When People Owned The Priesthood

And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons. And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
Judges 17:11‭-‬13 KJV

This story demonstrates what led Luther to the doctrine of the Priesthood of all believers. Here is a time that someone could own a Priest and the entire Priesthood because he had food and substance. He felt religious and blessed. This is Micah’s conclusion: ” …Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest”.( v.13 ). That is one of the most pathetic reads in the scripture. This is the thinking of a man who believes that he now owns God’s Priesthood because he had substance. Art Linsley summarises the concept of Priesthood of all believers as ” …the idea that every believer is a priest, regardless of his or her full-time occupation. This notion was one of the top three ideas of the Protestant Reformation. The first two, Sola Scriptura—which asserts the sole authority of Scripture—and Sola Fide—which teaches justification by faith. The old testament anticipated the concept of everyone being the New Priest in Exod. 19:6 and Isa. 61:6. The new testament agrees in 1Peter 2:5,9. Today certain wealthy people still attempt to own Ministers of the gospel. If you let it happen, you become a tragedy of Micah. Speak the word in season and do not be taken by the promise of wealth, in Jesus Name.