What Is the Priesthood of All Believers?

United with Christ in Priesthood

The priesthood of all believers is a beautiful doctrine that was revived by the Reformers. Basically, it says that Christ is our priest and that all believers in Christ are priests, in some sense, like Christ. Not just a certain special class of people in the church, but all believers share in this priesthood as we share in Christ and as we participate with Christ in a spiritual union. That’s the beautiful doctrine that we find in Scripture.

For instance, Revelation 1 talks about how we are made kings and priests unto our God. And even earlier, in the Old Testament, Israel was called to be a kingdom of priests. (Ex. 19) And Peter picks up on the same truth in 1 Peter 2 when he says the church has this holy calling, a kingdom of priests, a royal priesthood. So the priesthood of believers is a beautiful doctrine that I think has a great value. And I don’t know if it has been undervalued so much as it could be valued even more. This can be applied to mission in a wonderful way in the witness of the church—not just the personal, inner relationship that we have with Christ as our priest, but also the corporate, outward-facing ministries of the church, the confession of the church in society.

I think the priesthood of all believers has something to say there too because as Christ is our priest, so we are priests in that same way as we are united to Christ spiritually. The Heidelberg Catechism touches on this in a wonderful way that takes this doctrine and expands on it a bit. If you look at the Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 12, Q&A 31 and 32, the first question says, “Why is he called Christ?” (this is in my own words now) and “Why is he called the Messiah, the Christ, the anointed one?”

And the answer is because he’s been anointed—he’s been appointed by God the Father—and anointed by the Spirit to be our chief prophet, our only high priest, and our eternal king. And then the second question of that Lord’s Day, Q&A 32 says, “Why are you called a Christian?” And so it’s taking what Christ is and then comparing it with what we are called to be in Christ. And the answer is beautiful. The answer says that we are partakers of Christ, that we are united to Christ in spiritual union, and we are anointed by his Spirit. And then the answer gives three parts: to confess his name, and then to give our lives as a living sacrifice, and then also to fight against sin. So again: prophet, priest, and king.

So it’s not just the priesthood of all believers, but it’s the priesthood, the prophethood, and the kingship of all believers, in a certain sense, as Christ is our head. I think that can be applied to mission in a number of ways. One, the priesthood of all believers says that it’s not just those who are specifically called to a particular task, like missionary or apologist or perhaps an office of evangelist if your church has one, but it’s all believers who know Christ and are united with him spiritually that have a task to be missionaries, to be witnesses, to be evangelists to the people around us. And not just priests in that sense—giving our lives as a living sacrifice—but also prophets, in a small piece, as it were. As Christ is our great and chief prophet, so we are called to prophetically speak his word in our communities and in our own context.

We are called to be princes who are seeking Christ’s kingdom, promoting his justice, and doing his will on earth as it is in heaven.

As Christ is the only high priest, so we are called to be priests—little priests, as it were—in our own communities through ministries of intercession, ministries of prayer for others, ministries of being a priestly blessing, as Paul speaks about in Romans 15, to share the blessings of Christ as Abraham was called to be a blessing to all nations.

We’re called to be kings as well. Although, we are called to be princes, because we’re not yet kings. We’re going to be kings, but we’re not kings yet. And so we are called to be princes who are seeking Christ’s kingdom, promoting his justice, and doing his will on earth as it is in heaven.

And so the priesthood of all believers is a very important doctrine that says all believers are called to be witnesses of Christ, and all of us share in Christ’s ministries. We are called by Christ and empowered and anointed by his Spirit to be prophets in our society, to be priests in our society, and to be kings (or princes) in our society as we witness of Christ.

Brian A. DeVries is the author of You Will Be My Witnesses: Theology for God’s Church Serving in God’s Mission.

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