Gerhard and Walther

The ever-faithful, most loving God, who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, has, out of sheer, overwhelming goodness, revealed Himself to the human race in His Word. Also, He has entrusted it to His Church so that through the hearing and reading of it godliness should be ignited and awakened, implanted, sustained, and increased in the hearts of men.—Johann Gerhard, Schola Pietatis II:33.

Christ is a different high priest. He did not attain this position on earth by the acclamation of men; instead, He came to earth to serve in this role. God Himself in eternity selected and anointed Christ as High Priest. He was born as our High Priest, in other words, as soon as He entered the world, he was already in that office.—C. F. W. Walther, God Grant It!, p. 323.