Protestantism Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ====Universal priesthood of believers==== The universal [[Priesthood of all believers|priesthood of believers]] implies the right and duty of the Christian laity not only to read the Bible in the [[vernacular]], but also to take part in the government and all the public affairs of the Church. It is opposed to the hierarchical system which puts the essence and authority of the Church in an exclusive priesthood, and which makes ordained priests the necessary mediators between God and the people.<ref name="SchaffHerzog" /> It is distinguished from the concept of the priesthood of all believers, which did not grant individuals the right to interpret the Bible apart from the Christian community at large because universal priesthood opened the door to such a possibility.<ref name="willsky">{{Cite book|title=American Unitarianism and the Protestant Dilemma: The Conundrum of Biblical Authority|last=Willsky-Ciollo|first=Lydia|publisher=Lexington Books |year=2015 |isbn=978-0739188927|location=Lanham, MD|pages=9β10}}</ref> There are scholars who cite that this doctrine tends to subsume all distinctions in the church under a single spiritual entity.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Spiritual Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life|last=Chan|first=Simon|publisher=IVP Academic|year=1998|isbn=978-0830815425|location=Downers Grove, IL|page=105}}</ref> Calvin referred to the universal priesthood as an expression of the relation between the believer and his God, including the freedom of a Christian to come to God through Christ without human mediation.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=The Church in the Theology of the Reformers|last=Avis|first=Paul|publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers|year=2002|isbn=1592441009|location=Eugene, OR|page=95}}</ref> He also maintained that this principle recognizes Christ as [[prophet]], priest, and king and that his priesthood is shared with his people.<ref name=":1" /> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page