After people have been saved through us, we should go to the new believers’ homes to feed them as the Lord’s lambs (John 21:15) and cherish them as a nourishing mother would cherish her own children (1 Thes. 2:7) so that our fruit may remain (John 15:16). Furthermore, we need to lead them to know the Lord and His salvation and also to know that they have the Lord’s life (3:36a) and that their spirit has been regenerated by the Lord’s Spirit (vv. 3, 6). Thus, they must exercise their spirit to call on the name of the Lord, pray to the Lord, breathe in the riches of the Lord (Rom. 10:12), enjoy the milk of the Lord’s word to grow in life (1 Pet. 2:2), and thereby offer themselves to God as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1).
The New Testament priests also need to be like fathers to exhort and console the saints (1 Thes. 2:11), teaching them all the counsel of God at the appropriate time (Acts 20:20, 27, 31), as the apostle Paul did in admonishing and teaching every man in all wisdom that he might present them full-grown in Christ to God (Col. 1:28). At this point, the perfected saints will be able to do what the gifted ones do. Thus, they can be appointed to go forth and preach the gospel by visiting people, to nourish and take care of new believers, and to teach them. Moreover, they can prophesy for the Lord to minister Christ and build up the church for the carrying out of God’s New Testament economy.
In addition to their offering of the saints who have been redeemed by Christ and who have received the compassions of God, the New Testament priests offer other spiritual sacrifices, such as praises, good deeds, and the sharing of material riches. Hebrews 13:15 says, “Through Him then let us offer up a sacrifice of praise continually to God, that is, the fruit of lips confessing His name.” In the church the Lord Jesus sings hymns of praise in us to God the Father (2:12). We also should praise God the Father through Him in the church. Eventually, in the church He and we, we and He, praise the Father together in the mingled spirit. This is the best and highest sacrifice that we can offer to God through Jesus.
Hebrews 13:16 goes on to tell us about doing good and sharing with others, that is, having fellowship in the needs of the saints. This kind of doing good and fellowshipping with others are also sacrifices which we should offer to God. Furthermore, Philippians 4:18 indicates that the supply of material things by the believers to meet the apostle’s need is a sacrifice to God, which is well pleasing to Him.
The priesthood of Aaron and his sons typifies Christ and His believers as the New Testament priesthood. Aaron, as one who was taken from among men to be the priest to the children of Israel according to the order of man, typifies Christ as the High Priest chosen from among men to be the High Priest to the believers according to the order of man. The sons of Aaron typify the believers in Christ being priests to God with Christ to become a priesthood serving God. The New Testament priesthood is universal; without exception, every believer is a priest to God. If we practice the priestly ministry in the church life today, we will be made priests to God and Christ in the millennial kingdom as a reward. In the New Jerusalem in eternity, one of the blessings to be received by the redeemed ones is to be priests serving God. That will be the consummation of the priestly service.
The offerings presented by the Old Testament priests were physical; they offered mainly bulls and goats, which typify Christ, as sacrifices to God. In the New Testament all the types have been fulfilled. Hence, the New Testament believers as the priests of the gospel of God no longer offer bulls and goats. Instead, they offer sinners chosen by God and saved in Christ; they also lead the believers under their care to offer themselves as a living sacrifice; and they present the perfected saints full-grown to God in Christ. Furthermore, they offer spiritual sacrifices, such as praises, good deeds, and the sharing in material things.