Saturday, November 8, 2014

The eternality of the Aaronic Priesthood

As with many denominations within the broad Christian spectrum (e.g. Catholics; Eastern Orthodox), Latter-day Saints believe in an ordained priesthood, something I have discussed previously on this blog. One of the more distinctive teachings of the LDS Church is that the Aaroninc Priesthood is operational in this dispensation (alongside the higher or Melchizedek Priesthood). Latter-day Saints believe that the Aaronic Priesthood was restored, through Joseph Smith, by John the Baptist in May 1829. Joseph would later record the words of John the Baptist at this monumental event, which one can find in D&C 13, which also succinctly lists the duties and roles of this Priesthood:

Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and the gospel of repentance, and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again and offering unto the Lord in righteousness.

Opponents of LDS theology often point to Heb 7:12 as “proof” that Christ’s atoning sacrifice and resurrection resulted in the cessation of the Aaronic Priesthood. However, it this the case? The verse reads:

For the Priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

In the KJV, the term “change(d)” appears twice, but the underlying Greek words are different. The term μεταθεσις is used with respect to the change of the law. This term means “to change.” However, with respect to the Priesthood, the Greek term is μεταθιτημι, which often means “to transfer” (e.g. in the sense of transposition). Note the other instances of this term in the New Testament where it has this meaning:

And [the bodies of Jacob et al.] were carried over (μεταθιτημι) into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem. (Acts 7:16)

By faith Enoch was translated (μεταθιτημι) that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated (μεταθιτημι) him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. (Heb 11:5)


There is no exegetical warrant to the claim that Heb 7:12 means the Aaronic Priesthood was abrogated. Koine Greek has several words the author of Hebrews (IMO, the author of Luke-Acts) could have used if he wished to convey this meaning, but he didn’t.

That the Aaronic Priesthood was understood to be “eternal” and not just temporal to the time of the Law of Moses can be seen in texts such as Exo 40:15:

And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office; for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.

The Hebrew term translated in the KJV as "eternal" is  עוֹלָ֖ם; the LXX uses αιων. This is coupled with the phrase, "throughout their generations," offering strong evidence of the perpetual, not temporal, nature of the Aaronic Priesthood. A priesthood that was annulled in AD 30 is hardly "eternal." Furthermore, do note that, unlike circumcision and the dietary food laws which were revealed to be annulled (e.g., Acts 10 and 15), such is never said of the Aaronic Priesthood.


Of course, Latter-day Saints have explicit Scriptural warrant for their theology of the Aaronic Priesthood from modern revelation (e.g. D&C 107), but there is good exegetical warrant from the Bible for this, too.