Priesthood and Life

This issue contains an edited transcription of a series of talks by T. Austin-Sparks on the subject of New Testament priesthood. The date and venue of this conference is unknown. As a general remark we would like to say that, to appreciate transcriptions of sermons by T. Austin-Sparks and to benefit from them the reader has to bear in mind that the original talks were addressed to a specific audience at a specific time. What we also need to consider is that his position is rooted in an allegorical approach of Bible interpretation. That entails that the preacher-author believes that the Old Testament as a whole needs to be spiritualized in order to understand the Bible passages correctly. Believers who are used to an exegetical approach should therefore not be put off by some of the author’s statements about the spiritual significance of Old Testament elements. That is the reason why in this issue the editors have tried to clarify some of the author’s assumptions by adding footnotes. They are meant for instruction and background information, not to criticize. When interpretations are not based on exegesis they may still be supported by a lot of love and prayer. The editors believe that in the case of T. Austin-Sparks we can be sure of that. The purpose of publishing this article is to encourage the readers in their walk with and dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ, sharing the author’s concern that the Church should persevere and not drift away from its calling. In this case it is to fulfil the Christian duty to serve the Lord and His people as priests, realizing that to be a priest in the New Testament sense is not an office but the practical expression of belonging to God, a life that shows what it means to be His posession.

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April 2023
On behalf of The Golden Candlestick team,
Hugo de Jong