Martin Luther＇s concept of ＂priesthood of all believers＂ implies that everyone who has been baptised not only becomes a Christian, but also becomes a consecrated priest. There is room for a logical extension of Lut...Martin Luther＇s concept of ＂priesthood of all believers＂ implies that everyone who has been baptised not only becomes a Christian, but also becomes a consecrated priest. There is room for a logical extension of Luther＇s concept. If every Christian is a consecrated priest and has the right to administer the sacraments for himself, is there any necessity to retain a professional priesthood for the Church？ While detailing how Luther＇s concept entailed the shift of clerical functions from a sacramental priesthood to a preaching ministry as occurred within the evolving Protestant Churches, this paper offers a clarification of what Luther actually meant by his formula.展开更多
文摘Martin Luther＇s concept of ＂priesthood of all believers＂ implies that everyone who has been baptised not only becomes a Christian, but also becomes a consecrated priest. There is room for a logical extension of Luther＇s concept. If every Christian is a consecrated priest and has the right to administer the sacraments for himself, is there any necessity to retain a professional priesthood for the Church？ While detailing how Luther＇s concept entailed the shift of clerical functions from a sacramental priesthood to a preaching ministry as occurred within the evolving Protestant Churches, this paper offers a clarification of what Luther actually meant by his formula.
