'You are Priest forever in the line of Melchizedek': The Biblical Basis for the Catholic Ministerial Priesthood

The word priest comes from the greek word presbuteros. That word was transliterated into Latin as presbyter, which then in English became shortened further to 'priest'.

Though many might translate this word only to mean ‘elder’ we see in scripture that it is very often tied to the context of priestly functions. Thus certain translations of passages, like the douay rheims version, render passages like Titus 1:5, and James 5:14-15 to actually say 'priest' when referring to presbuteros. In this Bible Study we will look at the Biblical basis for the Royal priesthood of all the baptized, the High Priesthood of Christ and the Catholic ministerial priesthood.

CCC 1141, CCC 1547

1 Pet 2:9; Exodus 19:6, Lev 8 & 9; Heb 5:1-10; Ex 19:21 – 25; Numbers 11:16-17; Numbers 27:18-23; Deuteronomy 34:9; John 20:22; Lev 16:32-33; 1 Tim. 5:19-22; Hosea 14:2; Hebrews 13:15-16; Rom 15:15-16; 2 Cor 5:20; James 5:14ff; 1 Corinthians 11:24

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