Priesthood of all believers facts for kids
The priesthood of all believers is a big idea in most Protestant Christian churches. It means that every Christian can connect directly with God. They don't need a special priest to act as a go-between. This is different from churches like the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox churches, which have a special group of ordained priests. This idea comes from the Bible and was made popular by thinkers like Martin Luther and John Calvin. It's a core belief for Protestants, though different churches might understand it slightly differently.
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Early Ideas of Universal Priesthood
Even before Protestantism, some early Christians had similar ideas. The Odes of Solomon, an ancient Christian writing, suggests that Jewish-Christians in Antioch felt they were priests of God. They believed they could offer spiritual sacrifices.
Tertullian, another early Christian writer, also held views similar to the priesthood of all believers. He was influenced by a group called the Montanists, who believed every Christian was a priest.
Some historians also say that Irenaeus, an important early church leader, believed in a universal priesthood. He wrote that "all the righteous possess the sacerdotal rank," meaning all good people have a priestly role.
How Protestants Developed This Idea
The idea that all believers are priests is a main teaching of Protestantism. Martin Luther didn't use the exact words "priesthood of all believers." But he wrote about a general priesthood for all Christians in 1520. He wanted to challenge the old idea that Christians were split into two groups: "spiritual" (like priests) and "regular people".
Luther taught that all Christians who are baptized are "priests" in God's eyes. He wrote:
Being anointed or ordained by a pope or bishop doesn't make someone a Christian or spiritual person. We are all made priests through Baptism. As St. Peter says in 1 Peter 2:9, "You are a royal priesthood." And Revelation [5:10] says, "Through your blood you have made us into priests and kings."
A couple of months later, Luther wrote more about this in another book. He said:
We are all equally priests, as many of us as are baptized. We truly are priests. Those we call ministers are only given the job of serving us. They have no right to power over us, unless we give it to them. For 1 Peter 2 says, "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood." So, we are all priests, as many of us as are Christians. There are indeed priests whom we call ministers. They are chosen from among us and do everything in our name. This priesthood is nothing else than serving. Thus 1 Corinthians 4:1 says: "No one should regard us as anything else than ministers of Christ and servants of God's mysteries."
The main Bible verse for this belief is Peter%202:9;&version=NLT; 1 Peter 2:9:
But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
Other Bible verses that support this idea include Exodus 19:5–6, 1 Peter 2:4–9, Revelation 1:4–6, Revelation 5:6–10, Revelation 20:6, and the Epistle to the Hebrews.
In ancient Israel, priests were like messengers between God and people. They followed God's rules and offered sacrifices for the people's sins. Once a year, the high priest would go into the holiest part of the temple. There, he would offer a sacrifice for everyone's sins.
Many religions have priests. But most Protestant churches don't believe priests are a special group, different from regular church members. They often have professional clergy (like pastors) who do many things priests do. These include explaining beliefs, leading communion, and performing baptisms or weddings. Many Protestants see these clergy as servants who work for the local church members. This is different from how some see priests, who have a special spiritual role. For example, British Quakers (Society of Friends) and some US and African Quakers have no priests or planned services. They believe God can speak through anyone present. So, most of their worship is done in silence.
Most Protestants today believe that only Christ is the mediator between them and God (1 Timothy 2:5). The Bible's Epistle to the Hebrews calls Jesus the supreme "high priest." He offered himself as a perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 7:23–28). Protestants believe that through Jesus, they can talk directly to God, just like a priest. That's why it's called the priesthood of all believers. God is equally available to everyone who believes. Every Christian can serve God. This idea goes against having a special spiritual class or hierarchy in Christianity. (See Clericalism)
Even with this belief, Protestant churches still have order and leaders. For example, Lutheranism believes in the "preaching office" or "holy ministry." This office was set up by God in the Christian Church. The Augsburg Confession states:
[From Article 4:] We are taught that we can't earn forgiveness or goodness from God by our own efforts. Instead, we receive forgiveness and become good in God's eyes by grace, for Christ's sake, through faith. This happens when we believe that Christ suffered for us, and because of him, our sins are forgiven, and we receive goodness and eternal life... [From Article 5:] To get this faith, God created the office of preaching. He gave the gospel and the sacraments. Through these, as through tools, he gives the Holy Spirit. The Spirit creates faith, where and when he wants, in those who hear the gospel... [Article 14:] About church leadership, it is taught that no one should publicly teach, preach, or give the sacraments without a proper public call.
The idea of the priesthood of all believers started with some radical groups like the Lollards. Martin Luther then used it to reform the Christian Church. It became a main teaching of Protestantism.
This idea is very strong in Methodism and the Plymouth Brethren movement. In Methodism, it connects to their focus on helping society. You can see it in the role of Methodist local preachers and lay speakers. In the Plymouth Brethren, it means there's no real difference between "clergy" and "regular members." They don't use titles like Reverend or Bishop. They also don't formally ordain people. Some even refuse to hire any paid Christian workers. Baptist churches, which often let local churches govern themselves, also rely heavily on this idea. The Laestadian movement has a special way of understanding this idea. It's part of their solemn rite for declaring the forgiveness of sins.
Still, most Protestants do make some difference between their ordained ministers and regular church members. Pastors and ordained ministers are usually seen as church leaders and theologians. They know a lot about Christian worship, the Bible, and church teachings. They are qualified to lead worship and preach sermons.
