In Defense of the Priesthood

 In recent decades, more so since about 2007; there has been an increasing demand from people in the world for all churches to open up the ministry to women instead of just men.  While there are some denominations where such a shift would not matter greatly, as they are focused primarily on the written word instead of any actual service; to make such a demand of the sacramental priesthood is a problem which cannot be simply overcome by political ideology or social justice cause.  To put it bluntly, women cannot be priests.   Having nailed the colors to the mast with that statement, I will elaborate:

From the beginnings of the Christian Church, the services and means of worship were never intended to be divorced from their Jewish origins.  To this day, within traditional sacramental worship, there are elements of the service which correlate to ancient Jewish temple practices; from the manner in which the priest holds his hands in prayer, to the way in which the bread and wine are prepared for consecration, and further.  This should be hardly surprising, for our Lord did not institute a new, foreign priesthood upon the Apostles on Holy Thursday.  As he said in Matthew 5:17- "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."  Rather than an entirely new religion and priesthood, Christ conferred on his Apostles a REFORMED priestly ministry; one which would not carry out and continue the ONE sacrifice which remitted forever our sins, that sacrifice made by Christ himself upon the cross.  In that, priests of the new covenant no longer offer sacrifice of their own for the sins of others; but they now offer the one sacrifice made by Christ, made present and eternally abiding with us (as he promised) in Holy Mystery.  The priests of the new covenant do not initiate this offering of their own; but fulfill the commandment of Christ to continue this work of redemption for the world, which he began while on earth with us so many years ago. 

This reformed priesthood stems from the original priesthood of the Jewish Faith, as we hear in the Psalms (110:4); and further confirmed in the Epistle to the Hebrews (7:17), "you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek".  The priesthood of the Old Covenant was also for men only, as we read in the book of Exodus (chapter 28).  To summarize the reasoning behind why the sacramental priesthood of making offering for sin should be reserved only to men, I would like to draw the reader's attention to a rather simple theological principle which goes overlooked and often considered to be incorrect by my more evangelical minded contemporaries; however it is true no matter who claims the contrary.   

Through the sin of one man, Adam, death entered into this world.  Through man the judgment of Almighty God was invoked on the entire future of the human race, and man was bound into the bondage of sin and death.  So it is the temporal, binding penance that the work of salvation and the cleansing of sins should be borne on the shoulders of sinful MEN.  This does not mean that women cannot participate actively in the life of the church, or even that they cannot teach or preach the word; quite the contrary.  Women have always had the right (under God) to spread the word to those who desire it; and can be some of the most efficacious teachers of it.   However the offering of the propitiation for sins is reserved solely to men; in that through men sin entered the world, it is through the same male line that remittance of sin should be made. When a priest is ordained, his hands are spiritually bound to the service of the altar, as he is required by God and church law to make this sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.  He is bound by his hands to the service of God in the work of redemption for the world; for he seeks to undo the work of the first father's curse.  Women, however, are to be kept free from this; so that they may more readily be able to spread the word wherever they go, free from the restrictions imposed on them by the priesthood.

Christ knew these things well, and had he intended to force women into the holy bondage of priestly service, he would have done so.  However Christ did not; because he honored women too much and knew that they are not responsible for what must be done to purge mankind of its sins.   Women are called to teach the word and to spread the good news of Christ to any and all who will listen; and to assist in the church by their prayers and work to support those in ministry.  However men are the ones who are sacramentally bound to the service of the altar, for it is men who have caused sin to enter into the world; and it is our grave obligation to ensure that it is driven from this world.

Here Endeth the Lesson.