The Priesthood is a call, an election, an anointing and a mission

1. The Priesthood is a call, an election, an anointing and a mission

2. The Priesthood is a call and an election (1) • This call is perfectly clear in both the Old and New Testament “No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was” Heb. 5:4 • God first chose the firstborn to be His “Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me…” Exodus 13:2 • Those whom He chooses belong to Him. They were sacred to the Lord, meaning that they were His holy ones

3. The Priesthood is a call and an election (2) • Then God chose for Himself Aaron and his sons to serve the priesthood instead of the firstborn male. • God also ordered that they make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it the phrase, “Holy to the Lord” to be attached to the front of Aaron’s turban so that it would be on his forehead continually, so that the gifts of the Israelites would be “…acceptable to the Lord” Ex 28:38

4. The Priesthood is a call and an election (3) • Even the garments made for Aaron and his sons were also said to be sacred, and that they were for dignity and honor, as the Lord said to Moses: “Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honor” Ex. 28: 2-3 • Being a call for special group; when Korah, Dathan, and Abiram rebelled and wanted the priesthood to be for the whole community, God’s wrath came upon them

5. The Priesthood is a call and an election (4) • In the New Testament, we find the same situation : the Bible says of our Lord Jesus: “He called the twelve disciples to Him…” Matt.10:1 • “After this the Lord appointed seventy – two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him…” Luke 10:1 • The Lord said about this sending forth “As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you.” John 20:21

6. The Priesthood is a call and an election (5) • The Lord also in His prayer to the Father said : “As you sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world” John 17:18 • To emphasize that this mission was from God, He said “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field” Matt.9:38 • Concerning selection, the Lord said: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit” John 15:16

7. The Priesthood as a mission (1) • Aaron and his children were ordered to offer sacrifices and raise incense before Him as per God’s instruction • In the period between the Old and New Testament, we read of John the Baptist (being a priest called for a specific mission) : “…a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe” John 1:6-7

8. The Priesthood as a mission (2) • Thus, John’s task as a priest was “…to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:17, and to prepare the way before Him by preaching the baptism of repentance” Mark 1:2-4 • After the Lord has called His disciples, we read that “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions…” Matt.10:5

9. The Priesthood as a mission (3) • “When Jesus had called the twelve together, He gave them power and authority…and He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God…” Luke 9:1-2 • The Lord also specified for the apostles where they should work “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.” Matt.10:5-6

10. The Priesthood as a mission (4) • “…you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” Acts 1:8 • When He chose to send St. Paul, the Lord said to Him: “Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles” Acts 22:21

11. The Priesthood as a mission (5) • As far as their work was concerned, the Lord said to them: “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” Matt. 28:19-20 • “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” Mark 16:15-16

12. The Priesthood as an anointing (1) • God was not content with simply choosing Aaron and his sons, but ordered Moses to anoint them with holy oil before the assembly of the people (Lev. 8) • Although God chose Aaron and his sons to serve Him as priests but they were unable to undertake the work of the priesthood until He had passed them through the hands of His representative Moses

13. The Priesthood as an anointing (2) • This anointing which Aaron and his sons received, was accompanied by the descending of the Holy Spirit. • In the New Testament, the Lord gave the apostles the Holy Spirit and the authority of the priesthood through the Holy Breath (John 20: 20-23) • This breath of the Holy Spirit still remains in existence, being passed down from generation to generation

14. The Priesthood as an anointing (3) • The apostles used to confer the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands, upon all ranks of the priesthood, bishops, priests and even deacons. This placing of the hands upon certain individuals proves that it is a commission which is not intended to be for all people. • When the apostles chose to appoint deacons to help in the ministry, they said “Brothers, chose seven men among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them” Acts 6:3

15. The Priesthood as an anointing (4) • It was also mentioned about St. Stephen, being one of the seven deacons that “ They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit …” Acts 6:5 • About him also, the Bible says “Now Stephen, a man of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people” Acts 6:8 • All of these qualifications were not enough for those deacons to minister before they get anointed “They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them” Acts 6:6

16. The Priesthood as an anointing (5) • The anointing by laying of hands was also seen with St. Paul. • To this saint, our Lord appeared on the road to Damascus, and He called him by name. Then the Lord said to Ananias about him “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel” Acts 8:15

17. The Priesthood as an anointing (6) • Not only did the Son call him, but the Father too, and St. Paul himself spoke about this saying: “But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man…” Gal.1:15-16 • The Holy spirit also called him “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” Acts 13:2

18. The Priesthood as an anointing (7) • So, Paul was in fact called by the Holy Trinity. Nevertheless, he did not take up his ministry until he passed through the proper channels in the church and had received the laying on the hands so that he could assume the authority to minister. • “So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off” Acts 13:3 • We notice here that laying on the hands was accompanied by prayers and fasting that mean there was certainly a liturgical, ceremonial prayers

19. The Priesthood as an anointing (8) • The apostle Paul laid his hands upon many, including the bishops Timothy and Titus, and he said to his disciple Timothy: “…I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands” 2Tim. 1:6 • Timothy, having received the laying on of hands from Paul, also placed his hands on others to ordain them as priests. And on this point St Paul advised him saying: “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others” 1 Tim 5:22