Before we talk about priests of the New Covenant, we will need to go back to the Old Covenant and look at the Levitical priesthood. In the Levitical priesthood, there was a threefold hierarchy. You would first have the high priest, next, you’d have the “ministerial” priests, and lastly, we see the "holy nation of priests" the Levites. Each level of the priesthood had distinctive roles.

 

The letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament teaches the Hebrews that despite them being faithful to God and His commandments, there is no need for a temporary high priest anymore, as Christ is our new Heavenly High Priest. He took away our sins once and for all. There is no need now for the high priest to enter the Temple and offer up sacrifices for our sins because Christ fulfils the laws and sacrifices of the Old Covenant. This is the author's message to the Hebrews.

 

"Let us, then, hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we have a great High Priest who has gone into the very presence of God”  Jesus, the Son of God. Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin. Let us have confidence, then, and approach God's throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it." (Hebrews 4:14-16)

 

In the New Covenant in the Catholic Church, we see the same hierarchy. Many non-Catholics may argue against the priesthood in the Catholic Church, as the book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is our new and eternal High Priest. However, Christ did not take away all the aspects of the priesthood. We acknowledge and praise Christ for being the new High Priest who offered up Himself for our sins once and for all; and we understand that as Christians, we are called as the Levites were to be a royal priesthood. (see 1 Peter 2:9)

 

So is the universal priesthood of all Christians and the High Priest the only priesthood in the new Covenant? No actually. 

 

The word priest in Greek means Elder. We see the word "elder" appear a few times in the New Testament, especially in the book of Acts and Paul's letters. Paul uses the verb to describe priestly actions. "of being a servant of Christ Jesus to work for the Gentiles. I serve like a priest in preaching the Good News from God, in order that the gentiles may be an offering acceptable to God, dedicated to him by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:16). In this verse, Paul describes himself like a priest, who teaches the Word of God, and offers up the prayers and petitions on behalf of the Gentiles to Christ. 

 

Throughout the New Testament, especially the Gospels, Jesus sends his disciples to do work for him, to set an example of His teachings and values. One of the main verses that display the commissioning of the disciples is in the Gospel of Matthew. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus commissioned the apostles to go out everywhere and make disciples of Christ, and to baptise them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And to teach them to obey everything that Christ commanded. 

 

Let's take a look at John 20:21-23. In John 20:21, it says, "Jesus said to them again, “Pease be with you. As the Father sent me, so I sent you.". Jesus is saying that He was sent by God the Father to reveal God's word to humanity. Now, the risen Christ is commissioning his disciples to do the same thing. Straight after saying this, He breathed on the disciples and says "Receive the Holy Spirit" (verse 22). This is a special and unique moment. The other time we are aware in Scripture where God breathes on someone is in Genesis, breathing life into Adam, giving Him supernatural life. The receiving of the Holy Spirit then shows what God is commissioning the disciples to do. In John 20:23, Jesus says to the disciples, "If you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." This verse relates to Matthew 16:18, where Jesus is establishing His Church on Peter. Jesus has authority to forgive sins; He does it all through the gospels and through our lives today. In John 20, Jesus shares with the disciples that authority to forgive people on behalf of Himself. He will not be physically with us to forgive us in person; He uses His disciples to do it in person on his behalf.

 

"Did [God] not give them all the powers of Heaven? 'Whose sins you shall forgive,' he says, 'they are forgiven them; whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.' What greater power is there than this? The Father has given all judgment to the Son. And now I see the Son placing all this power in the hands of men (Matt. 10:40; John 20:21-23). They are raised to this dignity as if they were already gathered up to heaven" John Chrysostom A.D. 387

 

The priesthood today are the original disciples' successors. Even though it was a short period that the original apostles lived, the idea of apostolic succession is shown through Scripture, where apostles passed on their knowledge and authority, given by God to other bishops and priests. (see 1 Corinthians 11:23). This will continue until Christ returns and brings the faithful to His everlasting Kingdom.