The Priesthood of All Believers : Slogan or Substance?

'The priesthood of all believers' is a biblical doctrine.

Sadly, Satan has laid his meddling fingers on this glorious gospel principle and twisted it to the ruin of many. How? For a start, the overwhelming majority of believers, for all practical purposes, believe in the priesthood of no believers.

Oh, I know we frequently parrot the phrase 'the priesthood of all believers', and, of course, it features in most of our Confessions of Faith: 'We believe in the priesthood of all believers'.

Oh, yes. But too often it has become a mere slogan, a mantra.

A form of words without real content or implication, it makes no practical difference to most of us whatsoever.

The result is tragic. 'The priesthood of all believers' is a neglected, poor relation of the Christian religion, rarely discussed, let alone thought about, least of all acted upon.

Alas, 'the priesthood of no believers' is the reality for many. It gets worse. Worse? Yes, indeed. Millions really believe in the priesthood of some believers.

The truth is, where this is so, in each church it has become the priesthood of one believer!

Really? Yes, for millions - adherents of the Church of Rome and the Church of England, chief among them.

But not only they! No, indeed! Most evangelicals (not excluding the Reformed) hold to the priesthood of some believers.

Oh, yes they do!And all the time, the New Testament teaches the priesthood of all believers. David Gay has written this small work to help believers avoid a trap they often seem to fall into.

What 'trap' is that? Gay wants us (he includes himself!) to stop intoning the phrase 'the priesthood of all believers', and then, having touched our cap at it, carrying on as though it meant nothing at all.

In short, he wants us to use the phrase, understand what it means, and then live it out in daily experience.