What does priest mean? The head of the Orthodox Church is the structure of the Russian Orthodox Church. Presbytery Degree of Ministers

The priesthood of the Russian Orthodox Church is divided into three degrees, established by the holy apostles: deacons, priests and bishops. The first two include both clergy belonging to the white (married) clergy and the black (monastic) clergy. Only persons who have taken monastic vows are elevated to the last, third degree. According to this order, all church titles and positions among Orthodox Christians are established.

Church hierarchy that came from Old Testament times

The order in which ecclesiastical titles among Orthodox Christians are divided into three different degrees dates back to Old Testament times. This happens due to religious continuity. It is known from the Holy Scriptures that approximately one and a half thousand years before the birth of Christ, the founder of Judaism, the prophet Moses, selected special people for worship - high priests, priests and Levites. It is with them that our modern church titles and positions are associated.

The first of the high priests was Moses' brother Aaron, and his sons became priests, leading all the services. But in order to perform numerous sacrifices, which were an integral part of religious rituals, assistants were needed. They became the Levites - the descendants of Levi, the son of the forefather Jacob. These three categories of clergy of the Old Testament era became the basis on which all church titles are built today Orthodox Church.

Lowest level of priesthood

When considering church ranks in ascending order, one should start with deacons. This is the lowest priestly rank, upon ordination to which God’s Grace is acquired, necessary to fulfill the role assigned to them during the divine service. The deacon does not have the right to independently conduct church services and perform the sacraments, but is only obliged to help the priest. A monk ordained a deacon is called a hierodeacon.

Deacons who have served for a sufficiently long period of time and have proven themselves well receive the title of protodeacons (senior deacons) in the white clergy, and archdeacons in the black clergy. The privilege of the latter is the right to serve under the bishop.

It should be noted that all church services these days are structured in such a way that, in the absence of deacons, they can be performed by priests or bishops without much difficulty. Therefore, the participation of the deacon in the divine service, while not being obligatory, is rather its decoration than an integral part. As a result, in some parishes where serious financial difficulties are felt, this staffing unit is being reduced.

Second level of the priestly hierarchy

Looking further at church ranks in ascending order, we should focus on priests. Holders of this rank are also called presbyters (in Greek, “elder”), or priests, and in monasticism, hieromonks. Compared to deacons, this is a higher level of priesthood. Accordingly, upon ordination a greater degree of the Grace of the Holy Spirit is acquired.

Since evangelical times, priests have been leading divine services and have the right to perform most of the holy sacraments, including everything except ordination, that is, ordination, as well as the consecration of antimensions and the world. In accordance with the official responsibilities assigned to them, priests lead the religious life of urban and rural parishes, in which they can hold the post of rector. The priest is directly subordinate to the bishop.

For long and impeccable service, a priest of the white clergy is rewarded with the title of archpriest (chief priest) or protopresbyter, and a black priest is rewarded with the rank of abbot. Among the monastic clergy, the abbot, as a rule, is appointed to the position of rector of an ordinary monastery or parish. If he is entrusted with leading a large monastery or monastery, he is called an archimandrite, which is an even higher and more honorable title. It is from the archimandrites that the episcopate is formed.

Bishops of the Orthodox Church

Further, when listing church titles in ascending order, it is necessary to pay special attention higher group hierarchs - bishops. They belong to the category of clergy called bishops, that is, heads of priests. Having received the greatest degree of Grace of the Holy Spirit at ordination, they have the right to perform all church sacraments without exception. They are given the right not only to conduct any church services themselves, but also to ordain deacons to the priesthood.

According to the Church Charter, all bishops have an equal degree of priesthood, with the most honored of them being called archbishops. A special group consists of the capital's bishops, called metropolitans. This name comes from the Greek word "metropolis", which means "capital". In cases where another is appointed to assist one bishop holding a high position, he bears the title of vicar, that is, deputy. The bishop is placed at the head of the parishes of an entire region, called in this case a diocese.

