Welcome To The Washington Street Church of Christ - Warrensburg, MO 64093 (660)429-6608

Here we continue our study on what the cults believe. By "cult" we mean no slander. Usually a cult is described as a group of religious people who, though good people and sincere believers, hold doctrines foreign to historic Christianity. Particularly we have been looking at those doctrines held by the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, the Mormons.

THE AARONIC PRIESTHOOD

First, we want to discuss their belief in a priesthood. On September 22 and 23, 1832 Joseph Smith claimed he received a revelation from Jesus Christ regarding the establishment of two priesthoods. The priesthood of Aaron was to continue forever along with the priesthood which is after the holiest order of God, called the priesthood of Melchizedek. You can read about it in their book called The Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price.

However, as with all latter-day revelation, such prophecies get one in conflict with Scripture. Notice Hebrews 7:11,12: "Now if there was perfection through the Levitical priesthood (for under it hath the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be reckoned after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law" (Heb. 7:11,12). Now the Holy Spirit in this passage says that there was not perfection regarding the Levitical or Aaronic priesthood. There had to arise another Priest, who is Jesus Christ. He is a Priest after the order of Melchizedek, which priesthood we will speak of in justamoment. However, that Priesthood replaces the Levitical or Aaronic priesthood. Notice again verse 12: "For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law." This clearly says there is a change from one priesthood to the next. If the Levitical priesthood were to continue, how could there be a change from it to the priesthood of Melchizedek? Not only that, there is said to be a change also of the law. This also is in verse 12. Again we read, "For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law" (Heb. 7:12). Whatis meant by "change" when it says the priesthood is being changed? Well, it means the same as it does when it says the law is to be changed. What does it mean that the law is changed? It means we are no longer under the Old Law. Christians are under the new law, for there has been a change. Notice in Hebrews the Holy Spirit's explanation regarding what occurred when the Old Law was changed. We read: "For there is a disanulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness (for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in thereupon of a better hope, through which we draw night unto God" (Heb. 7:18,19). To disannul simply means to annul or cancel. So when the Old Testament was changed for the new, the Old was annulled or cancelled. And when the Levitical priesthood was also changed, it too wasannulledorcancelled. TheOldLawwaschanged. Again, what does the Holy Spirit say occurred when the Old Law was changed? The Holy Spirit says, "He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Heb. 10:9, 10). So when the Old Law was changed, that meant it was taken away that the Second Law might be established. That being so, when the Levitical priesthood was changed, it too was taken away so a second priesthood might be established, the priesthood of Christ after the order of Melchizedek. And we might add that in fact, the first covenant or law went no further than the cross, for Pau' said, "having blotted out the bond written in ordinances \hm was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken v out of the way, nailing it to the cross" (Col. 2:14).

Yet someone may wonder why we use so many vers. which teach that the Old Law was done away. Well, first we establish what the Holy Spirit meant when He said it was changed. And if it meant cancelled when it said the law wa.-changed, it must have meant cancelled when it said the priesthood was changed. But besides that, if the law is cancelled, so is the Levitical or Aaronic priesthood, for it was part of the Old Testament law, and if the law is nailed to the cross the priesthood is there with it. The Aaronic priesthood is part of the Old Law which was disannulled, cancelled, and nailed to the cross. So to teach that the Aaronic priesthood goes on today is to put one at odds with the Bible. It contradicts all the passages which say the law is done away and particularly Hebrews 7:12 which says the priesthood was changed.

THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD

However, the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints also believe they have restored the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. Not only that, from what we have already said, the Scriptures seem to indicate that that priesthood will go on. In fact, Hebrews 7:11-28 says there was a change from an imperfect to a perfect priesthood, the priesthood of Melchizedek. True, the Levitical or Aaronic priesthood was no longer needed because Christ offered up Him self. See Hebrews 7:27. He was the last sacrifice so thar priesthood was done away. Truly Jesus was a propitiation or covering for our sins (I John 2:2). And notice Hebrews 10:4-10: "For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goaf-should take away sins. Wherefore when he comeu- into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body didst thou prepare for me.. ."(Heb. 10:4-10). No, the blood of bulls and goats was insufficient. We are sanctified by the body of Jesus once for all. So we have no need of a sacrificial priesthood any longer. Yet still, what can we make of the Melchizedek priesthood? Let's notice Hebrews 7:22-25: "by so much also hath Jesus become the surety of a better covenant. And they indeed have been made priests many in number, because that by death they are hindered from continuing: but he, because he abideth forever, hath his priesthood unchangeable" (Heb. 7:22-24). Notice the word, "unchangeable." In the original it is apambatos. Vine in his Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words says the word means "unalterable, inviolable," or "unchangeable." He adds the more literal definition, "that doth not pass from one to another" though he doubts the more literal meaning obtains here in Hebrews 7:22-25. Thayer disagrees in his classic Greek Dictionary. He says it means not only inviolated or unalterable but this: "unviolated, or not to be violated, inviolable, unchangeable and therefore not liable to pass to a successor." Even Vine agrees that that is the literal meaning. We would have to accept that it has succession in mind because of the context. Verses 22 and 23 say he is the surety of a better covenant because His Priesthood does not require many in number. In the Aaronic Priesthood priests die and need to be replaced. Jesus never needs a successor for He never dies. In fact, verse 25 says, "Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through him, seeing heeverliveth to make intercessionforthem" (Heb. 7:25). He doesn't need to pass His priesthood on because He never dies. Verse 24 says His priesthood is unchangeable because He abides forever, while the Aaronic priests were hindered by death from continuing. Really, to argue that we need priests ofthe order ofMclcliizedek to continue lo serve today implies that Jesus cannot continue in the office because He is dead-

But Hebrews 7:24 says the opposite because He still lives. And because He still lives, He doesn't need to pass His priesthood on to another.

Notice how the versions translate it.