God's Mediators

Although there are many studies of priesthood in the Old Testament, and quite a few that examine the development of that theme in the New Testament, not to mention dogmatic studies this side of the Reformation that tease out the implications of the priesthood of all believers, there is, as far as I know, no previous book-length canonical study of priesthood. Among the many strengths of Andrew Malone's impressive work, this book fills out both individual and corporate priesthood themes. On the one hand, it traces out the practices and theology of priests who serve in the wider community of the people of God, and on the other it traces out the ways in which the entire covenant community constitute a corporate priesthood. It carefully surveys the voluminous biblical material on the Levitical priesthood, but it does not ignore how the Melchizedekian priesthood intersects with the Levitical priesthood in ways that make sense only where there is a sensitive biblical-theological reading of the data. Priesthood is a theme that not only runs through both Testaments; it is one of the controlling biblical-theological trajectories without which it is difficult to make much sense of the ministry, life, death, resurrection, and ongoing exalted ministry of Jesus Christ. * D. A. Carson * Malone writes clearly and succinctly and his book is worthy of consideration by all in Christian ministry. He models a careful and judicious biblical attention and his conclusions are valid and important. -- The Melbourne Anglican * Bishop Paul Barker *

Andrew Malone is Lecturer in Biblical Studies and Dean of Ridley Online at Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia. He is the author of Knowing Jesus in the Old Testament? and numerous essays and journal articles.

1. Orientation Part 1: God's individual priests 2. The Aaronic priesthood begins 3. Biblical antecedents to the Aaronic priesthood 4. Old Testament prospects 5. New covenant transformations Part 2: God's corporate priesthoods 6. Israel as a kingdom of priests 7. The church's priestly commission 8. Concluding reflections Bibliography