The Catholic Priesthood in Scripture By Ron Criss I was asked by a Protestant to show where Scripture mentions the priesthood. I assumed by this that he meant the pastors of Catholic churches called priests, and not the hierarchs who maintained and offered sacrifice in the Jerusalem Temple which expired in 70AD when the Temple was destroyed, the priests were killed and the genealogies necessary to prove their lineage were destroyed. Even if the Jews could re-build the Temple they could not staff it with Levitical priests. Now let’s return to our subject. First let me point out that the New Testament was composed in Koine Greek, not English. So the Greek words are where we should go to find out what the Bible says. Protestants (and many Catholics) confuse two different words when they speak of the “priesthood”. Protestants usually jump to the “priesthood of believers”. When the Bible speaks of the priesthood of believers it uses the Greek “hiereus”: 1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. Now let me point out (and this is important) that the NT always uses the word hierius when referring to the Old Testament Temple priesthood. In this case the derivative hierateuma. When Catholics refer to a catholic “priest” they instead refer to the presbyters of Scripture, from the Greek word presbuteros. The confusion arises because the King James translators chose to use another English word, elder, to translate the word presbuteros; and the word “priest” to translate “hierius”. Let’s look at the way the Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible, which preceded the KJV and inspired many of its translations, translates the following: Titus 1:5:5 For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and shouldest ordain priests in every city, as I also appointed thee. Now look how the KJV translates this verse: Titus 1:5:5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee. Notice the difference? The KJV translators preferred to use the word elder rather than priest. Why? Perhaps to differentiate their translation and to discredit the Catholic usage. But the fact is that both are correct. The English word priest is derived from the Greek presbuteros (presbyter-prester-priest), which means an elder. Now if you followed this argument you should realize by now that the Catholic priest is the biblical elder. Also note that St. Paul indicates his authority from the Catholic Church via the Apostles, the first bishops, when he tells him to ordain priests as he ordered him. Priests, or elders if you will, did not ordain themselves as your Protestant pastors do! Now the confusion arose when the translators of the English Bibles used the only word in the English language they could think of for a man who performs similar functions before an altar, the Catholic priest. By translating the Greek hiereus and the Hebrew Kohen as “priest” they forever confused the word in the minds of English-speaking Christians. In short, the Catholic priest is the presbuteros of Scripture, whichever way you would prefer to translate it, elder or priest. In fact the English word priest comes from the Greek word presbuteros. Eastern Catholics still refer to their priests as presbyters. It shouldn’t be necessary to prove this concept pre-existed the year 600AD, but I will leave you with one example. Many more are available if Scripture is not enough to convince you. Since therefore I have, in the persons before mentioned, beheld the whole multitude of you in faith and love, I exhort you to study to do all things with a divine harmony, while your bishop presides in the place of God, and your presbyters in the place of the assembly of the apostles, along with your deacons, who are most dear to me, and are entrusted with the ministry of Jesus Christ, who was with the Father before the beginning of time, and in the end was revealed. Do ye all then, imitating the same divine conduct, pay respect to one another, and let no one look upon his neighbour after the flesh, but do ye continually love each other in Jesus Christ. Let nothing exist among you that may divide you ; but be ye united with your bishop, and those that preside over you, as a type and evidence of your immortality. Ignatius of Antioch,Epistle to the Magnesians,6(A.D. 110),in ANF,I:61 In case you didn’t know it, Ignatius of Antioch was a direct disciple of the Apostle John, and he should know.
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 01:06:19 +0000
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