The Biblical and Ecclesial Reasoning for the Priesthood
Growing up in an American non-denominational, and often going in and out of a fundamentalist like niche of churches too, I was never taught that the priesthood is both surprisingly biblical and inherently ecclesial. Before diving into this realization, let me set the scene.
Across the world exists a niche group of cultish Christians, detached from any denominational ties, who believe that armed with just their Bible and self-righteousness, they can discern truth as well as the Pope and early church councils. In the non-denominational context I grew up in, these individuals frequently railed against Catholicism, citing clergy abuse and a handful of biblical proof texts to bolster their arguments. Despite lacking knowledge of Christian history and being unable to read the Bible in its original languages, they were unwavering in their conviction, using logical fallacies and poor hermeneutics to reinforce their position. They relied on their personal interpretations and experiences, immune to correction or opposing viewpoints.
This mindset was my tribe’s norm, and I ignored the inconsistencies because it was all I knew. However, when I had children, the ignorance became a liability I could no longer tolerate for my family. That marked the beginning of my journey towards understanding, and ultimately to the Catholicism.
Beyond these zealots, many people simply don’t understand how Christ’s teachings were preserved through an oral culture from the very beginning. They assume that if something isn’t explicitly in their Bible, it’s unbiblical, leading them to dismiss ancient practices like the priesthood in apostolic churches (Orthodox and Catholic). For example, cults like the Jehovah’s Witnesses selectively mine scripture to support their exclusive doctrines. After all, according to them, only the 144 thousand can interpret scriptures correctly. Conveniently, their church only has these people. Suspect hermeneutics isn’t exclusive to cult Christian niches. Dont get me wrong…My own tribe I grew up in, or American fundamentalists, if you will, frequently use their interpretations of the Bible to discredit the church Christ established.
For those of us raised in these sect-like traditions, discovering the biblical and historical support for the priesthood can be surprising. Once I was willing to look beyond my upbringing, I realized that both Scripture and early oral tradition clearly upheld the institution of the priesthood. Christ established and institutionalized the Eucharist with the disciples (the Twelve), conferred the authority to forgive sins upon them, and commissioned them with the Great Commission. There is in fact a case to be made that Jesus appointed Peter as the disciple’s leader, and he did in fact ordain the apostles. The biblical support was almost glaringly obvious once I took the time to examine it.
Jesus was a Torah-respecting, temple-teaching Jew who cleansed the temple, and it makes perfect sense that He would appoint His own priests. He didn’t come to abolish but to fulfill after all, and the apostles were the fulfillment of His mission, both historically (through the apostolic churches that directly inherited Christ’s teachings) and biblically (as the church that established the canon). Understanding this continuity made me realize how reasonable and biblically sound the priesthood truly is. Let’s go through it all. We’ll go from the institutionalization of the Eucharist with the disciples (the Twelve), to the conferring of the authority to forgive sins upon them, and then to great commissioning of these same 12. From there we’ll make a biblical and general case that Jesus appointed Peter as the disciple’s leader. And we’ll end with the biblical basis for the ordination the apostles as priests. These pieces will read disjointed but go together, so hopefully that doesn’t have to be spelled out to you, dear, and intelligent reader. After you stick through my explanation I’ll provide the AI generated history so you can get exactly who the priests were in the New Testament church and how their role changed through history and languages, even as their commissions didn’t. Enjoy.
(Please note this stuff is old and apologists and theologians have been teaching on these issues practically the whole time the church has been around. Please let this be an intro to the subject & not an exhaustive covering. For more, see the catechism of the church, and read some books for goodness sakes. This stuff is solidly taught and is super reasonable, if you look well.)
The priesthood is a central aspect of the Catholic Church, and its foundations can be found in the Bible and the early Christian tradition. In this account, we will only explore the key moments in the life of Jesus Christ and Bible passages as moments too that establish the priesthood and its significance in the life of the Church.
The Institution of the Eucharist
It was wild for me to learn that Christians have always thought the blood and wine were literally Jesus’ blood and body as far back as the beginning, even before some of the books of Bible were written. 🤯
“It was above all on “the first day of the week,” Sunday, the day of Jesus’ resurrection, that the Christians met “to break bread.”From that time on down to our own day the celebration of the Eucharist has been continued so that today we encounter it everywhere in the Church with the same fundamental structure. It remains the center of the Church’s life.” CCC 1343
One of the most significant events in the life of Jesus is his institution of the Eucharist, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke (22:19-20). Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” He then took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” This event is also recorded in Matthew 26:26-28 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, emphasizing its importance and centrality to Christian practice.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) affirms that at the Last Supper, Jesus “instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood” to “perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again” (CCC 1323). This understanding is further supported by the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, who states that Jesus instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood as a “perpetual memorial of his Passion” (Summa Theologica, III:73:5).
