THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD.
By Editor
In our issues of last April and May we published four articles from the pen of George W. Reaser on "Who Was Melchizedek?" Subsequently the editor offered various suggestions on the priesthood of Christ. These were published with no thought of controversy, or to arouse antagonism. "Who was Melchizedek?" is a question which finds its way frequently into our editorial office from souls not satisfied with previous explanations. There are not a few who have contended that it was Shem, who, according to "Usher's Chronology," yet had in Abraham's day an ordinary lifetime to live. Others have believed and taught that the Melchizedek who met Abraham was Christ; others still, that he was the Holy Spirit; yet others, perhaps the larger class, that he was an inhabitant of Canaan, living at Salem, or Jerusalem, tho we are sure that there was not there at that time a kingdom of righteousness in the earth nor a city of peace. But we know of none who make the Genesis Melchizedek a substitute for Adam. With respect for all those who hold (tentatively, we presume) these various views, we admitted the articles by Elder Reaser, and offered the suggestions we have in order to stimulate further study. If these articles and suggestions are unscriptural, reject them. If they help to broader, clearer views of Christ's work, study on. They will antagonize no fundamental truth of God. Debating the question will help us very little. Usually, it will lead to "arguments" unworthy of him who uses them. It will not help us to believe that because we do not understand, or some one in the past did not understand the subject, no one else does. It will do no good to sneer at or misrepresent the position of some one with whom we do not agree. For instance, it has been said in this paper that "Melchizedek" was a title, the name of an order of priesthood. But no one said or meant to say that it was a title that met Abraham. It was an intelligent being, called a "man" (Heb. 7:4. See also Gen. 18:2; Dan. 9:21), but a "man," a priest, bearing the title of Melchizedek. The king of Egypt, before whom appeared Moses and Aaron, was a man, but he bore the title, not the name, of Pharaoh, a title held by many in the same kingdom both before and after him, who were known and called in the Bible by that title as tho it were the literal name. The person who met Abraham was one of the Melchizedeks. The name of our Lord was Jesus; one of His prominent titles is the Messiah or the Christ, the Anointed of God. In this study we commend the following, found in an article in this issue: Peter exhorts his brethren to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Whenever the people of God are growing in grace, they will be constantly obtaining a clearer understanding of His Word. They will discern new light and beauty in its sacred truths. This has been true in the history of the church in all ages, and thus it will continue to the end. But as real spiritual life declines, it has ever been the tendency to cease to advance in the knowledge of the truth. Men rest satisfied with the light already received from God's Word and discourage any further investigation of the Scriptures. Study the great subject of the priesthood of our Lord. It is longer, broader, deeper, grander, more glorious than the mere antitype of the Levitical priesthood, great and glorious as that priesthood is. The Levitical priesthood and what it prefigured was a priesthood for the time on account of sin, but, thank God, temporal, because sin is temporal, under which priesthood the sin is put away. But the Melchizedek order of priesthood embraces the universe in its breadth, and eternity in its continuance. It is worthy of all study. It is too great and noble and sublime to be treated by the tricks, the jokes, or the torsions of debate. Its right understanding, whether understood now or not, will clear up many dark places, and make God's Book and Christ's work glow with supernal and unwonted radiance.