Some groups during the Reformation believed that special priestly authority was still needed, but it had been lost. Roger Williams thought there was "no regularly constituted church of Christ on earth." He believed no one was qualified to perform church ceremonies until new apostles were sent by Christ. Another group, the Seekers, believed the Roman Catholic Church had lost its authority due to corruption. They waited for Christ to bring back his true church and authority.
How Luther's Idea Changed Society
Luther's idea that all believers are priests gave regular people and clergy equal rights and duties. This had huge effects both inside and outside Protestant churches. It even helped shape political and social structures.
Luther wanted to organize the church so that members could elect their pastor by majority vote. They could also fire the pastor if needed. This would have made the Lutheran church work like a democracy. But because of strong pressure from Catholic powers, the growing Lutheran churches in Germany had to seek protection from their rulers. These rulers then turned them into state churches. Lutheran state churches were also set up in Scandinavian countries.
Calvin actually put Luther's democratic church polity (church government) into practice. Church members elected lay elders from their community. These elders, along with pastors, teachers, and deacons (also elected by the church members), formed the church leadership. The Huguenots (French Protestants) added regional synods (meetings of church leaders) and a national synod. Members of these synods, both regular people and clergy, were also elected by the church members. This mix of local leaders and synods was adopted by almost all Reformed churches, except for the Congregationalists, who didn't have synods.
The Separatist Congregationalists, also known as the Pilgrim Fathers, took the next step. They founded Plymouth Colony in North America in 1620. They combined Luther's idea of universal priesthood with Federal theology. This theology was developed by Calvinist thinkers like Robert Browne. Based on the Mayflower Compact, a social contract, the Pilgrims used their democratic church principles to run their community's everyday affairs. Plymouth Colony, and Massachusetts Bay Colony (founded by Puritans in 1628), were like small, self-governing republics until 1691. They had a representative government and separation of powers. The General Court made laws and acted as judges. The annually elected governor and his helpers were the executive branch. These Protestants believed democracy was God's will. They followed Calvin, who had praised democracy to protect people's rights. He suggested that political power should be spread out among different groups to prevent misuse. He basically supported the separation of powers.
In Rhode Island (1636), Connecticut (1636), and Pennsylvania (1682), different Protestant leaders added another layer to the democratic idea. Baptist Roger Williams, Congregationalist Thomas Hooker, and Quaker William Penn linked democracy with religious freedom. This basic human right also came from Luther's ideas. Luther believed that faith in Jesus Christ was a free gift from the Holy Spirit. So, it couldn't be forced on anyone. Williams, Hooker, and Penn agreed. To have freedom of conscience in their colonies, they needed to separate church and state. This was possible because Luther had separated spiritual and worldly matters in his idea of the two kingdoms. This combination of democracy with civil rights and religious freedom became the foundation of the American Declaration of Independence (1776), Constitution, and Bill of Rights. These documents then became models for the constitutions of many other countries, like Japan and South Korea. The French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789) was largely based on the ideas of Marquis de Lafayette, who strongly supported the American principles. These ideas are also found in the United Nations Charter and Declaration of Human Rights.
When Lutherans from Germany and Scandinavia moved to North America, they adopted the church government style of presbyteries and synods. This style had been developed by churches with Calvinist traditions (like the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod). In Germany, Lutheran churches started forming presbyteries in the late 1800s. After monarchies fell in 1918, synods were formed to lead the churches. These synods include both regular church members and clergy. Since 1919, the Anglican church has also had a synod (National Assembly) with elected regular members.
A real-world example of the priesthood of all believers can be seen in modern Anabaptist churches, like the Amish, Bruderhof, and Hutterites. While these groups have leaders, all members are responsible for how the church works and for church meetings. For instance, at the Bruderhof, members sit in a circle during meetings. This breaks down the traditional idea of a "preacher" and a "congregation."
Priesthood in Other Religions
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church also talks about the priesthood of all believers. The document Lumen gentium from the Second Vatican Council highlights this. It teaches that the Church's relationship with God doesn't depend on whether someone has received ordination.
So, the Catholic Church accepts a version of the priesthood of all believers. The main difference between Catholic teachings and most Protestant churches (that don't have ordained priests) is that the Catholic Church believes in three types of priests:
- First, the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:5–9).
- Second, the ordained priesthood (Acts 14:23, Romans 15:16, 1 Timothy 5:17, Titus 1:5, James 5:14–15).
- Third, the high priesthood of Jesus (Hebrews 3:1).
Why Words Matter: Understanding "Priest"
Much of the disagreement about this topic comes from how words are translated. The Greek words ἱερεύς (hiereus) and πρεσβύτερος (presbyteros) are often both translated as "priest" in English.
- Hiereus (or sacerdos in Latin) refers to the leaders who performed sacrifices in ancient Jewish temples (the kohanim) and in ancient pagan temples.
- Presbyteros means "one with elderhood" or an acknowledged elder of a community.
The Catholic Church often calls the priesthood of all baptized Christians the "common" or "universal" priesthood. They call Catholic clergy the "ministerial" priesthood. They use the original Greek words to explain this difference. The Catholic Church believes that only ordained priests with true apostolic succession can perform the consecration of the eucharist (communion) and forgive sins.
See also
- Lay preacher
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