The Myth of the "priesthood of believers"

Protestantism erroraneously uphold the concept of the Priesthood of Believer to heretical limits, and is commonly misunderstood to be the "replacement" of the Old Testament priesthood. This is not true the Old Testament had a 'priesthood of believers' and a ministerial priesthood. Even the words of Peter and Paul alluded to the same declaration by God in EXODUS!

This is justified biblically with the citation of Exodus 19:6, to which Saint Peter was alluding in the First Epistle of Peter:

" ...you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."-- Exodus 19:6

" But you are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises" of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." -1 Peter 2:9

The same words were spoken by St. Peter to the New Israel as YHWH spoke to Israel through Moses. Notice the Old Israel too had a ministeral priesthood so it is a stretch to claim this verse "deletes" the existance of a ministeral priesthood. To this day Jews do not believe Exodus 19:6 to speak of an order with no priests but declaring Israel to be the "light of the nations"

"For you are a people sacred to YHWH, your God, who has chosen you from all the nations on the face of the earth to be a people peculiarly his own."-NAB Deutronomy 14:2

In spite of this Old Testament verse, the Kingdom of Israel had a priesthood distinct from the common priesthood of the Israelites, the chosen people of God. To reaffirm this interpretation the Schism of Korah from Israel. Korah restates Exodus 19:6 and Deutronomy 14:2 in (Numbers 16:3) saying:

"The whole community is holy, every one of them, and YHWH is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the YHWH's assembly?"

Korah then with his 250 followers break away from the authority of Moses to follow there person misinterpretation of the "priesthood" and as a result are slain by God for offering incense (Numbers 16:35):

"And fire came out from YHWH and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense."

This story is also cited as reason to believe in the episcopacy and the needed obedience to it.

Final in the Epistle of St Jude the same rebellion of Korah is condemned:

"Woe to them! They followed the way of Cain, abandoned themselves to Balaam's error for the sake of gain, and perished in the rebellion of Korah."--Jude 1:11

The Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox Churches have always taught implicitly that a Christian's personal relationship with God is independent of whatever ordination they have received.

In summary, the "royal priesthood" is in fact all believers but they are NOT ministeral priests. By being called "priests" in this verse it speaks of there call to holiness and their baptism. As said in the commonly misquote verse which people attempt to not only believe to "delete priests" but also allow "priestess" or ordaining women.

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."--Galatians 3:28

Showing all people are called to Christ despite their sex, status, or race. This refers to baptism in that it is mentioned in the previous verse.

"For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." --Galatians 3:27