Towards an Understanding of Priesthood in the Realistic Sense from the Perspective of New Testament Theology

Protestantism has made a lot of emphases on priesthood of all Christian believers and this contributed immensely to the Second Vatican Council’s reexamination of the Sacred Order and reemphasizing the ministerial priesthood which is realistic in essence of the term. The Council also made official declarations on the priestly identity of the laity. The official teaching on the priesthood of the laity has led to the emergence of vibrancy among catholic laity especially in Anglophone West African Countries. This religious phenomenon appears to put into question, the biblical foundation of the priesthood in the realistic sense. This article emphasizes on the biblical foundation of the priesthood in the realistic sense from the perspective of New Testament theology through the approach of a biblical survey. The term “priest” does not apply to a single person but the entire Christian community in the New Testament. The early Christian community accepted the Jewish priesthood until Christians realized their identity as the “new Israel” and accepted the Eucharist as a replacement of the Jewish bloody sacrifice leading to the emergence of Christian priesthood in the realistic sense, to which corresponds the ordained priesthood which differs in essence from that of the baptized.

Keywords: Eucharist, Presbyter, Priest, Realistic, Sacrifice.