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Heb 7:4-10 Christ's Priesthood Superior to Levi
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bcbs...@yahoo.com
Dec 30, 2024, 6:30:15 AM12/30/24
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Christ's Priesthood Superior to Levi
Heb 7:4-10 Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people— that is, their brothers— even though their brothers are descended from Abraham. This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater.
In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.
Here we see again - by way of inference - the superiority of the Melchizedekian priesthood over that of the Levitical priesthood, in that the lesser person - in this case Abraham and by inference Abraham's descendants - was blessed by the greater, namely Melchizedek whom the author associates with Christ by analogy. And likewise with regards to donations.
But as for Levi living in the body of his ancestry Abraham, one must be careful not to read too much into the text. Reading literally what was meant as analogy one can end up with heresy. Realize that most of this text is analogous. Christ himself is only analogous to Melchizedek. There is a a heresy known as Traducianism whereby the soul exists in the fabric of one's ancestors. But given that the Bible states, "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin." Deut 24:16, one cannot attribute sin to one's descendants and therefore the individual is considered separate from his ancestors. Nor are ancestors reckoned a composite of their descendants. Traducianism had been a basis for misconceptions concerning original sin and a basis for racial prejudice but is inconsistent with Biblical Christianity.
But the point made here concerning Levi could be just as well stated by saying that if one's father reckoned himself obligated to pay respect to someone, then certainly that would likewise be the case with his son. Thus Melchizedek, and by analogy - Christ, is superior to Levi. Thus the Levitical priesthood is overshadowed by the Priesthood of Christ. "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" 1Tim 2:5
One additional point he hasn't bought up because he's just speaking to Jews, is the fact that the Levitical priesthood was limited to Jews, whereas Christ's priesthood applies across the board to Jews and Gentiles. In fact one could even use the Melchizedekian analogy and note that Abraham himself was a Gentile when he gave a tithe to him. As Paul noted in Gal 3:8-10 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. And "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham‘s seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal 3:29 Likewise Melchizedek himself was not Jewish. Thus the Melchizedekian priesthood encompasses a much broader field than the Levitical priesthood.
Heb 7:4-10 Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people— that is, their brothers— even though their brothers are descended from Abraham. This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater.
In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.
Here we see again - by way of inference - the superiority of the Melchizedekian priesthood over that of the Levitical priesthood, in that the lesser person - in this case Abraham and by inference Abraham's descendants - was blessed by the greater, namely Melchizedek whom the author associates with Christ by analogy. And likewise with regards to donations.
But as for Levi living in the body of his ancestry Abraham, one must be careful not to read too much into the text. Reading literally what was meant as analogy one can end up with heresy. Realize that most of this text is analogous. Christ himself is only analogous to Melchizedek. There is a a heresy known as Traducianism whereby the soul exists in the fabric of one's ancestors. But given that the Bible states, "Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin." Deut 24:16, one cannot attribute sin to one's descendants and therefore the individual is considered separate from his ancestors. Nor are ancestors reckoned a composite of their descendants. Traducianism had been a basis for misconceptions concerning original sin and a basis for racial prejudice but is inconsistent with Biblical Christianity.
But the point made here concerning Levi could be just as well stated by saying that if one's father reckoned himself obligated to pay respect to someone, then certainly that would likewise be the case with his son. Thus Melchizedek, and by analogy - Christ, is superior to Levi. Thus the Levitical priesthood is overshadowed by the Priesthood of Christ. "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" 1Tim 2:5
One additional point he hasn't bought up because he's just speaking to Jews, is the fact that the Levitical priesthood was limited to Jews, whereas Christ's priesthood applies across the board to Jews and Gentiles. In fact one could even use the Melchizedekian analogy and note that Abraham himself was a Gentile when he gave a tithe to him. As Paul noted in Gal 3:8-10 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. And "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham‘s seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal 3:29 Likewise Melchizedek himself was not Jewish. Thus the Melchizedekian priesthood encompasses a much broader field than the Levitical priesthood.
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