Despite this sense of some continuity with the past, Hebrews is bent on expounding the novelty of Christ’s high priesthood. He radically changed the nature of priesthood: by replacing a past of many priests in becoming ‘the one proper Priest’ (Newman), and, as we shall see, by bringing a massive revision in what sacrifice means. In this context we must note the persistent temptation to play down the discontinuity and return to a Levitical-style priesthood, or at least to press excessively into service themes from the priesthood of Aaron when delineating the ministerial priesthood derived from Christ. We saw this trend setting in as early as 1 Clement. In the sixteenth century the Reformers zealously denounced ways in which Catholic priesthood had returned to Levitical styles and practices. Serious reflection on the Letter to the Hebrews should have checked these abuses. At the same time, the author of Hebrews never makes or implies the claim: ‘read my text and you will know everything you need to know about Christ’s priesthood and about sharing in it through universal and ministerial priesthood.’ Along with its elaborated vision of Christ the new High Priest entering the heavenly sanctuary with his own blood (to expiate sins and establish the new covenant), and in his risen glory continuing to intercede for humanity, Hebrews evokes (without developing fully or even to some extent) other key themes in the narrative of that priesthood: the divine kingdom preached by Jesus; his institution of the Eucharist (probably); his crucifixion (certainly; see Heb. 6: 6; 12: 2). The Last Supper and the crucifixion (followed by his glorious resurrection) enter the story as defining moments in the narrative of Christ’s priesthood. We need the Gospels (and, to some extent, Paul) to fill out those moments for us, just as we rely on the Gospels to know and appreciate the years of Jesus’ public ministry, which can and should be read in a priestly key as well as in a prophetic/teaching key. The Gospels, even if briefly, present the risen Christ as sending (and empowering through the Spirit) chosen representatives among his followers to carry that prophetic/priestly/kingly ministry out to the whole world (e.g. Matt. 28: 19–20). Thus, we must call not only on Hebrews but also on other books of the New Testament to form and fashion an adequate version of Christ’s priesthood. Hebrews is required but not sufficient reading for the central theme of this book.
THESIS 2
The Son of God became a priest, or rather the High Priest, when he took on the human condition.
From the time of Hebrews right down to the twentieth century (e.g. Chrysostom, Augustine, Aquinas, Calvin, Newman, and Torrance), Christian theologians have repeatedly insisted that the Son of God would not have exercised his priestly office unless he had truly taken on the integral human condition. His humanity was essential to his priesthood. Augustine developed this theme though his image of Christ as ‘the humble doctor’: becoming the Priest for the human family involved Christ in a radical self-humbling. Torrance distinguished between (1) the Church rightly recognizing Christ’s divine identity by adoring him ‘equally with the Father and the Holy Spirit’, and (2) a misguided reaction to Arianism that gave rise to liturgical texts that reduced the place given to the human priesthood of Christ. Any such excessive reactions in defence of Christ’s true divinity at the expense of his humanity entail losing a proper appreciation of his priesthood. That priesthood stands or falls with his being fully and truly human.
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