Good question. It might surprise you that my answer is “Yes”– but not the kind of priest in a black robe hidden behind a screen in a confessional booth. At “Share the Word” we take the Bible as our authority to answer important questions like this, not the pronouncements or traditions of any particular religion. If you’d like to understand why, please refer to the Blog Post “Why I Trust the Bible”.
So what does the Bible say on this question? The New Testament is clear that we DO need a priest to intercede with God for us in order for our sins to be forgiven. But it is equally clear that the only priest qualified to do that is Jesus Christ. Listen to these quotations from the New Testament: “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16) And again, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1). And again, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all”. (1 Timothy 2:5-6). Pretty clear, no? Jesus Christ is our priest, our advocate, and He alone is the mediator between us and God.
Actually, nowhere in the New Testament is the term “priest” used for church officers or leaders. Realize a “priest” is by definition someone who stands between you and God, someone whose office you need in order to reach God. It’s true that priesthood was a part of the Old Testament religion of the Jews. Priests served in the tabernacle and temple to offer up sacrifices to God for the people’s sins. But that’s why we call it the OLD Testament! The New Testament is very clear that through Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice to atone for sin the whole Old Testament system of sacrifices and priests became obsolete. There is an entire book in the New Testament written to religious Jews to explain that. It’s called “Hebrews”. Here’s a section from it: “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come . . . he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves (like in the Old Testament Jewish religion) but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. . . He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:11-12, 26). In the New Testament, in the context of church leadership, the spiritual leaders we read about are called pastors, or elders, or overseers—but never priests.
I realize some religions calling themselves “Christian” insist you still need priests to intercede with God for you in a whole variety of ways, including as an intermediary in confessing your sins. The Roman Catholic religion for one is adamant about that. Here is the way one RCC teaching website puts it (AD Today): “We need Priests not only in emergencies, but throughout our lives. Priests baptize us as babies, washing us of original sin and rescuing us from Satan’s dominion. As we get older, we need a Priest to hear us confess our own sins, and it is a Priest who usually gives us Holy Communion. As we mature, a Priest is often there to help us discern our vocation to religious life, holy orders, or marriage. If we marry, we need a Priest to witness our vows. As we get older or become ill, we need the Priest to administer the Anointing of the Sick and comfort us with words of eternal life. When we die, we need a Priest to celebrate Mass for us and give us a Christian burial. Even after we are dead, we depend on Priests to offer Masses for our souls and comfort our loved ones who have been left behind. St. John Vianney put it well: ‘Without the Sacrament of Holy Orders, we would not have the Lord. Without the priest, the Passion and Death of Our Lord would be of no avail. What use would be a house filled with gold were there no one to open its doors?’”
Wow, without priests we would not have the Lord? We need them to unlock all the doors to God’s favor? These are astonishingly anti-biblical statements! We don’t need priests for any of those things actually because there is no such thing as a special priesthood functioning in God’s plan for this age, i.e. the age since Jesus has come and completed His work. The New Testament is clear that all true believers are priests before God now. (1 Peter 2:9) All believers have the right through Jesus Christ to approach God’s throne and are invited to do so boldly. (Hebrews 4:16)
There you have it. According to some religions, you need priests at every turn! They stand between you and God and you are beholden to them and their advocacy throughout your life to secure God’s attention and favor. Yet, according to the Bible, because of the finished work of Christ for us, He alone has become our “great high priest” and the “one mediator between God and man”. So we can trust the New Testament on this question– meaning trust Jesus’ official representatives, the Apostles who wrote it– or we can trust religions that have evolved since then which contradict the Scripture writers. That’s your decision. But while you are pondering the very important question of “Who should I trust?”, maybe it’d be wise ask yourself why exactly a religion calling itself “Christian” would so contradict the New Testament on such a key point? Could it be that it is designed to keep you dependent upon them to dole out God’s grace, to convince you they are your life-link to God, to persuade you they are the best hope of eternal life, i.e. to control you by fear? That’s certainly, sadly, how it appears. In contrast here is how simply the New Testament instructs Christians: “If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. (1 John 1:9). Believers have access to God because Christ has reconciled us to Him. No human middleman is required. No fear should be involved. All that we need in order to gain that access and have our sins forgiven is to be in a right relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, the savior He provided. (John 1:12; 3:16. Romans 3: 23-24; 6:23 et al.)
My best advice on this and every similar question is this: Test what any religion or religious teachers tell you to believe and practice by the Word of God. These questions are too crucial to take men’s word for what is true. God’s Word alone is divinely trustworthy and it is the standard of what is ultimately true. — PRN
