{"id":7894,"date":"2024-06-11T10:42:32","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T10:42:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/?p=7894"},"modified":"2024-06-11T11:10:02","modified_gmt":"2024-06-11T11:10:02","slug":"restoration-of-the-priesthood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/restoration-of-the-priesthood\/","title":{"rendered":"Restoration of the Priesthood"},"content":{"rendered":"<section  class='av_textblock_section av-lxa9k7il-455c5396bcd2870bd96b1dfce5014434 '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Restoration of<\/strong> <strong>the Priesthood<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Underneath God and His Law, the first order to revere in the ministry of the Church is the High Order and the Priesthood. \u201cThe Sacrament of Priesthood is a holy\u00a0sacrament through which the Bishop lays his hands on the head of the elected candidate, so that the Holy Spirit will descend on him and grant him one of the priestly ranks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This sacrament was instituted by our Lord and Savior Jesus\u00a0Christ when He chose the twelve of His followers, and consecrated them for ministry, \u201cHe\u00a0called His disciples to Him, and from them He chose twelve\u00a0whom He named apostles\u201d (Luke 6:13)\u00a0These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them saying: \u201cPreach saying, \u2018the kingdom of heaven is at hand.\u2019 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out\u00a0demons.\u201d (Matthew 10:5-8) He gave them the authority of absolution and binding: \u201cAssuredly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in\u00a0heaven\u201d (Matthew 18:18). After His Resurrection He appeared to them in the upper room in Zion and said to them, \u201cReceive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven, if\u00a0you retain the sins\u00a0of any, they are retained\u201d (John\u00a020:22-23).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter these things the\u00a0Lord appointed seventy others also and sent hem two by two before His face\u00a0into every city and place\u00a0where He Himself was about to go\u201d (Luke 10:1) Selection: \u201cAs they (disciples) ministered to the Lord\u00a0and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, \u2018Now separate for me Barnabas and\u00a0Saul for the work to which\u00a0I have called them.\u2019 Then having fasted and prayed and laid hands on them, they sent them away\u201d (Acts 13:2, 3). That is why our teacher Saint Paul boasted saying, \u201cBut when it pleased God who separated me from my\u00a0mother\u2019s womb and called me through His grace to reveal His son in me, that I might preach Him among the gentiles\u201d (Galatians 1:15,16) consecration: \u201cAnd for their sake I sanctify Myself,\u00a0that they also may be sanctified by the truth\u201d (John\u00a017:19). To sanctify means to consecrate. Christ consecrated Himself for the ministry and our redemption.\u00a0All the ranks of the priesthood are consecrated for ministry, according to the\u00a0example of Christ, the High Priest. Faithfulness and stewardship<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho then is that\u00a0faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his\u00a0master will find so doing when\u00a0he comes\u201d (Luke 12:42, 43) \u201cLet a man so consider us, as\u00a0servants of Christ and stewards of the\u00a0Mysteries of\u00a0God. Moreover, it is required\u00a0in stewards that one is found\u00a0faithful\u201d (1 Corinthians4:1, 2) Priesthood is a great honor. No one takes this honor\u00a0upon himself, this honors granted and given by God, just as He\u00a0granted the honor to Aaron.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0Ranks of Priesthood <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are three ranks in\u00a0Priesthood:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The order of Deacons<\/li>\n<li>The order of Priests<\/li>\n<li>The order of Bishops Deacons are servants, Priests are teachers, Bishops are overseers, and shepherds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The Order of Deacons <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ranks of Deacons<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are five ranks of deacons. In ascending order, they are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Epsaltos (hymnist)<\/li>\n<li>Ognostis (reader)<\/li>\n<li>Epideacon (sub deacon)<\/li>\n<li>Deacon (full deacon)<\/li>\n<li>Archdeacon (leader of deacons)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The Deacon <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Deacon\u2019, pronounced as such in Greek, is a Syrian word meaning \u2018servant\u2019. The deacon\u2019s responsibility is to help the priest or Bishop perform the religious ministry. The first church appointed seven deacons who were full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom to help in\u00a0service, \u201cThe twelve summoned the multitude of disciples and said: \u2018Seek out\u00a0from among you seven men of good reputation, full\u00a0of the Holy Spirit and\u00a0wisdom whom we may appoint over this business\u2019\u201d (Acts 6:2,3). \u201cWhen they were chosen, they set\u00a0them before the apostles and when they had prayed they laid hands\u00a0on them\u201d (Acts 6:6).\u00a0The apostles stipulated the following three conditions for nominating deacons:\u00a0They must be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.\u00a0They should be appointed by the apostles through the laying on of hands with prayers.\u00a0They should carry out certain responsibilities in the church. Our teacher Saint Paul also specified the requirements of a deacon, in his First Epistle to Timothy (3:8-13):<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Order of\u00a0Priesthood: &#8211;<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Priest<\/li>\n<li>Archpriest (hegomen)<\/li>\n<li>Khoori Episcopos<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The Priest<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The word \u2018priest\u2019 is designated\u00a0for a clergyman who spiritually serves people and their needs. The word \u2018priest\u2019 or \u2018presbyter\u2019, is derived from the Syrian word \u2018Kashisho\u2019 meaning elder, and the\u00a0Greek word \u2018Epresvateros\u2019 also meaning \u2018elder.\u2019 It is\u00a0so called due to the significance of his work and reverence given unto him even if he is not yet an old man.