In the Gospel of John, chapter 6, Jesus speaks about eating his body and drinking his blood in a way that many listeners find controversial and difficult to accept. Here is the passage:
John 6:51-58 (NIV):
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.
In this discourse, Jesus emphasizes that he is the “bread of life,” and that eating his flesh and drinking his blood is necessary for eternal life. This teaching was controversial at the time and led to many of his followers abandoning him, as seen in John 6:60-66. Here is the reaction of the disciples:
John 6:60-66 (NIV):
On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.
He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
The passage in John 6 is predominantly interpreted in the-apostolic-Christian traditions as a reference to the Eucharist, where believers partake of bread and wine in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice. The different cult like Christian sects I mentioned in the beginning interpret the nature of this “eating” and “drinking” in varying ways, but range is generally a symbolic understanding precisely because they don’t have a priestly class, unlike Catholicsm. It’s so stupid, some of these so called “churches” use grape juice and pieces of cheap bread rather than being sacred with a host and wine. Unbelievable! 🤦🏻♂️
The Conferral of Authority to Forgive Sins
The Gospel of John, in its 20th chapter, recounts a key moment in the life of the nascent Church. The Risen Lord, having conquered sin and death through His passion, death, and glorious resurrection, appears to His disciples in the upper room. It is here that He bestows upon them a sacred trust, a divine mandate to continue His redemptive mission on earth.
With the words “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you,” our Lord commissions His disciples as ambassadors of His saving work, just as He was sent by the Father. He then performs a symbolic action, breathing upon them and uttering the words, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
In this moment, Christ confers upon His disciples the very authority to forgive sins, a power that belongs to God alone (and thus his authority to power to appropriate). This extraordinary gift, bestowed through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, is a continuation of Christ’s own ministry of reconciliation. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms, “by virtue of his divine authority he gives this power to men to exercise in his name” (CCC 1441)… St. Augustine, a Doctor of the Church, expounds upon this idea in his own unique way, stating that Jesus “has also given this power to men, that they may act as His ministers in the forgiveness of sins” (Homilies on the Gospel of John).
This sacred authority, handed down through the apostolic succession, is exercised in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, wherein the repentant sinner, through the ministry of the priest, encounters the merciful love of God and receives the forgiveness of sins. The priest, acting in persona Christi (in the person of Christ), absolves the penitent of their sins, restoring them to the grace of God and the communion of the faithful.
This sacrament is a profound manifestation of the boundless mercy of God, who desires not the death of the sinner, but that they may be converted and live (Ezekiel 18:23). Through the ministry of the priesthood, the Church continues to fulfill Christ’s command to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), offering the gift of forgiveness and reconciliation to all who seek it with contrite hearts.
The conferral of authority to forgive sins upon the disciples is a sacred trust, a continuation of Christ’s own redemptive work, and a manifestation of the boundless mercy of God. Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Church perpetuates this divine mandate, offering the healing balm of forgiveness to all who seek it, that they may be restored to the grace of God and the communion of the faithful.
See:
1. Matthew 16:19
2. Matthew 18:18
3. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20
4. James 5:16
5. Luke 24:46-47
6. Acts 2:38
7. Acts 3:19
8. 1 John 1:9
9. John 20:23
10. Mark 2:10
The Great Commission
In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus commissions his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything he has commanded. This Great Commission is another key moment in the establishment of the Church and the priesthood, as it entrusts the disciples directly with the task of spreading the Gospel and administering the sacraments.
As our Lord declares, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28:18-20). These words, imbued with the power of the Holy Spirit, convey the essence of the Church’s missionary mandate, which is to evangelize all nations, baptize them in the name of the Holy Trinity, and instruct them in the teachings of Christ.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, that venerable compendium of Catholic doctrine, underscores the significance of this Great Commission, affirming that the Church “strives to preach the Gospel to all men” in obedience to Christ’s command (CCC 849). This missionary imperative is not a mere suggestion, but a solemn duty incumbent upon the Church, which is entrusted with the sacred responsibility of proclaiming the Gospel to every creature (Mk 16:15).
