11 - The Priesthood of All Believers

Under the old covenant, the priesthood went hand in hand with the law: ‘On the basis of it the law was given to the people' (Heb. 7:11). That is, not only did the law rest on the priesthood, but in an on-going sense Israel received the law through the ministration of the priesthood. God, of course, had given his law to Israel, and only to Israel (Deut. 4:1 – 6:25; Ps. 147:19-20; Rom. 3:1-2; 9:4-5, and so on), as a temporary measure to last until the coming of Christ (Gal. 3:19). In the fullness of time (Mark 1:15; Gal. 4:4; 1 Tim. 2:6; Tit. 1:3), God, in accordance with his eternal plan, graciously sent his Son into the world to fulfil the old covenant, render it obsolete, and bring in the new (Rom. 10:4; 2 Cor. 3:6-11; Gal. 3:19,23-25; Eph. 2:14-15; Heb. 7:12,18-19,22; 8:6-13; 9:10; 10:15-18). All believers, being members of this glorious new covenant (Rom. 6:14-18; 7:4-6; 8:2; 2 Cor. 3:6-9; Gal. 2:19-20; 5:18), are new-covenant priests, in accordance with God's promise: ‘He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness' (Mal. 3:3). And it is not only that every individual believer is a new-covenant priest: each believer is a member of the new-covenant priesthood, that priesthood being both mutual in the assembly and individual and personal.