Primate of the Orthodox Church

And finally, the highest rank of the church hierarchy is the patriarch. He is elected by the Council of Bishops and, together with the Holy Synod, exercises leadership over the entire local church. According to the Charter adopted in 2000, the rank of patriarch is for life, but in some cases the bishop's court is given the right to try him, depose him and decide on his retirement.

In cases where the patriarchal see is vacant, the Holy Synod elects a locum tenens from among its permanent members to perform the functions of the patriarch until his legal election.

Church workers who do not have the Grace of God

Having mentioned all the church titles in ascending order and returning to the very base of the hierarchical ladder, it should be noted that in the church, in addition to the clergy, that is, clergy who have passed the sacrament of ordination and have been honored to receive the Grace of the Holy Spirit, there is also a lower category - clergy. These include subdeacons, psalm-readers and sextons. Despite their church service, they are not priests and are accepted into vacant positions without ordination, but only with the blessing of the bishop or archpriest - the rector of the parish.

The duties of the psalmist include reading and singing during church services and when the priest performs the requirement. The sexton is entrusted with calling parishioners to the church by ringing bells for the beginning of services, ensuring that the candles in the church are lit, if necessary, helping the psalm-reader and handing the censer to the priest or deacon.

Subdeacons also take part in divine services, but only together with bishops. Their duties are to help the bishop put on his vestments before the start of the service and, if necessary, change his vestments during the service. In addition, the subdeacon gives the bishop lamps - dikiri and trikiri - for blessing those praying in the temple.

Heritage of the Holy Apostles

We looked at all church ranks in ascending order. In Russia and among other Orthodox nations, these ranks bear the blessing of the holy apostles - the disciples and followers of Jesus Christ. It was they who, having become the founders of the earthly Church, established the existing order of the church hierarchy, taking as a model the example of Old Testament times.

Priest - in the commonly used (non-terminological) meaning, a minister of a religious cult. It has a special meaning in historical Judaism (see Cohen's article; now there are no priests in Judaism and it is a mistake to use this term in relation to rabbis).

A priest is a clergyman of the second degree of priesthood, who, according to the grace given to him, performs all divine services and sacraments (with the exception of consecration and consecration of the world and antimensions).

In the Roman Catholic, Orthodox and a number of other Christian denominations that recognize the traditional understanding of the priesthood, a priest is a clergyman who has the 2nd degree: below bishop and above deacon (in Orthodoxy also called presbyter). To use the term “priest” in relation to a person who has episcopal (bishopric) rank is terminologically incorrect.

A priest belonging to the second degree of priesthood. Has the right to perform divine services and all sacraments, except the sacrament of ordination. Otherwise, a priest is called a priest or presbyter (Greek πρεσβυτερος - elder; this is the name of a priest in the epistles of the Apostle Paul).

Ordination to the priesthood is carried out by the bishop (bishop) through ordination.

It is customary to address an ordinary priest and monastic priest (hieromonk) as “Your Reverence,” and to an archpriest, abbot or archimandrite as “Your Reverence.” The informal address is “father (Name)” or “father”. In the Russian Church Abroad, the address “Your Reverence” traditionally applied to a monastic, and “Your blessing” to a married priest.

WITH late XIX century in Russia the term “pop” is perceived as colloquial (sometimes with a negative connotation); until 1755-1760 the word was a generally accepted and official title. Thanks to the activities of Ivan Panfilov, confessor of Empress Catherine II, the words “priest” and “archpriest” began to be used in official documents. The word “pop” is traced back to the Late Greek “papas” (which means “priest”), and in modern Greek “pappas” is “Pope of Rome”. In support of this version, the Chernykh historical and etymological dictionary cites the fact that the word “popadya” came to the Slavic languages from Greek. Among the Russian inhabitants of Mount Athos, the word is often used in speech as an everyday designation for persons in the priestly rank.

In the Catholic Church, as in Orthodoxy, priests belong to the second degree of priesthood. A priest has the right to perform five of the seven sacraments, with the exception of the sacrament of priesthood (ordination) and the sacrament of confirmation (which the priest has the right to perform only with the permission of the bishop of the diocese in which he is incardinated). Priests are ordained by the bishop. As in Orthodoxy, priests are divided into monastics (black clergy) and diocesan priests (white clergy). In the Latin rite catholic church Celibacy is obligatory for all priests; in Eastern Catholic churches, celibacy is obligatory only for monastics and bishops. It is customary to address a priest as “Father (Name).”