St. Gregory the Great, another Doctor of the Church, eloquently reinforces this notion in his Homilies on the Gospels. He reminds us that Jesus sends his disciples out into the world, empowering them to preach and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This threefold mission – to preach, to baptize, and to teach – constitutes the very essence of the Church’s apostolic ministry, which is to make disciples of all nations and to bring them into the fold of Christ. And building on this history, the Council of Trent, in its decree on the Sacrament of Baptism, emphasizes the necessity of baptizing all nations, citing our Lord’s words in Matthew 28:19 (Denzinger 1618). This decree underscores the Church’s conviction that baptism is essential for salvation, and that the missionary efforts of the Church are directed towards the universal salvation of all humanity.
The Great Commission is a sacred mandate that lies at the heart of the Church’s missionary identity. It is a call to evangelize, to baptize, and to teach all nations, in obedience to Christ’s command. As Catholics, we are heirs to this apostolic tradition, and it is our duty to respond to this sacred mandate with zeal, fidelity, and generosity. May our Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, guide and inspire us as we strive to fulfill this missionary imperative, that all nations may come to know and worship the one true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Appointment of Peter as the Leader
In Matthew 16:18-19, Jesus famously declares to Simon Peter, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” This passage clearly shows Jesus appointing Peter as the leader of the disciples and the Church, granting him special authority. The imagery of the “rock” establishes Peter as the foundational stone upon which Christ builds His Church.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) affirms this, stating that “Jesus entrusted a specific authority to Peter” and that the “power of the keys” designates the authority to govern the Church (CCC 553). This authority includes “binding and loosing,” which in Jewish tradition referred to the function of authoritative teaching and governance, thus granting Peter and his successors the power to define doctrine and establish disciplinary norms.
St. Leo the Great, a Doctor of the Church, reinforces this understanding, stating that Jesus “established the faith of Peter in the chief of the apostles” and wished for this grace to remain in Peter’s successors (Sermon 3, 3). He further elaborates that Peter’s primacy is meant to safeguard the unity of the Church, calling it “the solidity of that rock which no power can shake” (Sermon 4, 2).
Here are additional references that could be support for promoting the idea that the appointment of Peter as a leader amongst the 12 was a thing:
1. Luke 22:31-32
2. John 21:15-17
3. Acts 1:15-26
4. Acts 2:14-41
5. Acts 10:44-48
6. Acts 15:7-12
7. Galatians 1:18
8. Galatians 2:7-9
9. 1 Peter 5:1-4
10. Isaiah 22:20-22 (typological reference)
These references collectively support the unique role and authority given to Peter among the apostles and within the early Church.
The Ordination of the Apostles
In Mark 3:13-15, Jesus appoints the Twelve Apostles, giving them authority to preach and cast out demons. This ordination of the apostles is a theme in the establishment of the priesthood, as it shows Jesus conferring his own authority upon them.
The CCC affirms this, stating that “Christ himself chose the apostles and gave them a share in his mission and authority” (CCC 1575). St. John Chrysostom, a Doctor of the Church, also supports this understanding, distinguishing between the ordination of the apostles and the appointment of the seven deacons in Acts 6:3-6 (Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles).
For more:
1. Matthew 10:1-4
2. Luke 6:12-16
3. John 20:21-23
4. Acts 1:8
5. Acts 2:1-4
6. Acts 4:33
7. Acts 5:12
8. Acts 13:2-3
9. 1 Timothy 4:14
10. Titus 1:5
I took the above and had AI address one potential push back to the priesthood, and then tie everything above together to defend the priesthood. Here’s what it wrote:
Let’s explore this fascinating paradox: Christ is our sole mediator, yet St. Paul urges all Christians to become intercessors. It’s like a divine puzzle, isn’t it?
Look at 1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” This is a clear statement affirming Christ’s unique mediatory role. Yet, just two verses later, Paul declares, “For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle.” And what is an apostle but a mediator, a bridge between God and humanity? Paul himself embodies this paradox, called to be a mediator because Christ is the mediator, echoing His love and grace throughout the world.
Is this a contradiction? Absolutely not! It’s about participation, about Christ sharing His power. Think about Matthew 23:8: “But you are not to be called Rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren.” Crystal clear, right? But then James 3:1 and Ephesians 4:11 speak of multiple teachers within the Church. The key lies in understanding that these teachers, these mediators, don’t diminish Christ’s role. They are extensions of Him, manifestations of His presence on earth, serving to strengthen and amplify His roles as teacher and mediator. They are, as Paul eloquently puts it in Galatians 2:20, vessels through which Christ Himself teaches.
