okay. If God did not appoint anyone as head of Christ's church, why did He have a High Priest?

Question

In the Old Testament, the Holy of Holies was the central part of Jewish life, and in order to care for it, priests were appointed (Chosen), and from amoung them, a High Priest. So, with Jesus as our tabernacle for the New Testament (He is our Holy of Holies), why does this not hold true today with a heirarchy of priests, bishops, and one High Priest. (ie, the Pope) Does this not seem harmonious to the quote that Jesus made: Matt: 5:17." Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 5:18. For amen I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall not pass of the law, till all be fulfilled."

That is to say, even down to the tassels the priests wear, nothing will change.

Answer 1

It doesn't matter. Bring some grace to this world by treating people kindly, and you'll be doing God's work. This is far more important than the finer points of religious doctrine.

Answer 2

The pope is no more a representative on earth than a pastor is. It is important to remember that Jesus is the one who intercedes on our behalf before the Father in Heaven, not the pope or priests. Back in the days of the Jews, Priest were needed because Jesus had not come yet to fulfill His exalted place as the Highest priest, the Only Priest. Those priest were how people commonly heard from God. Jesus indeed did not break or destroy any laws, but He did exactly what was prophetically spoken about Him and His coming. Christ is the head of the church and we, the believers are the body and the brides of Christ.

Answer 3

There are no editions of the Bible that are flawless. Look into the history. Books were thrown out. Pieces of it were put together from different parts of the book like a puzzle. Books were hidden when Christians were persecuted and killed. (Read the Gnostic Codices). Before the Bible was let loose to the people, many people edited it for content. Also it was written two centuries after Christ was crucified.
The phrophies of the Old Testament were fulfilled when Jesus was born, and then later when The Christ entered him. Therefore the Old Testament has been fulfill and now is void. The New Testament came into its own as soon as The Christ appeared and began teaching.

Blessed Be

Answer 4

The high priest in the Old Testament was to help us understand the priesthood of Christ.

Under the old law, the High Priest would go into the Most Holy Place of the temple / tabernacle once a year to mediate on behalf of the people.

The Most Holy Place represented the place where the presence of God was.

Now Jesus Christ mediates on our behalf. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5)

Jesus alone is our High Priest and He has returned to the presence of God to mediate on our behalf!

"But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." (Hebrews 9:11-12)

Jesus is the head of the church! (Ephesians 1:22-23)

For the verse you cited, Jesus did not destroy the law, but he did fulfill it and gave us a new law!

For example, I once tried to buy a house and the deal went bad. There was a problem with the title and the deal was not able to close at the time specified in the contract
I had the option to amend the contract, to extend the time period.

Instead I decided to destroy the contract. That contract was voided. I am no longer bound to it. I also did not come to own that house because the contract was not fulfilled.

When I bought another house, the deal proceeded as specified in the contract.

That contract was fulfilled. I am currently not bound by that contract either. The specifications of that contract were fulfilled.

Now I have a new contract that I am bound to, a mortgage. My current contract requires me to make monthly payments, have insurance, etc. This contract replaced the old contract.

Christ fulfilled the Old Law (Old Testament) and he gave us a new covenant! We are no longer subject to the old because we have a new!

Answer 5

Actually, our holy of Holies in the New Covenant is the Virgin Mary, for the Word of God dwelt in her womb for roughly 9 months. So this does not actually constitute a Pope, but it puts Christ in the Holy of Holies, making Him High Priest as foretold in Deuteronomy - that a High Priest of the Order of Malchesidek(sp) would come. Christ alone fulfills this prophesy. Christ's body on Earth, and thus His presence, is not the Pope, but His Bride the Church. This is because the Church is 'the Body of Christ'.

Therefore, there is no need for a 'Vicar of Christ'.

Answer 6

Jesus was the end of the Law Covenant. The Priestly arrangement was part of that covenant. Jesus is the High Priest for all time, the only way of approach to God. His perfect sacrifice fulfilled the law and what was prophesied by the prophets.