The traditional clothing of all priests is the cassock. The color of the cassock depends on the degree of cleric. The priest's liturgical attire includes the alba, ornate (also called casula), and stola.

In general, Protestantism is characterized by a more democratic structure of communities compared to Orthodoxy and Catholicism. At the head of the church community are elders (presbyters), elected from the secular members of the community, and preachers, whose duties were not related to priestly activities, but were only a service (Latin ministerium; hence their name - ministers). The elders and ministers are part of the consistory. The consistory is a collegial governing body in the church, whose responsibilities include solving all pressing issues and problems of parishioners, their faith and the life of the church itself. In Protestantism, the institution of monasticism and monasteries has been abolished.

For Quakers, all members of the community perform the role of priests, and the pastor only plays the role of preacher.

The theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church proceeds from the dogma of the “Priesthood of all believers” on the basis of the words of Holy Scripture: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a special people, to proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9). According to this, all believers are priests who receive all necessary grace from God at baptism.

However, due to the requirements of external order in Lutheran communities, there are people called for public preaching and performing the sacraments - pastors (Augsburg Confession, XIV). A pastor is called by the Church through the rite of ordination. The calling implies that the pastor has the ability and has received sufficient knowledge and skills to preach the Gospel in purity and perform the sacraments according to the Gospel. Ordination is seen as a rite of blessing for future pastoral ministry, and there is no talk of any “additional” grace; a person receives all spiritual gifts at baptism. If for one reason or another there is no pastor in the community, then his duties are performed by a preacher or lecturer. The preacher must have a certain theological education. The preacher has the right to compose the sermons that he reads; the lecturer does not have such a right.

The vestments of the priest consist of a vestment, epitrachelion, belt, brace and phelonion (or chasuble).

On his chest, over his cassock or vestments, the priest wears a priestly pectoral cross.

The hierarchical principle and structure must be observed in any organization, including the Russian Orthodox Church, which has its own church hierarchy. Surely every person who attends services or is otherwise involved in the activities of the church paid attention to the fact that each clergyman has a certain rank and status. This is expressed in different colors of clothing, type of headdress, presence or absence of jewelry, and the right to perform certain sacred rites.

Hierarchy of clergy in the Russian Orthodox Church

The clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church can be divided into two large groups:

white clergy (those who can marry and have children);
black clergy (those who renounced worldly life and accepted monastic orders).

Ranks in the white clergy

Even the Old Testament scripture says that before the Nativity, the prophet Moses appointed people whose task was to become an intermediate link in God’s communication with people. In the modern church system, this function is performed by white priests. The lower representatives of the white clergy do not have holy orders; they include: altar boy, psalm-reader, subdeacon.

Altar boy- this is a person who helps the clergyman in conducting services. Such people are also called sextons. Staying in this rank is a mandatory step before receiving holy orders. The person performing the duties of an altar server is secular, that is, he has the right to leave the church if he changes his mind about connecting his life with serving the Lord.

His responsibilities include:

Timely lighting of candles and lamps, monitoring their safe combustion;
Preparation of priests' robes;
Offer prosphora, Cahors and other attributes of religious rites in a timely manner;
Light a fire in the censer;
Bring a towel to your lips during communion;
Maintaining internal order in church premises.

If necessary, the altar boy can ring bells and read prayers, but he is forbidden to touch the throne and be between the altar and the Royal Doors. The altar boy wears ordinary clothes, with a surplice on top.

Acolyte(otherwise known as a reader) is another representative of the white lower clergy. His main responsibility: reading prayers and words from holy scripture (as a rule, they know 5-6 main chapters from the Gospel), explaining to people the basic postulates of the life of a true Christian. For special merits he may be ordained subdeacon. This procedure is carried out by a cleric of higher rank. The psalm-reader is allowed to wear a cassock and skufia.

