Divyabodhanam Bo

1. Book 2 – People of God
Lessons 3-5

2. Lesson 3 – Royal Priesthood
• Priestly Ministry
– Christ is the true priest. Priesthood has been given to Christ
– To mediate for the world
• Royal Ministry
– Christ the King; we are kings along with him in the KOG
(crowing in Baptism & wedding)
– Sacrificed Lamb will rule (icon on altar cross)
• Prophetic Ministry
– Difference between fore-telling and forthtelling
– Preaching is part of the prophetic
– Withstand against evil - Elijah
Exodus 19:5-6, Revelations 1:6, 5:10, 10:6

3. Lesson 3 – Royal Priesthood
• How do we enter into the priesthood:
– Baptism
– Chrismation – anointing and becoming spirit
bearers.
As John Zizioulas says, “The theological
significance of this (receiving communion) lies in
the fact that it reveals the nature of baptism and
confirmation as being essentially an ordination.”
• Christ role as the sole priest – one who
consecrates, one who makes holy, one
who is most high.

4. Lesson 3 – Royal Priesthood
• Alexander Schmemman on Royal priesthood:
• “This calling is to sanctify and to transform ourselves and our lives, as well as the world given to each of us
as our kingdom: Ourselves – by constantly offering our life, our work, our joys as well as our suffering to
God; by making them always open to God’s will and grace; by being that which we have become in Christ,
the Temple of the Holy Spirit; by transforming our life into that which the Holy Spirit has made it: a
‘liturgy,’ a service to God and communion with Him. The world – by being truly ‘men for others,’ not in the
sense of constant involvement in social or political affairs, to which one so often reduces Christianity
today, but by being always, everywhere and in all things witnesses to Christ’s Truth, which is the only true
life, and bearers of that sacrificial love which is the ultimate essence and content of man’s priesthood.”
• Some are called to serve God and the community as ministerial or special priests – set apart through
prayer and laying on of hands

5. Lesson 3 Royal Priest hood
• Paulos Mar Gregorios on connection between
priestly and kingly functions:
– “in the hidden kingship of humble service and self-
sacrificing love. It is only a Church that truly expresses
this kingship or this shepherdly quality in relation to
the world that can offer up ‘spiritual sacrifices
pleasing to God in Jesus Christ.’” (Glory and
Burden,p.99)
– Balance between Eucharist and daily life : “The Royal
priesthood of the Church is fully expressed in a
rhythm between the Eucharistic leitourgia, and the
leitourgia in daily life of one’s fellow-men.” (Glory and
Burden, p. 99)

6. Lesson 4 – Ministry of Jesus
Christ
• Servant(Various Titles)
– Phil 2:7
• Deacon – (helper/servant) – Rom 15:8-9
• Apostle (Sleeha)– Heb 3:1; Mark 9:37 –
sent by God
• Episcopos (guardian ) – 1 Pet 2:25*
• Shepherd – John 10:11; 1 Peter 2:25, 5:4
• High Priest – Heb 7:26 (cf. High Priestly
Prayer)
• Christ himself commissioned
– 12 Disciples as Apostles – Matt 10:1
– 72 as Evangelists – Luke 10

7. Lesson 5 – Apostolic Church Life
• Development of various ministries
• 1 Cor. 12:28*
• Three fold ministry emerges in NT
• Founded on Apostolic Teaching – (Acts
2:42, 6:2)
• Episcopos – Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:1 (Episcopos
– God’s steward)
“Where the bishop is present, there let the congregation gather, just as where Jesus Christ
is, there is the Catholic Church” – Ignatius of Antioch
• Presbyter (elder) – Titus 1:5
• Deacons – 1 Tim. 3:8
• Laying on of hands – 1 Tim 4:14*

8. Lesson 5- Apostolic Church
• Life
They devoted themselves to the apostles'
teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of
bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42
• Worship
• Collective action in the mission of the church
– Church prayed and fasted and sent missionaries (Acts
13)
– Evangelism work of the church as a whole
• Participation in helping the poor
– Gifts for the needy (2 Cor. 9:12; Acts 9:36; 1 Cor 16:1-
2)
• Holiness of the church
– 1Thess 4:7; not the standards of the world (Rom 12:1-
2)
• Believers play a role in building up of Church

9. Lesson 5 – Apostolic Church Life
• UNITY
• Church as one body of Christ(Rom 12; 1 Cor
12)
• One family of God (Eph 2:19)
• One bride and one Bridegroom (Eph 5)
• One body, one Spirit, One Lord, One Faith,
One Baptism, one God – Eph 4:4-6

10. Lesson 5 – Apostolic Church Life
• How church dealt with conflict
• Matter over circumcision
• Acts 15:6 – Council convened
• Acts 15:13 – James the final word (The first
Archbishop of Jerusalem); the brother of our
Lord. (Anaphora of St. James)