The Catholic Priesthood: Biblical Foundations
Overview
During the time of Jesus Christ, neither he nor his apostles would have had the term “priest” applied to their mission or identity. The priesthood was exclusive to the tribe of Levi and at that time was associated primarily with their sacrificial liturgies in the temple. But with Christ’s death on the cross, a new understanding of Christ as priest began to grow in light of his priestly self-sacrifice. The Catholic Priesthood: Biblical Foundations by Fr. Thomas Lane highlights the Scriptural evidence indicating that Christ’s intention was to establish a New Covenant priesthood that he would share with his apostles and their successors.
Top Highlights
“it was indeed Christ’s intention to establish the New Covenant priesthood” (Page xix)
“No one would apply the term ‘priest’ either to Christ or his apostles at the time of Christ because priesthood meant belonging to the tribe of Levi and offering sacrificed animals on the altar in the temple. Clearly neither Christ nor his apostles were from the priestly tribe of Levi, and they were unrelated to the temple sacrificial liturgies. A new understanding of priesthood had to grow, the understanding that Christ’s death on the Cross was his own priestly self-sacrifice, the one priestly sacrifice of the New Covenant, and that he shared his priesthood with the apostles.” (Pages xviii–xix)
“The Eucharist is the way for us to enter the heavenly sanctuary, the true Holy of Holies. Hebrews describes Christ as a priest many times. This is not metaphorical. For Hebrews, it is the Levitical priesthood that is a metaphor/shadow of Christ’s priesthood.” (Page xx)
“The Levitical priesthood was fulfilled in Christ, in his self-sacrifice on the Cross, his priestly sacrifice” (Page 1)
“After the golden calf incident, the priesthood was restricted to the tribe of Levi by divine decree” (Pages 4–5)
- Title: The Catholic Priesthood: Biblical Foundations
- Author: Thomas J. Lane
- Publisher: Emmaus Road
- Print Publication Date: 2016
- Logos Release Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Catholic Church › Clergy--Biblical teaching; Priesthood › Catholic Church--Biblical teaching; Priests › Biblical teaching
- ISBNs: 9781941447932, 1941447937
- Resource ID: LLS:CTHLCPRSTFNDTNS
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T19:32:26Z