Subdeacon- assistant to the priest in conducting services. His attire: surplice and orarion. When blessed by the bishop (he can also elevate the psalmist or altar server to the rank of subdeacon), the subdeacon receives the right to touch the throne, as well as enter the altar through the Royal Doors. His task is to wash the hands of the priest during services and give him the items necessary for the rituals, for example, ripids and trikirium.

Church ranks of the Orthodox Church

The above-mentioned church ministers do not have holy orders, and, therefore, are not clergy. These are ordinary people living in the world, but wanting to become closer to God and church culture. They are accepted into their positions with the blessing of clergy of higher rank.

Deaconate degree of clergy

Deacon- the lowest rank among all clergy with holy orders. His main task is to be the priest's assistant during worship; they are mainly engaged in reading the Gospel. Deacons do not have the right to conduct worship services independently. As a rule, they perform their service in parish churches. Gradually, this church rank is losing its significance, and their representation in the church is steadily declining. Deacon ordination (the procedure for elevation to the rank of ecclesiastical rank) is carried out by the bishop.

Protodeacon- chief deacon at a temple or church. In the last century, this rank was received by a deacon for special merits; currently, 20 years of service in a lower church rank are required. The protodeacon has a characteristic robe - an orarion with the words “Holy! Holy! Holy." As a rule, these are people with in a beautiful voice(they perform psalms and sing at services).

Presbytery Degree of Ministers

Priest translated from Greek means “priest.” Minor title of the white clergy. The consecration is also carried out by the bishop (bishop). The duties of the priest include:

Conducting sacraments, divine services and other religious ceremonies;
Conducting communion;
To carry the covenants of Orthodoxy to the masses.

The priest does not have the right to consecrate antimensions (plates of material made of silk or linen with a particle of the relics of an Orthodox martyr sewn into it, located in the altar on the throne; a necessary attribute for conducting a full liturgy) and to conduct the sacraments of ordination of the priesthood. Instead of a hood he wears a kamilavka.

Archpriest- a title awarded to representatives of the white clergy for special merits. The archpriest, as a rule, is the rector of the temple. His attire during services and church sacraments is an epitrachelion and chasuble. An archpriest awarded the right to wear a miter is called a miter.

Several archpriests can serve in one cathedral. Ordination to the archpriest is carried out by the bishop with the help of consecration - the laying on of hands with prayer. Unlike consecration, it is carried out in the center of the temple, outside the altar.

Protopresbyter- the highest rank for members of the white clergy. Awarded in exceptional cases as a reward for special services to the church and society.

The highest church ranks belong to the black clergy, that is, such dignitaries are prohibited from having a family. A representative of the white clergy can also take this path if he renounces worldly life, and his wife supports her husband and takes monastic vows.

Also, dignitaries who become widowers take this path, since they do not have the right to remarry.

The ranks of the black clergy

These are people who have taken monastic vows. They are prohibited from marrying and having children. They completely renounce worldly life, taking vows of chastity, obedience and non-covetousness (voluntary renunciation of wealth).

The lower ranks of the black clergy have many similarities with the corresponding ranks of the white clergy. The hierarchy and responsibilities can be compared using the following table:

Corresponding rank of white clergy	The rank of the black clergy	A comment
Altar Boy/Psalm Reader	Novice	A lay person who has decided to become a monk. By decision of the abbot, he is enrolled in the brethren of the monastery, given a cassock and assigned a probationary period. Upon completion, the novice can decide whether to become a monk or return to secular life.
Subdeacon	Monk (monk)	A member of a religious community who has taken three monastic vows and leads an ascetic lifestyle in a monastery or independently in solitude and hermitage. He does not have holy orders, therefore, he cannot perform divine services. Monastic tonsure is performed by the abbot.
Deacon	Hierodeacon	A monk with the rank of deacon.
Protodeacon	Archdeacon	Senior deacon in the black clergy. In the Russian Orthodox Church, an archdeacon serving under the patriarch is called a patriarchal archdeacon and belongs to the white clergy. In large monasteries, the chief deacon also has the rank of archdeacon.
Priest	Hieromonk	A monk who has the rank of priest. You can become a hieromonk after the ordination procedure, and white priests can become a monk through monastic tonsure.
Archpriest		Initially - abbot Orthodox monastery. In the modern Russian Orthodox Church, the rank of abbot is given as a reward for hieromonk. Often the rank is not related to the management of the monastery. The initiation into abbot is carried out by the bishop.
Protopresbyter	Archimandrite	One of the highest monastic ranks in the Orthodox Church. The conferment of dignity occurs through hirothesia. The rank of archimandrite is associated with administrative management and monastic leadership.

