.
. . since sacrificial language was applied to the Christ community from the
earliest decades of the Christ religion (e.g., Acts 10:4; Rom 12:1; 15:16; Phil
2:17; 4:18) and was linked with the meal ritual, the role of the presider over
the eucharistic ritual also takes on a priestly function. On several occasions,
Paul explicitly links his actions and that of the communities with the
sacrificial cult. In Phil 2:17, Paul states, “But even if I am being poured out
as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering (τῇ θυσίᾳ καὶ λειτουργίᾳ) of
your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.” In Rom 12:1 he urges his
readers as follows: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the
mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice (θυσίαν ζῶσαν),
holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Furthermore, in
Rom 15:16, Paul links sacrifice and priest when speaking of his missionary
activities amongst the Gentiles: “a minister (λειτουργόν) of Christ Jesus to
the Gentiles in the priestly service (ἱερουργοῦντα) of the gospel of God, so
that the offering (προσφορὰ) of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by
the Holy Spirit.” Although these passages do not appear in the explicit context
of the eucharistic ritual, their sacrificial images are to some extent shaped
by the liturgical experience, especially the eucharistic ritual. This is
clearly borne out by comparing them with the Lord’s Supper references in 1 Cor
5:7 – “For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed (ἐτύθη)” – and in 1
Cor 9:13, where Paul mentions a temple sacrifice that is later compared to the
Lord’s Supper in 1 Cor 10:14–22: “Do you not know that those who are employed
in the temple service get their food from the temple (ἱεροῦ ἐσθίουσιν), and
those who serve at the altar (θυσιαστηρίῳ) share in what is sacrificed
(θυσιαστηρίῳ) on the altar?” Given the application of sacrifice language to the
activities of early Christ followers, including in the meal ritual, it is
natural that the presider over the rite must be serving in some priestly capacity,
as in the domestic Roman religion counterpart. (Yo Chen, “The Ritual Dimension of Union
with Christ in Paul’s Thought” [PhD Dissertation; The University of Edinburgh,
2021], 116-17)
