But being a priest also carries responsibility. In the Old Testament, a priest in a sense represented God to the people. Today, the believer priest has responsibility to share his or her knowledge of God with other persons, both in word and in deed. The believer priest has responsibility to bear witness to God’s love as shown in Jesus Christ and to demonstrate God’s love by ministering to persons in his name. This responsibility is carried out in various ways by Baptists, such as in evangelism, missions, ministry, and social action to benefit others. Where Did the Concept of the Priesthood of Believers Come From? Martin Luther, a leader in the Protestant Reformation, is often linked with the concept of the priesthood of believers. Luther challenged the Roman Catholic Church’s emphasis on the special role played by the Roman Catholic priests. Luther insisted that every believer was a priest, with direct access to God. He did not call for the elimination of the role of pastors but indicated that all persons, not just pastors, had a priestly function. Even before Luther burst on the European church scene, various Christian groups had stressed the priesthood of believers. However, the concept of the priesthood of believers for Baptists does not come from the teachings of Luther or any Christian group but from the New Testament. On the basis of various New Testament passages, Baptists have insisted that every person who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ has access directly to God. Each is directly responsible to God. Each is to share the love of God. The Priesthood of The Believer The priesthood of each believer in Baptist thought is tied closely to another concept, that of soul competency. Each person has a God-given competence to know and follow God’s will. A decision to follow Christ as Lord and Savior is an individual decision; no one can make that decision for another. Being a believer priest is a gift from God, not a human achievement; it comes with salvation. Each believer priest is responsible for his or her own actions. Individual believers can go directly to God without the aid of any intermediary. Individuals can and should read and interpret the Bible for themselves, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, without religious officials dictating to them what to believe. Believer priests are all equal to one another in Christ (Galatians3:26-28). There is only one High Priest, that is Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7:23–8:13). Each believer priest has a responsibility to be committed to Christ and to share Christ through word and deed. As Peter stated it: to “declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9 NIV).
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