Episcopal degree of clergy

Bishop belongs to the category of bishops. In the process of ordination, they received the highest grace of God and therefore have the right to carry out any sacred actions, including the ordination of deacons. All bishops have the same rights, the eldest of them is the archbishop (has the same functions as the bishop; elevation to rank is carried out by the patriarch). Only the bishop has the right to bless the service with an antimis.

Wears a red robe and a black hood. The following address to a bishop is accepted: “Vladyka” or “Your Eminence.”

He is the leader of the local church - diocese. Chief priest of the district. Elected by the Holy Synod by order of the Patriarch. If necessary, a suffragan bishop is appointed to assist the diocesan bishop. Bishops bear a title that includes the name of the cathedral city. A candidate for bishop must be a representative of the black clergy and over 30 years of age.

Metropolitan- the highest title of a bishop. Reports directly to the patriarch. Has a characteristic attire: a blue robe and hood white with a cross made of precious stones.

The rank is given for high merits to society and the church; it is the oldest, if you start counting from the formation of Orthodox culture.

Performs the same functions as a bishop, differing from him in the advantage of honor. Before the restoration of the patriarchate in 1917, there were only three episcopal sees in Russia, with which the rank of metropolitan was usually associated: St. Petersburg, Kiev and Moscow. Currently, there are more than 30 metropolitans in the Russian Orthodox Church.

Patriarch- the highest rank of the Orthodox Church, the main priest of the country. Official representative of the Russian Orthodox Church. Patriarch is translated from Greek as “the power of the father.” He is elected at the Council of Bishops, to which the patriarch reports. This is a lifelong rank, deposition and excommunication of the person who received it, possible only in the most exceptional cases. When the place of the patriarch is not occupied (the period between the death of the previous patriarch and the election of a new one), his duties are temporarily performed by an appointed locum tenens.

Has primacy of honor among all bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church. Carries out the management of the church together with the Holy Synod. Contacts with representatives of the Catholic Church and high dignitaries of other faiths, as well as with government authorities. Issues decrees on the election and appointment of bishops, manages the institutions of the Synod. Receives complaints against bishops, giving them action, rewards clergy and laity with church awards.

A candidate for the patriarchal throne must be a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, have a higher theological education, be at least 40 years of age, and enjoy a good reputation and the trust of the church and people.

1) euro the word kohen - “priest” comes from the verb kohan = "to be a priest", "to perform sacred service", i.e. make a sacrifice and burn incense in the temple. Apparently, the original the word kohan meant “to stand.” In the Bible, this verb no longer appears in this meaning, but the idea of S. as a person standing before God has been preserved (cf. Deut. 10:8; 18:7- however, in these places of the Bible it is not spoken about S. in his own right. sense of the word, but about the Levites (see Levites)). Some scholars believe that the verb kohan once meant “to equip”, “to prepare” (in particular, a sacrifice), which, however, is unlikely. Finally, to Arab. language there are kinships. a word meaning "predictor". But here we are probably talking about development general concept, since S. among most peoples at the same time. worshiped and communicated the instructions of the deities;
2) in the list of courtiers of David and Solomon, the word kohen means, judging by the context, an official, an adviser. IN 2 Samuel 8:18 The sons of David are called “priests” (in the Synod. Transl. - “first at court”). Ira the Jarite (2 Samuel 20:26) also, apparently, held some post at court.

