Melchizedek and Jesus

[DojoGrant]

I am very curious about this.

In Genesis, we encounter the priest-king Melchizedek, who offers a sacrifice of bread and wine to God.

In the New Testament, we have the priest-king Jesus Christ, who according to Hebrews, is a prophet in the order of Melchizedek.

I find it utterly impossible to not see the relationship between Melkizedek's sacrifice and the Last Supper, in which Jesus offered "bread and wine," and thus see the Last Supper as a true sacrificial offering.

But Protestants (generally) do not see it this way. Why, then, is Jesus not only likened to Melkizedek, but a priest in his order. Why does Hebrews draw this parallel?

[Guest Eremite]

This is precisely why the Council of Trent dogmatically declared that the Apostles were ordained priests at the Last Supper.

Melchizidek was a priest who, for his sacrifice, offered bread and wine. At the last supper, Christ, who is a priest according to the order of Melchizidek, offered this sacrifice as well, and not only that, but he commanded the Apostles to continue to offer this sacrifice. Thereby, he was ordaining them priests according to the order of Melchizidek, with bread and wine as their sacrifice, rather than goats and bulls.

[DojoGrant]

!!

I don't guess I even really thought of that. Is this the official Church teaching, that ministerial priests of the Church are priests in the order of Melchizedek? I have been to one ordination, but I do not recall the words of the rite or if that is mentioned.

[Guest Eremite]

From the 22nd Session of Trent:

"...that His priesthood might not come to an end with His death, at the last supper, on the night he was betrayed, that He migh leave to His beloved spouse the Church a visible sacrifice, such as the nature of man requires, whereby that bloody sacrifice once to be accomplished on the cross might be represented, the memory thereof remain even to the end of the world, and its salutary effects applied to the remission of those sins which we daily commit, declaring Himself constituted a priest forever according to the order of Melchisidech, offered to God the Father His own body and blood under the form of bread and wine, and under the forms of those same things gave to the Apostles, who he then made priests of the New Testament, that they might partake, commanded them and their successors in the priesthood by these words to do likewise: Do this in commemoration of me..."

Edited March 8, 2005 by Eremite

[Paphnutius]

[quote name='DojoGrant' date='Mar 8 2005, 10:37 AM'] !!

I don't guess I even really thought of that. Is this the official Church teaching, that ministerial priests of the Church are priests in the order of Melchizedek? I have been to one ordination, but I do not recall the words of the rite or if that is mentioned. [/quote]
Priests share in the one priesthood of Jesus Christ. The reason, at least to my understanding, of why Hebrews drew this parallel because:

of his twofold dignity as priest and king,

by reason of his name, "king of justice",

by reason of the city over which he ruled, "King of Salem, that is, king of peace" (v. 2), and also

because he "without father without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but likened unto the Son of God, continueth a priest forever." (v. 3).

The scope of the Apostle accounts for this; for he wishes to show that the priesthood of Christ was in dignity and duration superior to that of Aaron, and therefore, since it is not what Melchisedech offered, but rather the other circumstances of his priesthood which belonged to the theme, they alone are mentioned.

This does not mean that Christ shared in the same physical order of Melchizadek, but rather he was a typeology for Christ. If one does the historical-critical method we see how this places Christ's priesthood over the then current Jewish priesthood (Levi or Aaron i think). Like I said, this is just the way I understand it. Priests share in the one true priesthood of Christ, as do all the faithful by virtue of baptism.

[Paphnutius]

Some of that material was taken from New Advent.

[MC Just]

Protestants have a hard time seeing anything that doesnt come from their own mind and interpretations. (Proven true)

[Paphnutius]

[quote name='MC Just' date='Mar 12 2005, 03:36 PM'] Protestants have a hard time seeing anything that doesnt come from their own mind and interpretations. (Proven true) [/quote]
Lets try to avoid making blanket statements like "all Protestants." We dont like it when they make blanket statements about Catholics, otherwise they could say "all priests are _____."