The Priesthood

"I will let every man decide for himself the difference between the outward priesthood of dazzling character and the internal, spiritual priesthood . The first is confined to a very few individuals; the second, Christians commonly share. One was ordained of men, independently of the Word of God; the other was established through the Word, irrespective of human devices. In that, the skin is be-smeared with material oil ; in this, the heart is internally anointed with the Holy Spirit . That applauds and extols its works; this proclaims and magnifies the grace of God, and his glory.


That does not offer up the body with its lusts, but rather fosters the evil desires of the flesh; this sacrifices the body and mortifies its lusts. The former permits the offering up to itself of gold and property, of honor, of idleness and pleasure , and of all manner of lust on earth ; the latter foregoes these things and accepts only the reverse of homage. That again sacrifices Christ in its awful perversions; this, satisfied with the atonement once made by Christ , offers up itself with him and in him, by making similar sacrifices.

In fact, the two priesthoods accord about as well as Christ and Barabbas, as light and darkness , as God and the world. As little as smearing and shaving were factors in Christ’s priesthood , so little will they thus procure for anyone the Christian priesthood . Yet Christ , with all his Christians, is priest . 'Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek .' Ps 110,4. The Christian priesthood will not admit of appointment.

The priest is not made. He must be born a priest ; must inherit his office. I refer to the new birth — the birth of water and the Spirit. Thus all Christians become priests, children of God and co-heirs with Christ the Most High Priest ."

from "Complete Sermons of Martin Luther", Vol IV, copyright 2000, pp. 8-9.