If you go through the doctrinal statement of an evangelical church, you will no doubt find "the priesthood of all believers" as one of the doctrines they adhere to. This adherence is based on I Peter 2:9, which says, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:"Evangelical churches embrace this verse with passion, but I'm sorry to say, it appears they only practice part of it.
Let's take a look at the priesthood. As recorded in Hebrews 9:1-7, we know that the Old Testament priests had to adhere to a very strict set of regulations when entering the tabernacle and only the high priest could enter the "holy of holies," which was behind a curtain or veil. This is a very brief summary of the workings of the tabernacle, so please read the Scriptures for the full story. There is an area in the tabernacle where only one person on the planet was allowed to enter and he had to enter in a very specific way, on a very specific date and for a very specific reason. Leviticus 16:2-34 gives a more detailed account, as do several other passages of Scripture.
For this blog post, I simply wanted to point out the fact that before the death of Jesus Christ, there was a veil separating us from God and only an appointed high priest could access the area behind the veil.
In Matthew 27, we find Jesus on the cross. Verse 50 - 52 say, "Jesus, when he had cried out again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. At that moment, the veil of the temple was torn in two, from the top to the bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split and the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised."
At the moment Jesus died, the veil was torn in two and rendered unnecessary. There was no longer a veil separating us from God. Emmanuel, being God with us, had destroyed the barriers. The veil is gone, hence 1 Peter 2:9 applies to all who believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We all have equal access to God; there is no longer the need for a priest.
This is where the waters get muddy in evangelical circles. While any evangelical you meet will vehemently state they surely do believe in the priesthood of all believers, they will also tell you they believe a husband is the spiritual head of the wife.
How the churches teach and practice this priesthood conflicts with their own doctrinal statements. They are wrong in their practice. This is anti-biblical teaching. It's anti-biblical because God, Himself, states the very opposite of this. The husband is not the spiritual head of the wife; Jesus is the only head. It's vital to understand this in an age where secrets of abuse are finally being revealed and the abuse is deeply rooted in patriarchy.
We female priests have equal standing in Jesus. We have equal access to the understanding of Scripture since we have the Holy Spirit living within us as believers in Jesus. Scripture does not have a patriarchal filter. We women do not have to step aside; we are priests.
Gals, let no one - not a husband, not a father, not a pastor, not anyone - come between Jesus and you. God is talking directly to us, girls. No one stands between us. We are priests.
~Tricia
