Topical Bible: Priests were Sometimes: Corrupters of the Law

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Throughout the history of Israel, priests held a significant role as mediators between God and His people, responsible for teaching the Law and maintaining the sanctity of worship. However, the Bible records instances where priests deviated from their sacred duties, becoming corrupters of the Law they were meant to uphold.

Old Testament Instances

In the Old Testament, the priests were entrusted with the responsibility of teaching the Law to the Israelites and ensuring its proper observance. Malachi 2:7-8 highlights the ideal role of the priest: "For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts." However, the following verses reveal the failure of the priests: "But you have departed from the way, and your instruction has caused many to stumble. You have violated the covenant of Levi," says the LORD of Hosts.

The sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, serve as a stark example of priestly corruption. 1 Samuel 2:12-17 describes them as "wicked men" who "had no regard for the LORD." They exploited their position for personal gain, taking the best portions of the sacrifices for themselves and engaging in immoral behavior, thus leading the people astray.

Prophetic Rebuke

The prophets frequently rebuked the priests for their corruption and failure to uphold the Law. Hosea 4:6-9 declares, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children." The priests' neglect of their teaching duties resulted in widespread ignorance and sin among the people.

Jeremiah also condemned the priests for their unfaithfulness. In Jeremiah 6:13 , he states, "For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit." The priests, along with the prophets, were guilty of leading the nation into corruption and idolatry.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the corruption of the priestly class is evident in the actions of the chief priests and religious leaders during the time of Jesus. They are often depicted as opposing Jesus and His teachings, prioritizing their own power and traditions over the true intent of the Law. In Matthew 23:23-24 , Jesus criticizes them, saying, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin, but you have disregarded the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former."

The chief priests played a pivotal role in the plot to arrest and crucify Jesus, as seen in Mark 14:1 : "Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were two days away, and the chief priests and scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him." Their actions demonstrated a profound departure from their sacred duty to uphold justice and righteousness.

Conclusion

The Bible provides numerous examples of priests who, instead of being faithful stewards of God's Law, became corrupters of it. These instances serve as a sobering reminder of the potential for those in spiritual authority to lead others astray when they prioritize personal gain and power over their divine calling.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 28:7
But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Malachi 2:8
But you are departed out of the way; you have caused many to stumble at the law; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, said the LORD of hosts.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Bourdaloue -- the Passion of Christ
... which the Pharisees and the priests raised against ... and that you yourselves are sometimes
unhappy accomplices in ... rules of worldly wisdom only were followed, and ...
/.../various/the worlds great sermons vol 2/bourdaloue the passion of.htm

Of Passages from the Holy Scriptures, and from the Apocrypha ...
... opposed to each other, and are sometimes at variance ... a state of chastity; and there
were other Fathers ... overstepped in rigidly binding their priests to celibacy ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/of passages from the holy.htm

Of Evil-Speaking in General.
... a man, so the company of priests murder in ... in undergoing those crosses which were
appointed to ... just and honest indignation, are sometimes excusable, oftentimes ...
/.../barrow/sermons on evil-speaking by isaac barrow/of evil-speaking in general.htm

[Endnotes]
... we have known to be the corrupters of innocence ... but a large portion of the priests
subsisted on ... the third century the Christians were sometimes called Chrestiani ...
//christianbookshelf.org/killen/the ancient church/endnotes.htm

Abraham, his Trial in Egypt; his Humility
... people shared not in it with the priests, [388]365 ... 170; why they confessed Christ
and were rebuked, [475 ... by God, [564]76; encouragement of it sometimes more than ...
/.../abraham his trial in egypt.htm

Introduction
... How do such priests either observe or vindicate God's ... There were two cities of the
name--Boullaria, or ... [4794] A city of Zeugitana, sometimes written "Assapha.". ...
/.../cyprian/the seventh council of carthage under cyprian/introduction.htm

A Holy Life the Beauty of Christianity: Or, an Exhortation to ...
... to hear him preach"when his labours were sought in ... blood, and made us kings and priests
unto our God ... together: this I have found, that sometimes the repentance ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a holy life the beauty.htm

A Plea Regarding Christians by Athenagoras, the Athenian
... sometimes as demons, sometimes as matter, and sometimes as men ... is not likely that
the very priests who reverence ... Were we convinced that this life is the only ...
/.../richardson/early christian fathers/a plea regarding christians by.htm

A vindication of Gospel Truths Opened,
... of Cain, whose line reacheth to the murdering priests, &c ... For mark, as I have sometimes
said, and now also will ... which they must needs have, if it were given to ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a vindication of gospel truths.htm

A Few Sighs from Hell;
... To the law, and to the testimony, saith God ... when death comes it strikes them as it
were into a ... too much known by woeful and daily experience; sometimes when we ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a few sighs from hell.htm