Arguments from scripture and the early Church: The Hebrew animal blood sacrifices were symbolic and a form or pattern of things to come (Jesus being the spotless Lamb of God who would shed His blood and die for our sins); these blood sacrifices were abolished in the early Jewish Christian church- because they were fulfilled by Christ. Even Judaism today no longer performs such sacrifices and in general de-emphasizes their former priestly functions.

Note that many of the other religious trappings of the Levitical priesthood were abolished in the early Church as the Messiah was accepted as the only true priestly mediator between God and humans. Unfortunately, the idea of priesthood in the Church was later dug up from Jewish traditions and reinstated in both the Roman and Eastern Orthodox churches. Not only was this elite priesthood (being elevated above the laity) unnecessary, it led to Nicolaitanism, which our Lord condemned twice in the letters to the churches in the beginning of the Revelation of John.

As noted in 1st Peter scripture above, Peter asserted the priesthood of all believers. Likewise, Paul taught that all believers are equal members of the Body of Christ, although with different gifts and functions (1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12:4-6). ALL believers are called to live holy lives that we might be a "holy priesthood" (1 Peter 2:5)- which is clearly not referring to only those Christians ordained by churches as "priests."

As an Anglican, I am a member of a sacramental church; also, being big on the authority of scripture, I happen to have a Reformed-evangelical bias. I am arguing that many leaders and voices in the sacramental churches have views of the priesthood which are askew, being too steeped in Old Testament ceremonialism.

When the thick temple veil that covered the doorway to the Holy of Holies was torn in two by God at the time of Christ's death (Matthew 27:51), God was indicating that the Old Testament priesthood was no longer necessary. Now people could come directly to God through the great High Priest, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:14-16). There are now no earthly mediators between God and man as existed in the Old Testament priesthood: "For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people." (1Timothy 2:5-6).

We do not need human mediators any longer to represent us to God or to offer up sacrifices, as some like to think is happening during the Eucharist; it is NOT what is happening. What we are doing in Holy Communion is thanking and praising God that Jesus already accomplished the sacrificial task and that we are now in Him and He is in us. It is worship, the "sacrifice of praise" and the commemoration of the most sacred event in human history. But it does not actually accomplish any mediational sacrifice in the present. As Jesus exclaimed from the Cross: "It is finished." When Jesus performed the first Eucharist at the Last Supper, He said it was to remember what He was about to do, it was to remember what that act would mean for His disciples. He did not say for them to do it because they would be taking over the ceremonial priestly functions of the Jewish Temple. The symbolic form in our Eucharist is therefore is minimally important.

Whether the priest is a man or a woman, when we presume to take on the already accomplished priestly role of Christ in the Eucharist, we are actually working to diminish what Jesus Christ did at the Cross. Perhaps we even believe that it was insufficient and requires our current mediational update to still be effectual.

Truth: Christ our High Priest made one sacrifice for sin for all time (Hebrews 10:12), and there is no more sacrifice for sin that can be made (Hebrews 10:26). But as priests once offered other kinds of sacrifices in the temple, so it is clear from 1 Peter 2:5,9 that God has chosen all Christians "to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." These are sacrifices of praise, intercessory prayer, giving for the needs of others, and evangelism.

I love our Anglican liturgy and prefer the older forms. But this is about my personal preference, not about right versus wrong. However, I believe that we Anglicans go wrong when we get too caught up in form and symbolism in our worship. That is similar to the error of the Judaizers who still promoted the requirement of outward physical circumcision. The "circumcision of the heart" does not need the outward physical form, not even for symbolism's sake. Likewise, in the Eucharist, it is not vital that we have every outward form compulsively correct. That is NOT what our Lord meant when He said that we would worship God in Spirit and in truth. It is about the heart, not the form.

When Christ returns and the New Jerusalem comes to earth (Revelation 21), all believers will see God face-to-face and will serve Him there (Revelation 22:3-4). Not just those ordained as priests on earth. Then it will become clear: "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal 3:28). That does not mean that women in the present Church should have roles of authority over men; as is becoming increasingly clear, neither men nor women are equipped for that innovation. As a psychologist and marriage therapist for over 20 years, I can tell you that most men are unable accept a woman as their leader without resentment and passive-aggressive tendencies, and women tend to be increasingly ineffectual in such roles.

In conclusion: The old ceremonial rules (but not the moral rules) were superseded by Christ's fulfillment of His High Priestly role on earth. At the same time, believers, being "in Christ." are called "kings and priests" and a "royal priesthood." As each believer's body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), so God has called us (men and women) to serve Him from our hearts by first of all offering our lives as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2). We will be serving God in eternity (Revelation 22:3-4), but not in a physical temple, for "the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple" (Revelation 21:22). As the Old Testament priesthood was to be free of defilement, as symbolized by being ceremonially clean, so has Christ made each of us positionally holy before the Father as a result of our faith in Christ. So there is no sin in a woman serving in a priestly role the Eucharist. However, I personally believe that it is unwise for a woman to have authority over men in administrative, pastoral, and educational matters.

---Dr. Atkinson is a member of Trinity Anglican Church in Douglasville, GA, where he is a teacher and lector. His training includes an MA in theology and a PhD in clinical psychology, both from Fuller Theological Seminary. He is a licensed psychologist with a practice in the Atlanta area and is a clinical supervisor training Christian counselors with Richmont Graduate University.