Since the Book of Hebrews teaches there is no more human priesthood, why are there priests in LDS and RCC?

That must be one of the books they skipped. I agree with you. Jesus is the only Priest I want to bring my sins to. I met a Mormon High Priest who made a terrible mistake. He is now in prison, for 30+ years. He is already 62 years old....

I have not met any Catholic Priests that were currently priests...however I met one who was but decided he could serve God and be married. Paul did say if a person cannot stand being alone, that he should be married. Consider the fallen priests who had done regrettable things with children...or those women who had failed in their celibacy as Nuns...instead of continuing in the sins, they should leave the office they hold before bringing the rest down. Being married is not a sin. It is one of those things that was ordained by God after all...just like the Sabbath, and having the Communion (which some call Eucharist). Another thing that was to be done in remembrance of Christ was the foot washing. I don't see those churches running off to wash each others feet.

Priesthood titles aren't "earned." The Bible says "No man taketh this honour unto himself but he that is CALLED OF GOD as was Aaron" (Hebrews 5:4). EDIT: Ok, if you're referring to qualifications for being given the priesthood...I honestly can't remember the questions I was asked when I had my interview, but basically you have to live the commandments, you have to WANT the priesthood, you have to have a testimony, etc. There aren't really any "extra" requirements for receive different "titles"...you just have to KEEP doing the things that made your worthy in the first place, that's part of why it's not accurate to say we "earn" the titles. If we are living the gospel, there is nothing we really need to change when we go from one "title" to another. We receive a different "title" when our leaders, through inspiration, determine that it's right. EDIT: It seems like the heart of your question is still...why don't women hold the priesthood if they are just as worthy as men. God has different roles for men and women in his plan...neither is better or worse than the other. It wouldn't bother me if God revealed that women could now hold the priesthood, but God hasn't. As far as the instance in which an adult male might be given the priesthood immediately after baptism...yes, that happens sometimes. It usually happens when he is being baptized with his family. He is given the Aaronic Priesthood and ordained to the office of Priest, so that he has the authority to baptize his family. His receiving the priesthood is not arbitrary, however. He was still interviewed by the Bishop and the Bishop found him worthy. Also note that the adult male only received the Aaronic Priesthood. There is a higher priesthood called the Melchizedek priesthood, and I've never heard of an adult male receiving the Melchizedek priesthood immediately after baptism.

Since your premise is based on the Book of Hebrews, let's examine it a little closer. I believe Paul is saying that he do not need a high priest to offer daily sacrifices for our sins. The Atonement of Jesus Christ does this. No where does it say the office of priest is abolished.

The purpose of the priesthood to act on behalf of God. This authority was passed to the Apostles. What they sealed upon the earth will be sealed in Heaven. Martin Luther taught that all believers hold the priesthood. Joseph Smith claimed the priesthood from the hands of Peter, James and John. The RCC claims apostolic succession.

"The Roman Catholics and the other Orthodox have their own priesthood as well...being composed of celebate men. They also claim the first pope was Peter, although he was a married man, and never actually went to Rome."

For your information I am a priest and, not that it is any of your business, I am married and not celibate. In fact I have four children and six grandchildren. The first pope was St. Peter appointed by Christ Himself. Check it out, it is in your Bible, unless Protestants have taken even more books out that I do not know about. I haven't been a Protestant for over five years now and I would not be surprised from some of the answers and questions I see here on YH Answers. Not all priests practice the discipline of celibacy, only some Latin Rite priests all others including Orthodox are free to marry. BTW, saying that St. Peter never went to Rome is just repeating a lie told by anti-Catholics who hate Christ's Church and I am sure you do not desire to be associated with this rabble. the fact is he was even martyred there and is buried where St. Peters is located in Rome under the altar. If you are wondering where the Catholic priesthood came from, read about it in the book of Acts, if your Bible still has that book, and it will give you an accounting of the ordination of clergy and the formation of apostolic succession after Pentecost.

I pray this answers your questions and clears up your obvious confusion.

In Christ

Fr. Joseph

You said, "I never assumed the Catholics had a Levitical Priesthood. What I am getting at is the human priesthood...no human being can forgive our sins. No human being can atone for us. No human being need hear our sins as a confession. Christ knows our hearts, other humans cannot know us that intimately."

It seems that you are missing parts of Scripture again. Jesus said that the priesthood has the authority to forgive sins. He gave that authority to the disciples and they passed it on to their successors through apostolic succession. Jesus was a human and He most certainly did atone for our sins. He was fully man and fully God. when a priest hears a confession, as he has the authority to do from Christ ,He is acting 'in persona Christi". This means that it is indeed Christ who forgives the sin. As you see you are basing your assumptions on an incomplete understanding of Scriptures using proof text methodology and eisegesis. One should go to Scriptures to learn instead of supporting one's prejudices and bigotry.

