Of the images used by the apostles to describe the Body of Messiah, one of the most beautiful is that of a priestly people gathered in the presence of the Lord. The New Testament does not just portray the faithful as forgiven sinners awaiting their departure to heaven; it presents the redeemed as a holy priesthood, called to minister before the Lord and to serve others in His name. This imagery draws deeply from the language of the Hebrew Scriptures, where Israel is called a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6). Now, through Messiah Jesus, that ancient calling finds its fulfillment in the ekklesia, those called out. 

The Hebrew word most often used for priest is kohen (כֹּהֵן), a term describing one who stands before the Lord on behalf of the people and before the people on behalf of the Lord. The priest was entrusted with sacred service, teaching the Word of God, offering sacrifices, and preserving holiness among the covenant community. The Greek word used in the Septuagint and reflected in the New Testament priestly tradition is hiereus (ἱερεύς), also referring to one consecrated for holy service. The hiereus (ἱερεύς) is one devoted to sacred service and care of holy things. While the New Testament recognizes Yeshua as our great High Priest, the apostles teach that all believers participate in His priestly ministry through union with Him.

 The Apostle Peter makes this truth explicit when he writes, “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5). Just a few verses later he declares, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). Peter intentionally echoes Exodus 19, showing that the Church participates in Israel’s priestly vocation through Messiah. It would be incorrect to see ourselves as individuals with a private faith; rather, we are living stones joined together into the Lord’s holy temple. The priesthood of the believer is profoundly communal. Priests are not called to exist in isolation. They belong to the sacred household and participate in a shared ministry before the Lord. 

The Apostle Paul develops this same temple imagery throughout his letters. To the Corinthians he writes, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16). Significantly, the pronoun “you” is plural. Paul is speaking not just to individual bodies, but to the gathered community of the faithful. Further, in Ephesians 2:21-22, he describes the Church as a holy temple being fitted together into a dwelling place for God by the Holy Spirit. The apostolic vision is not that of disconnected Christians pursuing personal spirituality, but of a covenant people being formed into sacred space where the Lord’s presence dwells. 

The priestly identity carries with it a call to holiness. Priests were consecrated for the Lord’s service and distinguished from the surrounding culture. Holiness does not mean withdrawal from the world, but faithful dedication to the Lord’s purposes while living in it. Peter exhorts the faithful, “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:16; cf. Lev. 19:2). The Church’s witness depends not only upon its proclamation but upon its character. Indeed, the Church is called to shine forth Christ into a darkened world. A holy priesthood reflects the holiness of the Lord it serves. 

Yet priesthood is never solely about personal sanctification. It is also about ministry. The New Testament teaches that the faithful offer spiritual sacrifices of praise, thanksgiving, generosity, intercession, and obedient lives. As priests, we carry the burdens of others before the throne of grace. We pray for the sick, encourage the discouraged, teach the faith, serve the needy, and embody the Lord’s mercy within our communities. The priesthood of the believer is not a license for independence from the gathered assembly; rather, it is a call to active participation in the life of the Body. Every member has a ministry because every member shares in Messiah’s priestly work. 

Individualism is prized in our culture, but the apostolic vision reminds us that we belong to Someone greater than ourselves. We are living stones in a spiritual temple, members of a holy priesthood, and participants in His mission to the world. The Church exists not just to gather for worship, but to show forth His presence through lives of holiness, service, and love. As priests of the Most High God, we stand together before Him, offering ourselves as living sacrifices and carrying His light into a world that desperately needs His grace. 

May we never forget the dignity of this calling. Through Jesus the Messiah, our great High Priest, we have been brought near to the Father and commissioned as His priestly people. Let us therefore serve faithfully, walk holy lives, and minister to one another with the humility and compassion that is befitting those who dwell in the courts of the King. 

Maranatha. Shalom. 

“But you and your sons with you are to maintain your priesthood for everything pertaining to the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the ministry of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone unauthorized who approaches will die”
(Num. 18:7).

When we consider the ministry of the Levitical priesthood, we probably would not think of it as a gift; yet, that is exactly what it is. As the Torah says: מַתָּנָה אֶתֵּן אֶת־כְּהֻנַּתְכֶם, “I give your priesthood as a gift.”