II. PRIESTS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
The Bible says that Cain and Abel, Noah and the patriarchs made sacrifices to God, and in Exodus 19:24 S. is already mentioned. Probably, this refers to people who performed the duties of S. as the heads of their families (Job 1:5). The priesthood occupies a special place, see Melchizedek a. At Mount Sinai, God instructed Moses to consecrate to S. see Aaron a and the sons of Aaron see Nadab a, see Abihu a, see Eleazar a and see Ithamar a (Exodus 28:1). To the priest These people and their descendants were dedicated to the ministry, see. The Levites were subordinate to them and had to perform auxiliary duties. role in sanctuary service (Numbers 3:5-13; 8:5-22; 18:6ff.) . However, the Bible records cases in which, after the introduction of the Aaronic priesthood, people who did not belong to the descendants of Aaron also brought sacrifices to the Lord. Of course, reports of the sacrifices made by David (2 Samuel 6:17) and Solomon (1 Kings 3:3ff.), do not mean that these kings personally performed the ritual of sacrifice in its entirety. In the cases of Gideon (Judges 6:17-21), Manoem (Judges 13:15-20), Samuel (1 Samuel 7:9ff; 9:12ff; 10:8; 16:2-5) etc. Elijah (1 Kings 18:30-38) this is definitely stated. From the text of the Bible it is clear that men who did not belong to the family to whom God entrusted the priesthood at Mount Sinai also made sacrifices to the Lord, however, specific circumstances should be taken into account (the political situation in the era of the judges; the destruction of the sanctuary at Shiloh ; separation of the Northern Kingdom from Jerusalem):

1) REQUIREMENTS FOR A PRIEST.
S. should have been without physical assistance. shortcomings (Lev 21:17-24). With regard to cult purity and marriage, S. was subject to stricter standards than ordinary Israelis. (Lev 21; 22). In turn, the regulations for see High Priest a were more strict than for the rest of the S. All this pointed to the holiness of the God of Israel, and at the same time to the mediation of S. between the people and the holy God (see Holiness, holy);
2) PLACES WHERE THE PRIESTS LIVED AND THE CONTENT OF THE PRIESTS.
In Canaan, S. lived in 13 of the 48 cities allocated for the residence of the Levites. All these Levites. the cities were located near Jerusalem, namely in the inheritance of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin (Joshua 21:4). S. lived off the gifts that Israel had to bring to the Lord. IN Numbers 18:8-19 listed that of the victims. the offerings were supposed to go towards the maintenance of S.Kr. moreover, the Levites, who could claim “a tithe of all that Israel had” (see Tithe) (Numbers 18:20-24), gave a tenth of what they received as a holy gift (“shrine”, “offering of the Lord”) S. (Numbers 18:25-32). The Israelites from the descendants of Aaron, who had physical. deficiencies and therefore did not have the right to make sacrifices (see above), nevertheless could eat from these offerings (Lev 21:21-23);
3) CLOTHES OF PRIESTS.
During the service, S.'s attire consisted of a linen underdress, a thin linen tunic, a belt and a headband (Exodus 28:40,42). S. performed the service barefoot, as can be seen from Exodus 3:5;
4) ORDINATION TO A PRIEST.
At initiation, the ritual of which is described in Exodus 29:1-35 and Lev 8, they offered one bull for a sin offering (vv. 14-17), one ram for a burnt offering (vv. 18-21), and one ram for a dedication sacrifice (vv. 22-29); S. sprinkled the sacrifice with olive oil (see Anointing). From Exodus 28:41; 40:15; Lev 8:30 it follows that along with Aaron, as the high priest, his sons were sprinkled with oil; this means that all S. had to accept the anointing. It is possible that subsequently only the high priest began to receive the anointing. The anointing was supposed to symbolize S.'s dedication to the Lord through the granting of the Spirit of the Lord to him;
5) PURPOSE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF PRIESTS.
S. were intermediaries between God and His people. They were supposed to represent the people before God, i.e. first of all, they were to serve in the sanctuary, more precisely, in the Holy Place (see Temple) and at the altar of burnt offering (see Altar), which was located in the courtyard in front of the temple. The same applies to S.’s service in the tabernacle until the time the temple was built. On the altar of incense, which stood in the Holy Place, they had to burn incense (incense), and on the altar of burnt offering, located in the courtyard of the temple, they had to sacrifice animals. Kr. Moreover, they were to take care of the temple utensils and ensure that the fire on the altar of burnt offering burned constantly. They had to take care of the cleanliness and order in the temple and monitor its decoration. S.'s task was to announce with the signal of silver trumpets the beginning of the war and the holidays, in both cases as a reminder to the Lord about Israel (Numbers 10:9ff.). As mediators between God and the people, S. were also supposed to represent God before the people. In addition, the task of S. and the Levites was to instruct the people in the Law and make decisions in naib. difficult controversial cases (Lev 10:11; Deut 17:8-13; 19:17; 21:5ff; Mal 2:7) . Their competence also included issues of the cult purity of the people (see Disease: leprosy). On behalf of the Lord, S. had to bless the people (Numbers 6:22-27), and before the battle remind the soldiers of their trust in the Lord (Deuteronomy 20:2-4).

