Priesthood of Believers Paradigmata

 ”Man's sanctification (moral restoration) is definitive, progressive, and final. One God, one covenant law: through time and across borders. The successive covenants of Scripture really record for us a gradual historical unfolding of one overarching covenant, rather than the successive, compartmental establishing of distinctively different capsule covenants” –Kenneth Gentry in He Shall Have Dominion

^{Luther on Priesthood of the Laity}

^{Schaff Vol 7 page 23, quote-Ҥ 8. The Priesthood of the Laity.}

^{“The social or ecclesiastical principle of Protestantism is the general priesthood of believers, in distinction from the special priesthood which stands mediating between Christ and the laity.}

^{The Roman church is an exclusive hierarchy, and assigns to the laity the position of passive obedience. The bishops are the teaching and ruling church; they alone constitute a council or synod, and have the exclusive power of legislation and administration. Laymen have no voice in spiritual matters, they can not even read the Bible without the permission of the priest, who holds the keys of heaven and hell.}

^{In the New Testament every believer is called a saint, a priest, and a king. "All Christians," says Luther, "are truly of the spiritual estate, and there is no difference among them, save of office alone. As St. Paul says, we are all one body, though each member does its own work, to serve the others. This is because we have one baptism, alike; one gospel, one faith, and are all Christians for baptism, gospel and faith, these alone make spiritual and Christian people." And again: "It is faith that makes men priests, faith that unites them to Christ, and gives them the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, whereby they become filled with all holy grace and heavenly power. The inward anointing—this oil, better than any that ever came from the horn of bishop or pope—gives them not the name only, but the nature, the purity, the power of priests; and this anointing have all they received who are believers in Christ."}

^{This principle, consistently carried out, raises the laity to active co-operation in the government and administration of the church; it gives them a voice and vote in the election of the pastor; it makes every member of the congregation useful, according to his peculiar gift, for the general good. This principle is the source of religious and civil liberty which flourishes most in Protestant countries. Religious liberty is the mother of civil liberty. The universal priesthood of Christians leads legitimately to the universal kingship of free, self-governing citizens, whether under a monarchy or under a republic.”-endquote}

^{A priesthood of believers is a correct form rather than a partitioned dichotomy of priests and laity mirroring that of traditional aristocracy-subjects paradigms. Developing an active priesthood of believers church structure with just three ranks of beginner, intermediate and elder will be a challenge and a renewal of reformation.}

^{In the world today the political drift is toward ad hoc neo-imperlialism of class of wealth through global networks. Considering the role of the Christian Church in bringing civilization to the pagan tribes of Western Europe over the course of several hundred years it is not surprising that the Church gained influence among the princely leaders of the various nations. Churchmen were also the transnationalists of the era after the fall of Rome to the Goths with an army of priests. Corruption in human social organizations including the church was of course the rule rather than the exception.}

^{When the Muslim forces of the Abbassid Caliphate attacked Spain, Sicily and Byzantium the church had a role that naturally developed as the faith of the invaded resisting the theocratic war machine of Mohammedan votaries.}

^{With a millennium of defense military operations against the Muslim forces European nations increased their military skill. When the Byzantine Empire decreased in power due to the attacks by Muslims and Huns the church at Rome naturally increased in power and influence. Yet of course sacerdotal corruptions with concubinage and the huge problem of Papal sales of indulgences-papers-granting forgiveness of sins-that brought gold to the Vatican from all over Europe grew as uncorrected problems of the Roman Church leadership. Because some Popes asserted unlimited power over all church and state affairs a reformation was sought by the laity. Martin Luther in Germany and Zwingli in Switzerland led a rectification of the Christian Church to return to Bible basics that the word of God is primary and that the correct ideal ecclesiastical expression is an egalitarian priesthood of believers with one High Priest-The Lord Jesus Christ.}