Pastor Billy says: you have completely misrepresented the ministerial priesthood of the new covenant were you error most is assuming the Catholic and Orthodox priesthood (cannot speak for the mormons) is merely a continuation of the Levitical priesthood. Yes obviously the Levitical priesthood has been done away in their rejection of Messiah Jesus but be mindful that Jesus came to make all things new including a new valid minsterial priesthood as Jesus himself is the perfect high priest therefore using the example of Christ alone makes it an impossibility to argue all priesthood is done away. No more correctly, the old priesthood of Levi is what is done away and the new priesthood of the new covenant is what is installed. The old sat in the seat of Moses, the new sits in the chair of Peter. "Simon you are rock and upon this rock I will build my Church"

Many non-Catholics, non-Orthodox will argue "we are all a royal priest" thereby meaning to say if everyone is a priest no one is a priest. This analysis of scripture however is faulty as the text in taken out of it's proper context. When persons refer to the "royal priesthood" they are referring to the writing of Peter who refers to the entire Church of believers yet were does Peter quote from and what was the original context? Peter quotes from Old Testament scripture were the "royal priesthood" described the first peoples of the book, the Jews. When we look to the first peoples however what do we find well from within the royal priesthood are chosen a ministerial priesthood who offer sacrifice in the temple to God for all the people. When Jesus comes what does he first do during his ministry? He picks out the 12 apostles (bishops) who are the first NT priests. Jesus then goes about instituting the Christian sacraments baptism, eucharist, confirmation etc etc...

The ministerial priesthood of the NT no longer offers a Levitical sacrifice or a new-sacrifice what it does however is offer the Eucharist which is Christ's perfect sacrifice eternal. "Do this in remembrance of Me"

I could explain much more including the celibacy of priests in the Latin rite but what you must understand is the minsterial priesthood is not Levitical as you assume and priesthood has not been done away as Jesus himself is clearly high priest of all.

In the first place, no where in the Bible does it say that Christians must not have priests. So your assumption that Christian priesthood is contrary to scripture is not based on scripture.

The NT says there is no longer a need of the imperfect priesthood of Aaron, but then it refers to the Jewish priesthood and the animal sacrifices, not to Christian priests.

In 1 Peter 2:9 we read 'But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people'. That makes all Christians priests.

The word 'priest' comes from the Greek work 'Presbyter'. In 1 Tim 4:14 we read 'Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.'

The Catholics may believe that their priests can absolve sin--I don't know, but the LDS do not. No mormon "priest holder" <cough> has ever claimed to forgive sin. Mainly because there is no real "sin" in mormonism except murder, adultery, and their twisted definition of apostasy (leaving the LDS church, not abandoning belief in God as in the actual definition). Those 3 things even the blood of Jesus cannot ever forgive according to Smith's imagination, the founder of their organization. Scripture teaches that all believers are priests, so how can a priest forgive another priest? Whatever. Theology semantics are just not worth getting your panties in that severe a twist to me. If not Catholic, don't worry about what they believe. That's God's department, not yours. I grew up mormon and answer LDS-related questions on here. Pray for mormons eyes to be opened to who God is, yes, but their belief system semantics? They don't cause me any spiritual conundrums at all. God, to me, is whoever HE says HE is. If I cannot understand what He means, I've found over these many years that HE alone will be the one who will reveal His truth. Not them, not you, not any particular religious label with their pet, hair-spitting doctrines.

We ALL believe something erroneous about God and His Ways. Some more than others. He is a vast, multifaceted, multi-layered, unknowable subject that simply cannot fit into any one box, correct? However, keep in mind we were not given the gift of seeing the actual physical expressions or body language of the speakers within His Word. We ALL must take it on faith that the interpretation of what His Word states is generally understood. Or not. The Gospel in Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. Enough for me. A case in point in my own experience is, so many believe that Jesus was meek and mild. I don't think so. His "blood moon" sign comment so recently in the media spotlight, to me, sounds more like pure sarcasm, considering how many times He repeated those who look for signs are the evil and faithless. He did command believers to look for HIS COMING, and not for anything else. HE alone is central to our faith, not any signs of the times, so keep your eyes safely on Him. I don't know if Jesus was being sarcastic here or not, but neither can you. All things will be revealed when we all arrive in Heaven. Living as a believer boils down to--do the best you can with what you have been given, and as always, seek after more of God's character to be revealed to you for the benefit of all.

You're right, only God forgives sins, but have you forgotten that God in the person of Christ WAS A HUMAN?

But I don't think you understand the Catholic position on confession.

The Catholic priest, by virtue of his office (instituted by Christ) acts "in persona Christi" to extend to sinners the forgiveness of God.

Priests go to confession, too, by the way!

Pax Vobiscum+

Actually I don't see what the purpose of the arronic and melceztic preisthood are for, if you have a prophet, hat do you need a preisthood for as well, what a man is too must over power the women in his religion that he has to have both a preisthood and a porphet or they cannot function, you got me, they can't hear from God without both.

You said:

...no human being can forgive our sins.

I reply:

Then you are going against Scripture because Matt 9:6-8 says "But that you may know that the SON OF MAN HATH THE POWER ON EARTH TO FORGIVE SINS, (then said he to the man sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house. And he arose, and went into his house. And the multitude seeing it, feared, and glorified God that gave such power to MEN [plural].

And we see also in John 20:21-22 "AS THE FATHER SENT ME, SO I SEND YOU." Then he breathed on them and daid, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

How did the Father send Jesus? He sent Jesus with the authority on earth to forgive sins.

Jesus sent His apostles in the same way as He was sent...with the authority to forgive sins.

You also poste:

No human being can atone for us. No human being need hear our sins as a confession.

I reply:

Jesus was/is a human being. And a human may not NEED to hear our sins as a confession but we are directed by God to confess our sins because how else can an apostle or their successors loose or bind sins if they do not hear them?

And don't forget James 5:16 "So then, CONFESS YOUR SINS TO ONE ANOTHER and pray for one another, so that you will be healed."

God Bless

Robin