III. PRIESTHOOD IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
The New Testament says nothing about existence in Christ. priesthood churches modeled on the OT. But one of the center. in the NT is the idea that God is holy, i.e. separated from everything created by Him (see Holiness, holy), and that therefore necessary see Mediator between God and man. And such a mediator is Jesus Christ. The path to God leads only through Him (John 14:6). Therefore Christ is called “a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Heb 5:6; 7:17,21), "faithful High Priest before God" (Hebrews 2:17), "Great High Priest" (Heb 4:14), "High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 6:20), "A holy High Priest, free from evil, blameless, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens" (Heb 7:26), "High Priest of Future Goods" (Heb 9:11), "great priest over the house of God" (Hebrews 10:21). Because Jesus abides forever, He has an "enduring priesthood" (Heb 7:24). The Church of Jesus Christ has a priest. purpose of proclaiming to the world about the Lord. Paul speaks of the "sacred effect of the gospel of God" (Rom 15:16). The Church is chosen to serve its Lord, and every believer, placing himself at the disposal of God, offers himself as a living sacrifice to Him (Rom 12:1). In this sense, the Church is spoken of as a “holy priesthood”, a “royal priesthood” (1 Pet 2:5,9). acc. Matthew 16:19; 18:18; John 20:23, Jesus gave His disciples the authority in His name to forgive sins, as well as to refuse their forgiveness. This power is entrusted not to the elected S., but to the entire Church as the “holy priesthood” and to each believer as the S. of God (Rev 1:6).

Brockhaus Biblical Encyclopedia. F. Rinecker, G. Mayer. 1994 .

Synonyms:

See what “Priest” is in other dictionaries:

Priest, priest, father, shepherd, presbyter, priest, altar server. Our university priest. .. Wed. clergy... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and similar expressions. under. ed. N. Abramova, M.: Russian dictionaries, 1999. priest ... Synonym dictionary

Priest- The priest dreams of illness. And if you saw him during the service, then anxiety will be added to everything. A woman who dreamed that she was in love with a priest should be prepared to be deceived by her lover. A dream in which a priest... ... Large universal dream book

Priest- A priest in a dream is a harbinger of illness. If in a dream you see him busy with work, it means that illness and anxiety await you. If a woman dreams that she is in love with a priest, it means that she should be wary of being deceived by her dishonest... ... Miller's Dream Book

Priest- Priest ♦ Prêtre A special kind of official who is not in the service of the state, but in the service of the Church; not in the service of the nation, but in the service of God. We can say that the priest is the minister of worship, not civil society. It would be absurd to judge... Sponville's Philosophical Dictionary

PRIEST, a clergyman who performs all sacraments except ordination; official address Your Reverence, everyday (colloquial) father, father. The senior priest is called an archpriest. See also Priest, Presbyter... Modern encyclopedia

- (priest priest), an Orthodox clergyman admitted to independently conducting worship; official address Your Reverence, everyday (colloquial) father, father. The solemn title of presbyter. The senior priest is called... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

priest- PRIEST, priest, father, book. shepherd, book presbyter, colloquial father, colloquial priest PRIEST, priest, book. pastoral, bookish presbytery, colloquial priestly... Dictionary-thesaurus of synonyms of Russian speech

