Articles
1Peter 2 and Priesthood
1Peter 2 and Priesthood
1 Peter 2:9 - "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."
The ‘discovery’ of this verse is at the heart of the reformation. It changed their concept of their relationship with God and what the ‘church’ is. Instead of a hierarchy with a special priesthood that stood between the ‘common people’ and their God, the reformers saw that each is directly related to God as a priest. Peter wrote in verse 5 that each of us "…
like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5). We are stones in the living temple of God, priests unto God, and live our lives as an offering unto God.
This concept should be at the heart of each person’s personal reformation! We that are disciples of our Lord ARE a royal priesthood. Each of us is a priest unto God. We have the right of offering our own sacrifices unto God. YOU are a priest with this exalted privilege and responsibility.
Jesus is our High Priest who makes such possible (cp. Heb. 8:1, etc.). We then have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat” (Heb. 13:10). "Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Heb. 13:15–16).
We would of course add to this "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1–2).
Brethren, we need to have a reformation wherein each of us learns to take this privilege seriously. We have the right of direct, personal serving, worshiping, and offering our whole lives unto God.
Hugh DeLong
