Peter continued, "You, however, are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people he
claims for his own to proclaim the glorious works of the One who called you from darkness into
his marvelous light." (1 Pet. 2:9). Rev. 1:6 says, "...Who has made us a royal nation of priests in
the service of his God and Father." Consequently, the New Testament repeatedly teaches that all
Christians are priests. When one obeys the gospel of Christ, he is added to the body of Christ and
is thereby part of God's holy priesthood. As priests, all can offer up spiritual sacrifices and draw
nigh to God through the mediatorship of Jesus.
A sacrificing priesthood of men was indeed appointed under the law of Moses, but the animal
sacrifices offered by the priests of the Old Testament were mere types and shadows of the one
sacrifice made by Christ. By the one sacrifice made by Jesus, He put an end both to the Levitical
priesthood and the Old Testament law. (See Heb. 7:23-25; Col. 2:14-17).
Jesus is now at the right hand of God and ever lives to make intercession for His people (Heb.
7:25; 9:24). Through the one sacrifice of Himself, He became the sole mediator through which
men have access to God (1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 7:26-27; 9:24-28; Eph. 2:18). He is the author of
eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Heb. 5:8-9).
There is no priesthood on earth that has the right to forbid each Christian to go directly to God through Christ, or to assume the authority to administer graces and obtain mercy for others. All Christians are of that royal priesthood of God, and have but one great High Priest, Jesus Christ.