This concept is beautifully illustrated in the priesthood. The priesthood is not about necessity. It’s not as if Christ needs our help to accomplish His mission. He could easily handle it all solo, penning this very blog post with far more eloquence than I ever could. But He chooses not to. He chooses to work through His body, the Church, to express His love and life to the world. It’s a beautiful, humbling truth – a testament to the power of shared purpose and divine grace.
The Priesthood as Participation in Christ’s Mediation
In Catholic understanding, the priesthood is a profound example of how Christ’s singular mediatorship is shared with humanity. The priest, acting in persona Christi (in the person of Christ), is not a replacement or rival to Christ but a participant in His eternal priesthood. Through the sacrament of Holy Orders, priests are configured to Christ in a unique way that allows them to serve as His instruments on earth.
The Institution of the Eucharist
One of the most significant events in the life of Jesus is His institution of the Eucharist, as recorded in Luke 22:19-20. Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” He then took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” This event is also recorded in Matthew 26:26-28 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, emphasizing its importance and centrality to Christian practice.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms that at the Last Supper, Jesus “instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of His Body and Blood” to “perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until He should come again” (CCC 1323). This understanding is further supported by the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, who states that Jesus instituted the Sacrament of His Body and Blood as a “perpetual memorial of His Passion” (Summa Theologica, III:73:5).
The Conferral of Authority to Forgive Sins
In John 20:21-23, Jesus breathes on His disciples and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” This confers upon them the authority to forgive sins, a power that belongs to God alone. This extraordinary gift, bestowed through the Holy Spirit, is a continuation of Christ’s own ministry of reconciliation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms, “by virtue of His divine authority, He gives this power to men to exercise in His name” (CCC 1441).
This sacred authority, handed down through apostolic succession, is exercised in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, wherein the repentant sinner, through the ministry of the priest, encounters the merciful love of God and receives the forgiveness of sins. The priest, acting in persona Christi, absolves the penitent of their sins, restoring them to the grace of God and the communion of the faithful.
Through these examples, we see the clear biblical and ecclesial foundations for the priesthood. Jesus established the priesthood as a key part of His Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church and the writings of the Doctors of the Church further affirm and explain these biblical foundations, demonstrating the continuity of the priesthood from the time of Christ to the present day.
AI History on the Terms and Roles used for “Priest.” Yes, the New Testament has terms for Priests as we understand them today; however, they didn’t use the same word as priest in their own day for obvious reasons Christians didn’t participate in the temple Practice because Jesus was our high priest. Furthermore the focus was on Jesus commissioning of his own priests in the sense he had in mind, which was basically around leadership and sacrament; or to put it in bold, “Matthew 28:19–20 (NRSV): Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” After the fall of the temple system the term for priest became more apparent but the tasks of priest in the church became distinct to Christ’s teaching not the Jewish sacrificial system.
Here’s AI’s account of this history in detail:
—
In the New Testament, the early Christian leaders were not commonly referred to as “priests” (hiereus) in the same way that the Jewish priesthood or the priesthood of Christ was described. Instead, the early Church used terms such as “elders” (presbyters) and “overseers” (bishops) to describe roles that correspond to what we understand today as priests and bishops in the Catholic Church. These roles involved leadership, teaching, pastoral care, and the administration of sacraments, functions central to the priesthood in the Catholic tradition.
### New Testament Terminology
#### Elders (Presbyters)
The term “elder” (Greek: presbyteros) often referred to leaders in the early Christian communities who were responsible for teaching, governing, and pastoral care. The English term “priest” is derived from the Greek word “presbyteros.”
– **Acts 14:23**: “Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church…”
– **Titus 1:5**: “Appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.”
– **1 Timothy 5:17**: “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor…”
#### Overseers (Bishops)
The term “overseer” (Greek: episkopos) is translated as “bishop” in English. Bishops were responsible for overseeing multiple congregations and ensuring the faithfulness of teaching and practice within their jurisdiction. They also played a key role in ordaining new leaders.
– **1 Timothy 3:1-7**: Describes the qualifications for overseers.
– **Titus 1:7-9**: Further details on the qualifications and duties of overseers.
