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To: Petrosius; Springfield Reformer; BlueDragon
You have it backwards. The word "priest" came into existence in English as the equivalent to presbuteros not hiereus. It was the lack of an English equivalent to hiereus that caused "priest" to be used also for hiereus.

Which was because presbuteros became to be titled "priests" before there even was an English translational.

I will admit that this was helped by the identification of the sacrificial role of the presbuteros with that of the hiereus.

But NT pastors are not manifest as having a uniquely sacrificial function.

But what you should then be complaining about is the use of "priest" for non-Christian sacrificial ministers rather than its use for presbuteros which was its original use.

Not so as the Holy Spirit even calls pagan sacrificial ministers "hiereus:"

Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. (Act 14:13)

We should never complain about what the Spirit chooses for words, nor change the distinction He can make by them. And hiereus was NEVER used for presbuteros in the NT!

And as all believers engage in offering sacrifice, even their own bodies. (Rm. 12:1) then it is the Holy Spirit who calls them hierateuma = priesthood, which is the only one in the NT church, versus a separate sacerdotal class.

The Catholic understanding of the office of priest was not determined by the usage in English.

Exactly, but her imposed meaning of presbuteros being a separate class of clergy whose primary function was that of offering sacrifices as priests (Latin sacerdos) is behind the English using priest for presbuteros.

67 posted on 11/20/2014 7:38:25 PM PST by daniel1212 (Come to the Lord Jesus as a contrite damned+destitute sinner, trust Him to save you, then live 4 Him)
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To: daniel1212
Not so as the Holy Spirit even calls pagan sacrificial ministers "hiereus:"

Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. (Act 14:13)

But a hiereus is not a presbuteros so your complaint should be that "priest" is an inaccurate translation of hiereus.

69 posted on 11/20/2014 7:53:56 PM PST by Petrosius
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To: daniel1212
Exactly, but her imposed meaning of presbuteros being a separate class of clergy whose primary function was that of offering sacrifices as priests (Latin sacerdos) is behind the English using priest for presbuteros.

Again, you have it backwards. It was the function of the presbuteros in offering the sacrifice of the Mass that is behind the English using "priest" for hiereus.

70 posted on 11/20/2014 7:57:14 PM PST by Petrosius
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