Book of Common Prayer

Melchizedek, the great priest-king

7 For this Melchizedek, “king of Salem, priest of the most high God, met Abraham as he was coming back after defeating the kings, and blessed him; ² and Abraham portioned out to him a tenth of everything.”

To begin with, if you translate Melchizedek’s name, it means “king of righteousness”; then he is also “king of Salem,” which means “king of peace.” ³ No mention is made of his father or mother or genealogy, nor of the beginning or end of his earthly life. He is described in a similar way to the son of God; and he continues as a priest forever.

⁴ Look and see what an exalted status he has. Abraham the patriarch gave him a tenth of the spoils! ⁵ Those of Levi’s sons who receive the priesthood have a command to take tithes from the people according to the law—from, that is, their own brothers and sisters, although they, too, are physical descendants of Abraham. ⁶ But this man, who doesn’t share their genealogy at all, received tithes from Abraham, and blessed the man who possessed the promises. ⁷ It is beyond all question that the lesser is blessed by the greater. ⁸ In the former case, mortal humans receive tithes; in the latter case, the one who received them was one of whom scripture declares that he is alive. ⁹ And, if I can put it like this, even Levi paid tithes through Abraham—Levi, the one who receives tithes! ¹⁰ He was still in his ancestor’s loins, you see, when Melchizedek met him.

A new order of priesthood

¹¹ So, you see, if it had been possible to arrive at complete perfection through the Levitical priesthood (for the people received the law by that means), what further need would there have been to speak of another priesthood being established “according to the order of Melchizedek,” rather than “according to the order of Aaron”? ¹² Change the priesthood, after all, and you’re bound to change the law— ¹³ especially when you consider that the one of whom these things are spoken comes from another tribe altogether, one from which nobody is recruited to serve at the altar. ¹⁴ It’s obvious, isn’t it, that our Lord was descended from Judah, and Moses never made any connection between that tribe and the priesthood.

¹⁵ This is even clearer when another priest arises “according to the order of Melchizedek,” ¹⁶ who attains this rank not because of a law concerning physical descent but through the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. ¹⁷ What scripture says about him, after all, is, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”

The celebration of Jesus

¹⁷ The seventy came back exhilarated.

“Master,” they said, “even the demons obey us in your name!”

¹⁸ “I saw the satan fall like lightning from heaven,” he replied. ¹⁹ “Look: I’ve given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over every power of the enemy. Nothing will ever be able to harm you. ²⁰ But—don’t celebrate having spirits under your authority. Celebrate this, that your names are written in heaven.”

²¹ Then and there Jesus celebrated in the holy spirit.

“I thank you, Father,” he said, “Lord of heaven and earth! You hid these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to babies. Yes, Father, that was what you graciously decided. ²² Everything has been given me by my father. Nobody knows who the son is except the father, and nobody knows who the father is except the son, and anyone to whom the son wishes to reveal him.”

²³ Jesus then turned to the disciples privately.

“A blessing on the eyes,” he said, “which see what you see! ²⁴ Let me tell you, many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and they didn’t see it; and to hear what you hear, and they didn’t hear it!”