#### The Ministry of Reconciliation
– **2 Corinthians 5:18-20**: “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation… We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”
These roles are mentioned in various New Testament passages and align closely with the sacramental and pastoral duties of Catholic priests. The use of terms like “elder” and “overseer” helped distinguish early Christian leaders from the Jewish priesthood and aligned with the broader cultural and linguistic context of the Greco-Roman world.
### Evolution of the Term “Priest”
The shift to using the term “priest” in Christian communities happened gradually and was influenced by several factors, both theological and practical:
#### Theological Development
1. **Sacramental Theology**: As the early Church developed a deeper understanding of the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist, the role of presbyters (elders) in celebrating the Eucharist came to be seen in a more sacerdotal (priestly) light. The Eucharist was understood as a true participation in the one sacrifice of Christ, and those who presided over it were seen as acting in persona Christi (in the person of Christ).
2. **Typological Interpretation**: Early Christians increasingly interpreted the Old Testament typologically, seeing many aspects of Jewish worship as prefiguring Christian realities. Just as the Jewish priests offered sacrifices in the temple, Christian presbyters offered the Eucharistic sacrifice, fulfilling and transforming the old rites.
#### Linguistic and Cultural Factors
3. **Greek Language**: The lingua franca of the time was Greek, and the early Christians used Greek terms that differentiated their leaders from the Jewish priesthood. Terms like “presbyteros” (elder) and “episkopos” (overseer) were used to describe the leadership roles within the Christian communities, emphasizing their functions of teaching, governing, and pastoral care without the sacrificial connotations associated with the Jewish priesthood.
4. **Latin Language Influence**: As Christianity spread in the Western Roman Empire, Latin became the dominant language of the Church. The Latin word “presbyter” eventually evolved into “prester” and then “priest,” a term that also carried connotations of sacrificial ministry. The Latin Church’s use of “sacerdos” (priest) further reinforced the sacerdotal understanding of Christian ministry.
#### Institutional and Liturgical Developments
5. **Church Hierarchy**: As the Church’s hierarchical structure became more formalized, the distinct roles of bishops, presbyters, and deacons became clearer. Bishops were seen as successors to the apostles with the fullness of sacramental authority, while presbyters (priests) were their assistants, particularly in leading local congregations, celebrating the Eucharist, and administering other sacraments.
6. **Expansion and Uniformity**: As the Christian Church expanded, there was a need for greater uniformity in terminology and practice. Using the term “priest” helped to standardize the role and emphasize its sacramental and liturgical functions across diverse Christian communities.
#### Historical Contingencies
7. **Council Decisions and Church Fathers**: Councils and Church Fathers played a significant role in defining and explaining the roles within the Church. For example, the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) and later councils helped to solidify the roles and terminology of church leadership. Writings from Church Fathers like St. Ignatius of Antioch, St. Jerome, and St. Augustine also emphasized the priestly role of presbyters in administering sacraments and leading worship.
#### Continuity and Fulfillment
8. **Continuity with Jewish Tradition**: By adopting the term “priest,” the early Church also emphasized the continuity and fulfillment of the Jewish tradition in Christ. The term underscored that the Christian community saw itself as the new Israel, with its own priestly ministry serving the new covenant established by Jesus.
In summary, the adoption of the term “priest” in Christian communities was a gradual process influenced by theological developments, linguistic evolution, and the need for uniformity and clarity in church structure and practice. This shift highlighted the sacramental and liturgical functions of Christian ministers, aligning them with the concept of priesthood in a way that reflected both continuity with and transformation of Old Testament traditions.
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not a bad history lesson. Good job ChatGPT!
Hopefully it’s absurdly obvious now that priests are not only biblical, but necessary to participating in obeying Jesus, and being found in him. Amen!
Conclusion
Through this exploration, we have seen the clear biblical and ecclesial foundations for the priesthood. From the institution of the Eucharist to the conferral of authority to forgive sins, the Great Commission, the appointment of Peter as leader, and the ordination of the apostles, Jesus clearly established the priesthood as a key part of his Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church and the writings of the Doctors of the Church further affirm and explain these biblical foundations, demonstrating the continuity of the priesthood from the time of Christ to the present day.
For those of us raised in traditions that dismissed or ignored this evidence, discovering the biblical and historical support for the priesthood can be a transformative experience. It challenges us to re-examine our assumptions and to embrace the fullness of the faith that Christ entrusted to his Church. By rediscovering these biblical and ecclesial roots, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the priesthood and its vital role in the life of the Church.
