Peter says believers are a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5), drawing parallels with the priesthood established under the Law. Peter packs a lot of information and theological truth in that one metaphor. So, let’s take a few posts to break down what Peter wants us to understand. The first thing is God has cleansed us from our sin. We are specially clothed. We are anointed for service. As we serve, we must remain obedient. And one of the first commands we are given is teaching people God’s word.
Old Testament priests were to instruct the people
Last week, we saw in the beginning of Leviticus 10 that obedience to God and His commands was a serious charge, one that Nadab and Abihu passed off and suffered the consequences. God reaffirmed to Aaron the importance of ensuring the people understood what God expected of them. Their lives literally depended on it.
You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the LORD has spoken to them by Moses.”
Leviticus 10:10-11
In Deuteronomy 17:8-11, Moses describes to the second generation of Israelites how the priests are to functions as judges. Because they know and understand God’s laws, they are qualified to settle disputes in the nation.
After Babylonian captivity, Nehemiah arranged for Ezra the priest to read the entire Law to the generation returning to Judah. Nehemiah 8:1-8 describes as Ezra read, a team of priests and Levites helped explain and interpret the Law for the people listening. (It’s also worth noting the great respect for the Word of God. The people stood out of reverence the entire time Ezra read.)
Teaching was key to Jesus’s ministry
Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
Matthew 9:35
Jesus spent a good deal of His earthly ministry explaining and expounding on the Old Testament Law and the rest of God’s Word. In fact, one of the things people noticed about Him was His authority in teaching. It was unlike any other teacher they had ever heard.
New Testament believers are commissioned to teach
As believers following Christ’s example, we need to make sure we are communicating God’s word effectively. This means all of us, not just those specifically serving as preachers or teachers. Christ commissioned us to do so in Matthew 28:18-20.
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
Paul reminds us, though, that we have help from the Holy Spirit.
We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.
1 Corinthians 2:13
Paul also underscores how important it is to our daily lives.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Colossians 3:16
As New Testament priests, one of our sacred duties is teaching the Word to those who don’t yet believe and also to each other. That means it is extremely important that we devote ourselves to studying God’s Word and sitting under good teaching.
Next week, we’ll look at our other key duty as priests: intercession.