Answer 7

1. The "church" refers to the body of believers, NOT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH!!
2. There is no need for a high priest here on earth. JESUS IS OUR HIGH PRIEST, NOT THE POPE!!!!
3. The curtain was torn in two in the temple when Jesus was crucified! That means that He REMOVED THE BARRIER BETWEEN MAN AND GOD. We need no other intercessor, EXCEPT FOR JESUS HIMSELF. NOT MARY, NOT THE SAINTS, NOT ANYONE ELSE BUT JESUS CHRIST!!!
4. Why is this so hard to understand?
5. The pope is not Jesus' representative. All His believers are His Body on earth. The church!!
6. We must HUMBLE OURSELVES BEFORE THE LORD! NOT EXALT OURSELVES.
7. Jesus said "If you love Me, you will keep My COMMANDS." That means the commandments, not the Jewish laws of sacrifice (which Jesus did away with when He became the ultimate sacrifice).
8. JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. NO ONE ENTERS INTO THE FATHER, EXCEPT THROUGH HIM.
NOT THE POPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9. JESUS CHRIST IS THE ROCK, NOT PETER!!!!!

Answer 8

Christ is the High Priest, not the pope!

Heb 4:14,15 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are— yet was without sin.

Heb 3:1 Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.

Answer 9

The priests in the OT had to be from the hereditary line of Aaron, Moses' brother. From there, the high priest was chosen by casting lots (LK 1:9).

We Catholics (and Orthodox Christians) did NOT let go of the roles of priests and bishops...the role of the priest is for the offering of the Body and Blood of Jesus at Mass. It is an unbloody offering -- a perpetual re-presentation of Jesus' offering to God who stands outside of time. Bishops have the same role but adds plenty of oversight.

Fundies will insist that priests are no longer needed today but why then would Paul refer to the PRIESTLY duty of proclaiming the gospel? Even the online NIV bible -- which is Protestant -- uses the term "priestly":

"I have written you quite boldly...because of the grace God gave me 16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the PRIESTLY duty of proclaiming the gospel of God" (RM 15:15-16).

Answer 10

Because, first of all you are mixing the "confusions" of religions made by MAN. Of all Jesus TAUGHT, had little to do with the Jewish FAITH, and I noticed one thing in what you WROTE. In the christian faith "verily" replaces the name of "amen" YET you wrote verse 5:18 as stating it says "Amen." Only people of my faith knows this and "catholics" who are studies in "Latin."

To answer your question, in the "beginning" the hebrews were they who carried out the faith in Lord Amen OUT of Egypt when Akhenaton abolished all faith in him and the ancient Gods. As "thus" the order of the "High Priest" just as in the faith which was already over 2400 years old. If you have READ, there was turmoil amongst the hebrews as far as belief was concerned once they left Egypt. Much of what "evolved" into that which is modern Judaism is of the sect which "created" much of man made principles, and "their" own "God." When you read all of what "Jesus" said to the Jews of his time, he said that the FAITH was NOT as it had been in the BEGINNING, and EVENUALLY he gets to the point where he states that the GRACE of God in heaven is taken AWAY from them for this reason and that a NEW nation will receive that grace. It is a PROPHESY many have OVERLOOKED for that "nation" evenually becomes, the United States. I am a "priest" of the "ancient" order of the Lord of Creation. That "faith" as it was given in the "beginning." A "God on earth" if you will, chosen by the Lord, to do the Lord's will.

Answer 11

In speaking of the Catholic tradition, the way that the church is organized is modeled after Christ and his apostles. Everything in the mass is modeled after the last supper or something or another, but the hierarchy with Popes at the top was started with St. Peter, the rock and foundation of the church. This foundation must be upheld by successors who are spiritually inclined persons decided among the holiest of the holy on this earth.