The following is an interesting article.
https://0201.nccdn.net/1_2/000/000/095/a1f/the-priesthood-of-all-believers.pdf
From 1 Peter 2:4-5
The church is the body of Christ, we are the stones that make up that church and each of us is a Priest in the eyes of the lord.
Matthew 21:43 here Jesus is speaking to the pharisees and warns them 43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit." The role that once rested with them now falls to us Christians.
With the destruction of the temple, which Jesus prophesied in Mark 13, As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” 2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” The temple ceased to the one location that God resided but now all believers are where God dwells. Now instead of needing a Priest to communicate with God we can now have a direct line with him. We also take on the responsibilities of Priests: conducting worship, ministering to God's people and evangelising.
This article distinguishes between the Jewish priests and the spiritual priests in that we no-longer need the clothes, ceremonies or to live in secluded locations.
Catholicism created a strict hierarchy of clergy and laity that happened around 400 AD (although Clement 1st would suggest 70 AD) that Martin Luther considered not biblical, "For whoever comes out of the water of baptism can boast that he is already a consecrated priest, bishop, and pope".
Baptists interpreted priesthood of believer instead of priesthood of believers creating a very individualistic interpretation of everyone directly in touch with God instead of that and also we can come before God on behalf of the community. This has created a number of errors, one of which is: baptist church hasn't fully lost the clericalism of Catholicism so that there are still professionals and amateurs.
We should go back to the bible and do what God tells us to do. Jesus as our chief priest, with spiritually gifted people serving that church with no-one being more important than another.
"The point we need to take away is that we are the Body of Christ. Every member is a priest. You were employed the moment you were saved. The only thing that makes you qualified is that you are in Christ. The only thing that makes you able is that the Spirit of God dwells in you."
As priests we become the place of God. We become responsible for introducing people to God. We become a conductor of God's worship and minister to God's people.
@glenn-ambrose Really good summary Glenn. This article gives insights into a previous post of mine that poses the question of how we put into practice being priests and a holy priesthood. For example, to quote from the article :"We communicate between God and man and man and God. We tell people what God says to them (through His Word) and help them respond to Him (through prayers and supplications). We collectively orchestrate and conduct the worship of God. We are all ministers to God’s 3 people and we are all responsible to make God known to the world"
What is a priest?
Luther encourages us to remember that that the function of a priest (or pastor, elder, minster, bishop) is to correctly present the Word of God to people under their care, recognising that it is through the Spirit-inspired Word of God that the Spirit works in people’s lives.[14] According to Scripture, the key requirement that an elder/bishop should meet—a qualification that is distinguishable from every other Christian—is being “able to teach” (1 Tim 3:2); this competency entails that the elder/bishop must “hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine” (Titus 1:9).
Types of Priests
The idea that there are three levels of priests: High Priest, Ministerial Priest & Priest. The old testament has High Priest (Aaron), Ministerial Priest (His sons) and Priests believers mirrored by the new testament Jesus the High Priest, Clergy the ministerial Priests and the baptised the Priests. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywOPclqnmb0
These divisions of priesthood where evident from the earliest days of the church.
