Source: WWW.JW.ORG, website of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, August 2010
“All you are brothers”, said Jesus to his followers (Matthew 23:8). The early Christians including the Bible writers had NO CLERGY CLASS. This Biblical pattern is the one that Jehovah’s Witnesses follow.
Matthew 23:8 can’t be used as a basis to proof that there is “NO CLERGY CLASS” because it was NOT STATED IN THE BIBLE that there is “NO CLERGY CLASS” at all. In that passage of the Bible, it doesn’t mean that when it was said there “But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren” automatically means that there’s no clergy class or known as Ministerial Priesthood at all. The Matthew 23:8-11 speaks about the reminders of Jesus about the Scribes and Pharisees for being self-righteous, hypocrites, and having pride to their selves. It teaches us that we must be humble always and don’t follow the examples of the Scribes and Pharisees.
Well, Matthew 23:8 must not be read literally because if we read it without proper comprehension of the texts, for sure we will be misguided and will lead into heresy. In John 3:1-2, Nicodemus even called Jesus as Rabbi.
So, this means that Matthew 23:8 and John 3:1-2 are not contradicted with each other. It gives us an idea that calling Father, etc. to a clergyman is not bad at all.
No question on the statement from Matthew 23:8 “All you are brothers” or brethren in other term, because it refers to the unity and good relations of the members of the Church which Jesus established (Mat 16:18, Mar 11:17, Acts 9:31) despite of their different positions, status, and functions in the Church (1 Cor 12:1-31).
In the Bible, there is what we called CLERGY OR KNOWN AS MINISTERIAL PRIESTHOOD consisting of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons. This Ministerial Priesthood or Clergy exist in the Church and here are some evidences from the Bible that the early Christians have Priests:
1 COR 4:15
“For if you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, by the gospel, I have begotten you.”
HEB 12:9
“Moreover we have had fathers of our flesh, for instructors, and we reverenced them: shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits, and live?”
LUKE 22:19
“And taking bread, he gave thanks, and brake; and gave to them, saying: This is my body, which is given for you. Do this for a commemoration of me. “
JN 20:21-22
“He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost.”
ACTS 6:6
“These they set before the apostles; and they praying, imposed hands upon them.”
ACTS 13:3
“Then they, fasting and praying, and imposing their hands upon them, sent them away.”
ACTS 14:22
“And when they had ordained to them priests in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, in whom they believed.”
1 TIM 4:14
“Neglect not the grace that is in thee, which was given thee by prophesy, with imposition of the hands of the priesthood.”
2 TIM 1:6
“For which cause I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace of God which is in thee, by the imposition of my hands.”
TITUS 1:5
“For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and shouldest ordain priests in every city, as I also appointed thee:”
Therefore, it is proven and concluded that CLERGY OR MINISTERIAL PRIESTHOOD is still applicable in the Christian era. This Ministerial Priesthood I referred belongs to Christ. They belong to Christ because they are ordained by the imposition of hands to be his priests, offers the BODY and BLOOD of Christ in the Holy Mass (Luke 22:19, 1 Cor 11:17-34), administers the Sacraments, and will do the Ministerial Priesthood functions in the Catholic Church.
It will not be a problem that THERE ARE CLERGYMEN AND LAITY IN THE CHURCH, since it is really designed by GOD for the good welfare of the Church and can able to address its needs (1 Cor 12:1-31). Different functions and positions, but the same GOD and CHURCH being served. That’s the reason why it was said ONE FAITH, ONE LORD, ONE BAPTISM (Eph 4:5).
This CLERGY-LAITY will of GOD cannot make divisions and confusions in the Church because GOD himself is a GOD of harmony, not of divisions and confusions (1 Cor 14:33, Rom 14:5-6).
