Topic: "Priest" in the New Testament
Question:
Since ‘elder’ (the Greek ‘presbyter’) does not mean ‘priest’, why do Catholic translations translate it as such? After all, if the New Testament wanted to convey the meaning of priest, it would have used ‘hiereus’.
Answer:
St. John Fisher’s reply to Martin Luther's denial of the sacrificing Catholic priesthood explains why ‘hiereus’ was not used:
"The only point that Luther has for his heresy is that the New Testament never uses this term [priest], namely that it never gives the name "priests" to those to whom today we give it. But this will have... no force for one who carefully weighs the reason why the Apostles avoided the term, namely, because the ancient [Jewish] priesthood WAS STILL IN EXISTENCE and daily sacrifice was offered in the Temple. Therefore, so that there might be no confusion between the 2 priesthoods, they thought it wise for the time being to use other terms for the new priests. Therefore, as is clear from Scripture, they called them at one time presbyters, at another ministers, sometimes bishops and pastors, until that time when, together with the Temple, the ancient priesthood was utterly destroyed. After that occurred it became usual for all men to call our presbyters priests."
John Pacheco
The Catholic Legate
June 9, 2001