Description
Book SynopsisThere are many investigations of the Old Testament priests and the New Testament’s appropriation of such imagery to describe Jesus Christ. There are also studies of Israel’s corporate priesthood and what this means for the priesthood of God’s new covenant people. However, such studies are less frequently connected with one another: key interrelations are missed, and key questions are not addressed. Making two passes across the tapestry of Scripture, Andrew Malone traces these two threads and their intersections, with an eye to the contemporary relevance of both themes in both Testaments. Malone shows how our Christology and perseverance as God’s people are enhanced by the way the book of Hebrews depicts Christ’s own priesthood. Furthermore, Christians better understand their corporate identity and mission by discerning both the ministry of individual Old Testament priests and Israel’s corporate calling. Combining the various biblical emphases on priesthood in one place provides synergies that are too easily disregarded.
Trade ReviewAlthough there are many studies of priesthood in the Old Testament, and quite a few that examine the development of that theme in the New Testament, not to mention dogmatic studies this side of the Reformation that tease out the implications of ‘the priesthood of all believers,’ there is, as far as I know, no previous book-length canonical study of priesthood. Among the many strengths of Andrew Malone's impressive work, this book fills out both individual and corporate priesthood themes. On the one hand, it traces out the practices and theology of priests who serve in the wider community of the people of God, and on the other it traces out the ways in which the entire covenant community constitute a corporate priesthood. It carefully surveys the voluminous biblical material on the Levitical priesthood, but it does not ignore how the Melchizedekian priesthood intersects with the Levitical priesthood in ways that make sense only where there is a sensitive biblical-theological reading of the data. Priesthood is a theme that not only runs through both Testaments; it is one of the controlling biblical-theological trajectories without which it is difficult to make much sense of the ministry, life, death, resurrection, and ongoing exalted ministry of Jesus Christ. * D. A. Carson *
Malone writes clearly and succinctly and his book is worthy of consideration by all in Christian ministry. He models a careful and judicious biblical attention and his conclusions are valid and important. -- The Melbourne Anglican * Bishop Paul Barker *
Table of Contents1. Orientation Part 1: God's individual priests 2. The Aaronic priesthood begins 3. Biblical antecedents to the Aaronic priesthood 4. Old Testament prospects 5. New covenant transformations Part 2: God's corporate priesthoods 6. Israel as a kingdom of priests 7. The church's priestly commission 8. Concluding reflections Bibliography
