testimony of the Christian of Aristides’day. It should be ours today.
Consider the Lord Jesus’ parable of the Sheep and Goats as recorded in Matthew 25.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. “Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angel. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." [Verses 31 – 46]
Next time you wonder whether you are really a priest as Father Wesley said, be assured you are, even if you never mount a pulpit.
It is pertinent to add however is that these acts cannot be done by us in our own power. Indeed the Bible tells us “ all our righteous acts are like filthy rags”[Isaiah 64:6]. And hymnist john Newton aptly states: “Weak is the effort of my heart and cold my warmest thought”[MHB 99 vrs.5] On our own and in our sinful state we cannot be priests of God.
Calvary proved a palpable remedy though and thank God we are all invited to take advantage of that priceless sacrifice. So the real journey into priesthood begins when we simply acknowledge our helpless sinful state and ask our Lord Jesus to save us just as we are. Once we do this He will come into our lives as Lord and Personal Savoir. Its simplicity may deceive us but that is God for you. He provides a simple means to Heaven and justifies us if only we act accordingly.
Well a word to the wise ….