The Priesthood of God

There are a few topics concerning how the laws of Leviticus relate to the New Covenant that I'd like to write about, and I've been mulling over exactly how to get started. I finally realized that some background information was needed about the priesthood in the New Covenant in order for it to really be effective. Moreover, I found this topic to be worthy of its own discussion anyway!

If I asked you whether there was a priesthood in the New Covenant, hopefully you would know that the answer is yes. But could you answer if I asked you why there is a priesthood in the New Covenant? Moreover, why did God command a priesthood for the Old Covenant? That first question has an definite and clear scriptural answer, which I'll review. The latter two questions, however, require some thinking on our part!

Is Circumcision Merely Part of the Old Covenant?

In the early history of the New Testament Church, a controversy arose over whether Gentiles in the Church needed to be circumcised. The controversy is formally settled in Acts 15, although there are indications that certain Jews continued teaching this heresy. Most people wrongly conclude that the entire system of Old Covenant law was abolished as a result of the decision of the Acts 15 conference regarding circumcision. As an introduction to the topic of circumcision in the New Covenant, I'd like to examine the origin of circumcision and establish its significance as more than just a part of the Old Covenant law.