But is this idea supported by the Bible? Or was it created by Joseph Smith?

Christians rarely discuss this issue in their theology. Why? Because the concept, as defined by Mormonism, is simply foreign to the Bible. Though Scripture references the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods, what the LDS Church teaches about these priesthoods is very different from what the Bible describes.

So, what does God’s Word really say? Since the Bible addresses “priesthood” and “authority” as separate topics, each one needs to be independently examined . 

What is the Priesthood?

Under the Old Covenant, priests were a group of men who had been set apart by God for the spiritual service of His people under the direction of a singular high priest—a descendant of Aaron. According to God’s Law, Aaronic priests could only be from particular families of the tribe of Levi.

The priests were responsible for the daily duties and tasks associated with temple worship—most notably, offering animal sacrifices. The authority granted by God to priests for their duties was conditional. If a priest rejected the clear instructions of God’s law, he would find himself under God’s judgment. The authority of a priest was completely subordinate to God’s previously delivered commands. In other words, the true priest was the one who operated under the higher authority of God’s Word.

When Jesus came, He established a new and better covenant with His people. Under this New Covenant, Jesus eternally fulfills the office of High Priest and makes all of His followers priests of God. Followers of Jesus in turn offer themselves as “living sacrifices” in worship to God.

Both the apostles Peter and Paul reference this idea: “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). And, “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).

The Book of Revelation says of Jesus, “You were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God…” (Revelation 5:9-10). All true followers of Jesus are considered priests of God, regardless of race or sex.

But wait, how can this be? The Old Testament Law was clear: only descendants of Levi through Aaron may be priests. How could Jesus become the high priest if he wasn’t a Levite?” The book of Hebrews specifically addresses this question in Hebrews 7, “For [Jesus] belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests” (Hebrews 7:13-14).

Enter the Melchizedek priesthood. In Psalm 110, David records a stunning conversation that occurred between the Father and the Son, “The LORD [YHWH/Jehovah] said to “my Lord” (Psalm 110:1). Matthew 22 helpfully identifies the “my Lord” of Psalm 110:1 as the Messiah. Jesus himself said, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls [the Messiah] Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord…’” (Matthew 22:43-44).

Thus, David is recording what YHWH/Jehovah said to the Messiah (Jesus). In the Psalm, God the Father makes a promise: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:4).

The True Nature of Melchizedek’s Priesthood

Melchizedek was a king over Jerusalem who also operated as a priest to God. In Genesis 14, Abraham paid Melchizedek a tithe, after which Melchizedek in turn blessed the patriarch. Hebrews 7 argues that “the inferior is blessed by the superior.” Since Abraham was blessed by Melchizedek, he is superior to Abraham. Thus, Hebrews reasons, Melchizedek is also superior to Abraham’s descendants—most specifically Aaron and Levi.

Why does this even matter? The author of Hebrews explains that “if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood…what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron?” (Hebrews 7:11).

In other words, why did God give a promise in Psalm 110 of a Messianic priest like Melchizedek if the Aaronic priesthood was good enough? Why not promise a Messianic priest like Aaron? The very existence of this oath in Psalm 110 reveals that the Levitical priesthood was imperfect, incomplete, and insufficient. Something better was needed, a better priesthood for a better covenant. Just as Melchizedek was himself superior to Aaron, a coming Messianic priest-king would hold a priesthood higher, better, more perfect than the one Aaron held.

Hebrews 7 goes on to say,

“This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life…And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, but this one was made a priest with an oath” (Hebrews 7:15-16, 20-21).

According to Hebrew 7, Jesus lawfully became a high priest not because he was a Levite, but for three other reasons: (1) He was perfect; (2) He was the recipient of this divine promise in Psalm 110; and (3) He continues without beginning or end, unlike the Aaronic priests. 

“The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever” (Hebrews 7:23-24). Earlier in the chapter, the author of Hebrews had stated of Melchizedek, “He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.” (Hebrews 7:3).

Because no genealogy of Melchizedek is provided in Scripture, Hebrews is drawing a parallel—it’s as though Melchizedek continues without beginning or end because we have no record of his family, his origins, or his death. He metaphorically resembles the true Son of God who truly has no beginning or end.

Hebrews makes the repeated point that Jesus was similar to Melchizedek in several ways; the chief way being that Christ’s priesthood was higher and better than Aaron’s. The great irony of the logic is this: Jesus never held the Aaronic priesthood. He only held the Melchizedek priesthood. And he was the only one to ever hold this priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.

Jesus’ priesthood was named after Melchizedek to indicate that it was a higher priesthood than Aaron’s. If the author of Hebrews is correct in saying that a perfect life, an oath from God, and eternality are the requirements to hold Christ’s priesthood, then not even Melchizedek himself held the so-called Melchizedek priesthood.