PRIEST, priest, husband. (church). For Orthodox Christians, a minister of religious worship who has the so-called the second degree of priesthood, between deacon and bishop, the same as priest. “Priests with banners walked around their parishes.” Herzen. Intelligent... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

PRIEST, huh, husband. A church servant who performs church services and services (in Orthodoxy: priest; in others Christian religions: priest, curé, pastor, father). | adj. priestly, oh, oh. S. san. Priestly vestments. Dictionary… … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

- (priest, priest) – an Orthodox clergyman admitted to independent worship; The official address is “Your Reverence”, the everyday colloquial address is “father”, “father”. Big Dictionary in cultural studies.. Kononenko B.I.. 2003 ... Encyclopedia of Cultural Studies

- ... Wikipedia

Books

Pilgrimage to the monastery. Priest Dionysius Tatsis, Priest Dionysius Tatsis, Priest Dionysius Tatsis - the author of books about the ever-memorable great elder Paisius the Holy Mountain and his close spiritual child - reveals to us today a new spirit-bearing and God-enlightened elder,... Category:

I read that the Patriarch of Constantinople is the main one among the Orthodox. How so? He has almost no flock, because mostly Muslims live in Istanbul. And in general, how does everything work in our church? Who is more important than whom?

S. Petrov, Kazan

In total there are 15 autocephalous (independent - Ed.) Orthodox churches.

Constantinople

Its status as Orthodox Church No. 1 was determined in 1054, when the Patriarch of Constantinople trampled the bread prepared according to Western custom. This became the reason for the split christian church into Orthodox and Catholic. The throne of Constantinople was the first Orthodox, and its special significance is not disputed. Although the flock of the current Patriarch of Constantinople, who bears the proud title of Patriarch of New Rome and Ecumenical, is small.

Alexandria

According to church tradition, the Alexandria Church was founded by the holy Apostle Mark. The second of the four oldest Orthodox patriarchates. Canonical territory - Africa. In the 3rd century. It was there that monasticism first appeared.

Antioch

The third in seniority, founded, according to legend, by Peter and Paul around 37. Jurisdiction: Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, also Arab parishes in Europe, Northern and South America, Australia.

Jerusalem

The oldest church, occupying 4th place in the autocephalous churches. It has the name of the mother of all churches, because it was on its territory that all the most important events described in the New Testament took place. Its first bishop was the Apostle James, the brother of the Lord.

Russian

Not being the oldest, upon its establishment it immediately received an honorable fifth place among churches. The largest and most influential autocephalous Orthodox Church.

Georgian

One of the oldest churches in the world. According to legend, Georgia is the apostolic lot of the Mother of God.

Serbian

The first mass baptism of Serbs occurred under the Byzantine emperor Heraclius (610-641).

Romanian

Has jurisdiction on the territory of Romania. It has state status: salaries to the clergy are paid from the state treasury.

Bulgarian

In Bulgaria, Christianity began to spread already in the 1st century. In 865, under St. Prince Boris, the general baptism of the Bulgarian people takes place.

Cyprus

10th place among autocephalous local churches.
One of the oldest local churches in the East. Founded by the Apostle Barnabas in 47.
In the 7th century fell under the Arab yoke, from which it was completely freed only in 965.

Helladic (Greek)

Historically, the Orthodox population of what is now Greece was within the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople. Autocephaly was proclaimed in 1833. The king was named the head of the church. Has state status.

Albanian

The bulk of the congregation lives in the southern regions of Albania (Islam predominates in the center and north). Founded in the 10th century. as part of Constantinople, but then gained independence in 1937.

Polish

IN modern form was established in 1948. Before that for a long time 80% of the church's believers were Ukrainians, Belarusians and Rusyns.

Czech lands and Slovakia

Founded on the territory of the Great Moravian Principality in 863 through the labors of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Equal-to-the-Apostles. 14th place among churches.

American

It is not recognized by Constantinople, as well as a number of other churches. The origin goes back to the creation in 1794 by the monks of the Valaam Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior of the first Orthodox mission in America. American Orthodox believe that St. Herman of Alaska is their apostle.