Rom. 15:15-16 "But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit."
Priestly work
"The office of the ministry is involved in priestly sacrifices. The Apostle Paul describes his ministry as a "priestly service." Yet how is this so? The priest ministers by offering sacrifices. What are the New Testament sacrifices offered to God? They are the people whom God has sanctified through faith given by the Holy Spirit. They are to be offered to God as acceptable sacrifices. The New Testament does not offer symbolic sacrifices as did the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, when a man desired to make an offering to God, he chose what was his to become the sacrifice, such as a lamb from his flock. In the New Testament, such half-measures are unacceptable. They are simply insufficient; both to God and to those who are making the offerings. The Lord has no desire to receive what is yours, He desires you:
2 Cor. 12:14 "Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children".
He wants us, not merely ours. And He is willing to pay the price for us. He offers His precious Son as the sacrifice to receive us for Himself. Christ's offering of Himself makes us an offering acceptable to God through Him.
2 Cor. 12:14 "Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children".
He wants us, not merely ours. And He is willing to pay the price for us. He offers His precious Son as the sacrifice to receive us for Himself. Christ's offering of Himself makes us an offering acceptable to God through Him.
The priestly work of our pastors is the priestly work of all the people; pastors are among the priesthood of the baptized too. They aren't mere religious functionaries, not mere substitutes for the sacrifice of the people. They are also offering themselves, not just what is theirs. If they are believers (and we expect them to be), they are priests with the people. What they do among the people and for the people is the people's own priestly work. If the people are priests, so are the pastors. To say otherwise, is to deny the priestly work of the people. If the people are priests, so are the pastors. Only in this way can they make the offering of the people to God; offerings acceptable to God. Such offerings are priestly work.
Our pastors are expected to offer intercessory prayers for the people. Do the people do the same thing because they are priests? Yes, of course:
1 Tim. 2:1 1First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,"
but all the more so do the pastors intercede for the people. They agonize over their hurts, weep over their bruised and broken marriages, and worry about their pitfalls, crying continually to God for divine rescue; pure miracles from God. If God would not be gracious, He would have gotten sick of listening to me a long time ago. Our pastors offer intercessions, which is a primary priestly function.
1 Tim. 2:1 1First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,"
but all the more so do the pastors intercede for the people. They agonize over their hurts, weep over their bruised and broken marriages, and worry about their pitfalls, crying continually to God for divine rescue; pure miracles from God. If God would not be gracious, He would have gotten sick of listening to me a long time ago. Our pastors offer intercessions, which is a primary priestly function.
Our pastors are to stir up the works and life of the Spirit among us. They are not conferring something new by preaching to us and encouraging the life of Christ in us. That fire has long ago been lit by the Spirit of God. They are stirring up the fire that has been kindled within God's people by the Word of God, just as the priest tending the fire at the altar of incense stirs it back to life in the morning after it has been banked against the night. They are simply stirring us up to be who we are in Christ."
Memorial moment/Rev Scott Murray
Philip de Deachon 11.10.2011
Via Halvar Sandell.
Photo: Erik L. (Maria kyrka i höstskrud, Åbo hösten 2010 Autumn colours)
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