The Lord chose Aaron and his sons to serve as ministers in the Tabernacle, and later the Holy Temple. His choice of this particular family as servants to his sanctuary was a gift to them, and a type of grace. Still, this gift was not without responsibility.

At the opening of Numbers 18, the Lord warns the sons of Aaron, “You, your sons, and the house of your father with you will bear the guilt for the sanctuary, and you and your sons will bear the guilt for your priesthood” (Num. 18:1).

As Torah portion Korach opens, the priesthood of Aaron and his sons is challenged by Korach and over two hundred fifty men of renown (Num. 16:2). While all of the children of Israel are priests to the Lord (Ex. 19:6), not every person, or group of people, serve in exactly the same way. Korach, the leader of the rebellion, desired Aaron’s position for himself, even though his clan/family had more direct contact with the Ark of the Covenant; while Aaron only served at the Ark once a year.

This type of jealousy is not limited to ancient Israel and the Levitical tribe or clans; jealousy is a common issue among humans, even those born-again in Messiah Yeshua/Jesus. The Lord warned Aaron and his sons, and by extension us, to protect and take seriously the gift given to us; as Moses would not always be there to face down the opposition. Today, however, we often have to guard our gift from our own mishandling.

The apostle Paul identifies Gospel ministry as a type of priestly service, as he writes, “But I have written rather boldly to you on some points as a reminder – because of the grace given to me by God to be a servant of Messiah Yeshua to the Gentiles, in priestly service to the Good News of God – so that the offering up of the Gentiles might be pleasing, made holy by the Holy Spirit” (Ro. 15:15-16). Messiah, by the Great Commission, has given all of His followers a ministry (priestly service) by calling us to “make disciples” from among the nations (Matt. 28:19-20).

The gift of priestly ministry expresses itself differently in the Body of Messiah among those called (1 Cor. 12, 14). While some gifts and callings may seem more important or celebrated, the reality is that every gift given by the Lord through the Holy Spirit is vital to the proper functioning of the Body of Messiah. As Paul explains, some are given wisdom, others knowledge, to some faith is given, while others work in healing or miracles or prophecy or administrations; still, the gifts are not limited to those specifically mentioned (1 Cor 12:8-11). Paul writes, “But to each person is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the benefit of all” (1 Cor. 12:7). While Paul encourages us to seek the spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 14:1), he does so by encouraging us to seek and grow in intimacy with the gift giver.

Paul admonishes his close disciple Timothy concerning his gift in much the same way the Lord admonishes the sons of Aaron, as he writes, “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands of the elders. Practice these things – be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be clear to all. Give attention to yourself and your teaching. Persevere in these things, for in doing so you will save yourself and those who hear you” (1 Tim. 4:14-16). Timothy had a responsibility to walk in the gift imparted to him, to guard it against critics (1 Tim. 4:12), to mature in it and use it to bless those in his care.

Korach was given the gift of tending to the Ark of the Covenant, the place of atonement for a nation, even a nation of priests. Rather than pressing into the giver of this gift, he rebelliously attempted to steal the gift, position and responsibility of Aaron. This jealousy cost not only his life, but also the lives of many in his family, and those who followed him.

Dear reader, every disciple of Messiah Yeshua/Jesus has been endowed with a gift or gifts through the Holy Spirit. As we learn from Paul, this is our priestly service as regards the Gospel, and in this service we are to bless those around us. While we may look longingly at the ministry (usage of gift for heavenly purpose) of our brothers and sisters, we must keep our attention on the gift that our covenant Lord has entrusted to us. We must search the Scriptures to understand how to properly apply our gift within the context of the covenant community, and the broader community. We must be thankful that the Lord has extended His grace, not only for our salvation, but also to the work specifically prepared for us (Eph. 2:8-10) and the gift that the Holy Spirit is working in us. This gift is for priestly service to others, not ourselves.

As you witness the gifts of other saints, admire not the gifting itself, but the faithful giver of the gift who will complete the work that He has begun in you (Phil. 1:6).

Maranatha. Shalom.