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Old Testament In Moses' day, there was a contingent of 250
princes, men of renown, who stood in direct opposition to
ministerial priesthoods. They were led by a man named
Korah who started a rebellion against the priesthood of
the Aaronic order. They demanded that the priesthood of
all believers be allowed to usurp the authority of the
God's ministers in administering holy ordinances.
And they rose up before Moses,
with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred
and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the
congregation, men of renown. And they gathered
themselves together against Moses and against Aaron,
and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing
all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and
the Lord is among them. Wherefore then lift ye up
yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?
Numbers 16:2-3
These rebels suggested that the
priesthood of all believers should replace the
ministerial priesthood of the Old Testament church. How
did God respond to their demand that all believers be
allowed to administer holy ordinances? All 250 leaders
were swallowed by the earth, and 14,700 were stricken by
a plague (Numbers 16:31-50).
God's response to Korah's rebellion
indicates that there clearly were functions in God's
church that only ministerial priesthoods were to perform.
In the New Testament church, there continued to be a
ministerial priesthood and a priesthood of all believers.
New Testament
Even after the cross, holy
ordinances continued to be performed by the ministers of
Christ's church:
But when they believed Philip
preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God,
and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized,
both men and women..... Now when the apostles which
were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the
word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who,
when they were come down, prayed for them, that they
might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was
fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in
the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their
hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And
when Simon saw that through laying on of the
apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered
them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on
whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy
Ghost.
Acts 8:12-19
Is any sick among you? Let him
call for the elders of the church; and let them pray
over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick,
and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have
committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
James 5:14
Neglect not the gift that is in
thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the
laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
I Timothy 4:14
The holy ordinances of Christ's New
Testament church even had an impact on the salvation of
souls:
I am the living bread which
came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread,
he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will
give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of
the world. The Jews therefore strove among
themselves, saying, How can this man give us his
flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of
the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life
in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood,
hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the
last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood
is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and
drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As
the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the
Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by
me.
John 6:51-57
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