In other words, Psalm 110’s reference to the Melchizedek priesthood is a veiled prophecy foretelling the coming of a Messianic priest-king who would hold a better, more perfect priesthood which stands superior to the Levitical priesthood in every way.

Moreover, as High Priest of this higher priesthood, Jesus fulfilled the primary function of the Aaronic priesthood—namely, sacrifice—in His death on the cross. Followers of Christ no longer need to sacrifice animals; Jesus was the once-for-all sacrifice. And therefore, the priests who previously offered ongoing animal sacrifices are no longer necessary. Neither is their entire priesthood order.

In summary, the Bible teaches,

• All Christians are priests of God, serving Him by offering themselves in worship.
• Jesus is the new and better “High Priest,” holding a priesthood higher than Aaron’s because of His perfection, God’s promise, and His eternality.
• The Aaronic Priesthood, with its sacrificial system, has been fulfilled in Christ’s death. That obsolete priesthood no longer lawfully exists on the earth as a part of the New Covenant. 

What About Authority?

When authority is exercised in the Bible, how did it take place? “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1). When God created, how did He exercise His authority? How did God create? Genesis explains, “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). He spoke, and it was.

Psalm 33 says, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. . . . For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm” (Psalm 33:9). The New Testament speaks in a similar way: “the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3). Peter wrote that “the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God” (1 Peter 3:5).

It’s pretty straightforward: God exercised His power and authority to create by His Word merely by declaring things to be.

Consider also the Old Testament priesthood. God authorized the Levitical priesthood through His Law by conveying it to Moses. When Moses communicated the Law to all Israel, it contained specific instructions about how these new priests were to be consecrated.

When the priests were first consecrated for their priestly duties, it was the common people of Israel who were to lay their hands on the priests. Numbers 8 records God’s instruction: “When you bring the Levites before the LORD, the people of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites” (Numbers 8:10).

When Aaron was installed as Israel’s High Priest, he was required to lay his hands on the head of a ram who was then offered a sacrifice (Exodus 29:19). God authorized the office in His Law and instructed that the priests be installed in two different ways—according to His commandment. 

Jesus likewise regularly exercised authority verbally. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus authoritatively acted in a variety of ways—sometimes by laying his hands on people and other times by merely speaking something into effect. Matthew 8 records a staggering story about authority:

“A centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, ‘Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.’ And he said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’ But the centurion replied . . . only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’ . . . And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go; let it be done for you as you have believed’” (Matthew 8:5-9, 13)

The centurion recognized that true authority may be wielded verbally. Jesus marveled at the man’s faith—and indeed, said the word to heal the man’s servant. When Jesus calmed the raging storm later in the same chapter, he “rebuked the winds and the sea”—he spoke! And the disciples marveled, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” All that Jesus needed to do was say the word and the wind and waves ceased.

When demon-possessed men stood before Him, Jesus said one word to them: “Go.” The demons fled. In Matthew 9, Jesus tells a paralytic “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”  When the scribes grumbled about Jesus forgiving sins, Jesus said,

“For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he then said to the paralytic—’Rise, pick up your bed and go home.’ And he rose and went home.” (Matthew 9:2-7). 

Likewise, Jesus sent out the apostles in Matthew 10 by saying “go” and instructing them to “proclaim as you go.” (Interestingly enough, there’s no verse in the Bible that says that Jesus laid His hands on his disciples to authorize them to do their ministry.)

This motif of Jesus’ exercising authority verbally continues throughout Matthew’s Gospel. When Christ spoke, things happened. By his mere word, servants were healed, storms were stilled, sins were forgiven, and lame men stood up and walked. Jesus was a man of true authority.

With that in mind, consider what He says after his resurrection in Matthew 28:  “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them [and] teaching them…” (Matthew 28:18-20).

When Jesus speaks, it’s so. When He says “go,” Christians are given the authority to do so. If a person were to see Christians today “making disciples” and “baptizing,” as Jesus commanded, as well as challenge, “Who authorized you to do that?” they can rightly answer, “Jesus did.” His Word is sufficient to grant His followers true authority.

Does Priesthood Authority Really Exist?

After having considered both priesthood and authority individually, what does the Bible say about the combination of the two topics? Nothing. The LDS doctrine of priesthood authority is nowhere to be found in the Bible. 

Yes, the priests had “authority” to offer sacrifices, and yes, Jesus exercised true authority while being the once-for-all high priest. But the two concepts are not linked together like Mormonism teaches. There’s simply nothing about priesthood power, nor anything that links God’s works to His own possession of priesthood authority.

Though the separate categories of priesthood and authority certainly do exist, Mormonism’s “priesthood authority” is an invented concept.