Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Cyprian of Carthage Understanding the New Covenant Priesthood in light of Old Testament Paradigms

  

Returning again to the liturgical aspect of priesthood, in Epistle 67, Cyprian speaks of the requirement for purity among Christian clergy, saying

 

for the voice of heaven and the law of God long ago commanded (mandatur) and ordered (praescribitur) who and what sort of men ought to serve the altar and celebrate sacred sacrifices. For in Exodus God speaks to Moses and warns him, saying, ‘Let the priests (sacerdotes) who approach the Lord God be sanctified lest the Lord perhaps should forsake them’ [Exod. 19:22]. And again: ‘And when they approach to minister at the altar (ministrare ad altare) of the holy place (sancti), they shall not bring sin upon themselves lest they should die’ [Exod. 30:20]. And likewise in Leviticus the Lord commands and says: ‘The man in whom there has been any blemish or sin shall not approach to offer gifts to God’ [Lev. 21:17]. (Ep. 67.1.2, CCSL 3C, 448)

 

Lest there be any question whether Cyprian thinks these commands apply, he continues “Since these have been prescribed and commanded to us (nobis), it is necessary that we subject our obedience to these divine commands.” (Ep. 67.1.2, CCSL 3C, 448) What was “commanded and ordered” for the Levites has direct application for the Church.

 

In other words, Cyprian draws upon the commands to the Levitical priesthood and applies them to Christian bishops because he assumes a strong continuity between Israel and the Church. Commands to one can be appropriated and applied as commands to the other. Again in De Lapsis 7 Cyprian comments that “the prophets predicted constant oppression by the Gentiles,” (De Lapsis 7, CCSL 3, 224) a subtle but important rhetorical assumption that the Church (who are nearly all, by Cyprian’s time, gentiles) now equals Israel and the “gentiles” who oppress “Israel” are the pagans and schismatics. (Brian Alan Stewart, "'Priests of My People': Levitical Paradigms for Christian Ministers in the Third and Fourth Century Church" [PhD Dissertation; University of Virginia, May 2006], 199)