What Does “Priesthood” Mean in the Bible?
The service of the priest: to offer sacrifice to God and to guide his people.
It can mean
- In the Church: all the baptized share in the priesthood of Christ; priests receive it in the sacrament of Holy Orders.
- Jesus: he is the high priest. The Bible calls him “a priest according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Where it appears in the Bible
Hebrews 5:6; Luke 1:8
What the Bible says
Hebrews 5:6
As he saith also in another place: Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech.
Luke 1:8
And it came to pass, when he executed the priestly function in the order of his course before God,
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
Source: Catechism 1539, 1546-1547 and 1592