Priesthood and the Service of the Altar – Part 5

This lecture explains the essential connection between the Sacrament of Priesthood and the Service of the Altar, affirming that denying priesthood inevitably leads to denying the altar, the sacrifice, and the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Priesthood is not an organizational concept, but a divine mystery directly linked to offering the sacrifice.

The Altar in the New Testament

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that the Holy Bible clearly declares the existence of an altar in the New Testament, as stated in the Epistle to the Hebrews: “We have an altar.” This confirms that sacrifice was not abolished, but transformed from symbol to reality in the sacrifice of Christ.

Prophecies About the Altar Among the Nations

His Holiness presents the prophecy of Isaiah about an altar to the Lord in the land of Egypt, which was not fulfilled in the Old Testament but in the Christian era, proving the spread of worship and sacrifice beyond Jerusalem and the expansion of faith among the Gentiles.

The Eucharist: A True Mystery, Not Mere Symbol

The lecture emphasizes that the Eucharist is not ordinary bread and wine nor a mere memorial, but the true Body and Blood of Christ, as clearly proclaimed by the Lord Himself in John 6 and in the institution of the sacrament at the Last Supper.

The Divine Command for Continuity

It is clarified that Christ’s words, “Do this in remembrance of Me,” are a divine command for the continuous practice of the sacrament until His Second Coming. This mystery was received by the apostles and handed down to the Church from generation to generation, as declared by the Apostle Paul: “I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you.”

Worthiness and the Seriousness of Negligence

The lecture confirms that partaking without worthiness brings judgment, which proves that the sacrament is not symbolic, since ordinary bread does not result in weakness, sickness, or condemnation.

The One Sacrifice That Continues

His Holiness distinguishes between the one, non-repeated sacrifice of the Cross and its continuous presence on the Church’s altar, from which believers partake until the Lord comes again.

Doctrinal Conclusion

Since there is a Body, Blood, and Sacrifice, there must be an altar; and since there is an altar, there must be priesthood. Thus, Orthodox faith affirms that priesthood, the service of the altar, and the Sacrament of the Eucharist are one inseparable reality.

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