\u00a0The word \u2018elders\u2019 (priest) is mentioned frequently\u00a0in the New Testament: \u201cThey had appointed elders in every church and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in\u00a0whom they had believed\u201d (Acts 14:23) \u201cFor this reason I left you in Crete that you should set in order the things that are lacking and appoint elders\u00a0in every city as I\u00a0commanded you\u201d (Titus 1:5) \u201cIs anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him\u00a0with oil in the Name of\u00a0the Lord &#8230;\u201d (James 5:14)<\/p>\n<p>An elder is a priest of God and a minister of the mysteries of God. He has the authority to administer the Church\u00a0Sacraments except for the sacrament of\u00a0ordination (which only the Bishop has the right to do). Usually, the ordination of an elder takes place from the age of thirty, for this is when Christ the Lord started His service. At this age a person will have reached intellectual maturity to help him to\u00a0manage the service respectfully. He must be husband\u00a0of one woman and his marriage correct and\u00a0legal. If he is widowed, he\u00a0should not remarry another woman, for being the\u00a0father of all women, he cannot marry one of his\u00a0daughters. Our teacher Saint Paul mentioned in his first epistle to his disciple, Timothy the Bishop (chapter three), many conditions for Bishops that\u00a0also apply to the elders(priest) as their priestly work\u00a0is one and their\u00a0pastoral specifications are similar. Of these conditions are, he must be: Blameless, commended by others.<\/p>\n<p>This is the first and essential priestly rank. Priest means elder and also an intercessor in the holies of God for the congregation. He is a presbyter\u00a0who has the right to\u00a0administer all the church sacraments except the laying on of hands and appointing priestly ranks, which is the right\u00a0of a Bishop or overseer or someone above him. He is a teacher who teaches the people the word of God and leads them to the way of God, virtues, mysteries of the\u00a0religion, and explains the\u00a0dogmas and rites and details the word of truth, \u201cFor the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts\u201d (Malachi 2:7).<\/p>\n<p>He is a father who pastors his children compassionately, visits them with tender care and love as he is zealous for the salvation of the souls of his people and leading them to Christ, as his salvation is related to their salvation, \u201cFor now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord\u201d (1 Thessalonians 3:8). He humbly serves them as a servant to a master as Lord Christ washed the feet of His disciples, so his service is successful and acceptable before God and people too.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Hegomen (Archpriest)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The word \u2018Hegomen\u2019 or \u2018Egomenos\u2019 is derived from the Greek word meaning \u2018provider\u2019 or \u2018presenter\u2019, and the \u2018Egomenos\u2019 is the \u2018senior\u2019 or \u2018leader\u2019 priest in church.\u00a0 If there are a number of hegomens in the church, then they must consider he who is the oldest in ordination, or the most active and knowledgeable in the rank of hegomen, as the church\u2019s provider and the first responsible person in the church.<\/p>\n<p>During the raising of incense, the priest is given one spoonful of incense, the hegomen two spoonfuls, and the bishop three spoonfuls of incense.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Khoori &#8211; Episcopos<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>KHOORI-EPISCOPOS is a Greek word meaning \u2018bishop\u2019 or \u2018villages\u2019 or \u2018fields\u2019. He helps the bishop or metropolitan of the diocese in the service and visitation of the villages.<\/p>\n<p>The rank of Khoori-episcopos (or the bishop or overseer) came to existence by the end of the third century AD in Asia Minor when the dioceses extended and their division was not preferred, so there existed an utmost need for the presence for the bishop to visit and care for them.<\/p>\n<p>Members of the Nicene Council in 325 AD included 15 Khooriepiscopos from Asia Minor and Syria. The candidate of this rank bears the title \u2018Anba\u2019 which is given to bishops or higher.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Patriarch <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Patriarch has the high leadership of priesthood.\u00a0 He ordains bishops to become his partners in the Apostolic Service.\u00a0 The ordination is usually by the laying on of hands and the breath of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n<p>Lord Christ practiced this work of the patriarch when He \u201cLifted up His Hands and blessed them (the pure apostles).\u201d\u00a0 Luke 24:50. And when \u201cHe breathed on them and said to them Receive the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them: If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.\u201d John 20:22,23.\u00a0 And also He said to them: \u201cWhatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.\u201d (Matthew 18:18), \u00a0so He gave them the authority of binding and loosening in the church<\/p>\n<p>Onwards the appointment of the Saint Apostles and their ordination of servile in the Holy Order of the Priesthood, the Ministry of our Holy Church has been administered by \u201cThe Sacrament of Priesthood.\u201d This rite is not to be dilapidated, as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the one who made and blessed the ritual. <strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Unfortunate to our generation, the ordained servile in and outside the Holy Church, has been biased and besmirched. We have witnessed the fall and rise of Archbishops, Bishops Archpriest and other appointed servile for their infidelity, treachery and deceit.<\/p>\n<p>The Ethiopian Orthodox Incarnation Church has suffered much since her minsters are manipulated by the temptation of the world\u2019s frill, scam and deviousness. The need for the restoration on the present priesthood therefore, is of the essence. We need to differentiate those in fraud and falsity to replace them with the right ordered of ordination. First, we have to be reminded about the rite of \u201cThe Sacrament of Priesthood\u201d and do checking and rechecking in their ministry to be certain about their faithfulness to the Holy Order and the Priesthood in serving the Church.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source: adapted from an article entitled \u201cThe Sacrament of Priesthood\u201d by His Grace Bishop Mettaous, Abbott of EL Syrian Monastery. \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Underneath God and His Law, the first order to revere in the ministry of the Church is the High Order and the Priesthood. \u201cThe Sacrament of Priesthood is a holy\u00a0sacrament through which the Bishop lays his hands on the head of the elected candidate, so that the Holy Spirit will descend on him and grant him one of the priestly ranks.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[70,81],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-holy-scriptures","category-reports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7894"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7894"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7894\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7901,"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7894\/revisions\/7901"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}