21 January 2011

New Lutheran Quote of the Day

There are only priests if there are also those who are not priests.  If everyone is a priest, no one is a priest.  "Universal priesthood" is then a self-contradictory term. -- Dr. Norman Nagel, CTM 61:4, p. 278.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

1 Peter 2:9 "You are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation..."
The emphasis is on the church as
a corporate unity rather than an
individualistic Christian. The
Apostle Peter is conscious of the
New Testament Church as a new
corporate entity set apart by God
to serve Him. Dr. Nagel would
understand that we are all servants
rather than priests in the Old
Testament sense of the word.

Anonymous said...

What is the good Dr. speaking 'against' in his article?

Karl

Anonymous said...

Hi Karl:
I thank Dr. Nagel is speaking against
a CPH book by Oscar Feucht entitled
"Everyone a Minister" published in
the 1970's. Feucht was an editor at
Concordia Publishing House and a
very humble and scholarly man.
Feucht was stressing the priesthood
of all believers and some felt he
took it too far. Martin Luther also
believed in the priesthood of all
believers. Feucht believed the laity were not being used enough
in the local parish to carry out
the ministry of Christ and His
Church.

William Weedon said...

The article is *Luther and the Priesthood of All Believers.* At this point in the article he is noting that other peoples outside God's priestly people Israel, are by definition not priests, not those who draw near to God to do service for all the world.

Anonymous said...

There is a typo in above post:
It should read: "I THINK Dr. Nagel"

Anonymous said...

Koenig drawing on Luther stated that the vocation of Christians is to be priests to the world of unbelievers. They act as priests as they pray the Lord's Prayer, especially the second petition.
Short quotations sometime need the context in order to properly understand them.

William Weedon said...

Kleinig's point is exactly where Nagel is heading with this, I believe.