The priesthood and ministry of all believers

This page contains selected passages from the Open English Translation with the passage from the OET Readers’ Version on the left, and the OET Literal Version on the right. Minimal commentary is included (only some headings)—our aim is simply to conveniently list the passages in one place so that our readers can make up their own minds about what the writer of the passage was intending to communicate.

Readers’ Version

Literal Version

A people called to belong to Yahweh

OET Exo 19:3-6

3 Yahweh called Mosheh (Moses) from the mountain, so he climbed up and God gave him this message and asked him to pass it on to Ya’akov’s (Jacob) descendants, the Israelis:

4 “You yourselves saw what I did to the Mitsrim (Egyptians)—how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you all here to myself. 5 And now, if you all carefully listen to my words and keep my agreement, then your nation will be my possession, separate from all the others,[ref] because all the earth is mine, 6 So you all will be my kingdom of priests and a nation dedicated to me.”[ref] (That’s the message to pass on to the Israelis.)

19:5-6: 1Pe 2:9.

19:6: Rev 1:6; 5:10.

OET 1 Pet 2:4-10

2:4 The vital building-stone and the believers

4 As you chosen people approach the living building-stone (which was rejected by humans yet chosen and honoured by God), 5 you’re being built into a temple and joining a holy group of priests to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) the messiah, 6 because it’s written in the scriptures:

‘Look, I’m placing a building-stone in Tsiyon (Zion),

the vital cornerstone that’s chosen and honoured,

and anyone who believes in him certainly won’t be disgraced.’[ref]

7 To all of you who believe, this cornerstone is valuable, but to those who don’t believe:

‘The building-stone which the builders rejected

ended up becoming the vital cornerstone.’[ref]

8 and he’ll be:

‘A stone that people stumble over

and a rock that upsets people.’[ref]

They stumble because they won’t believe in the message—this is what was appointed for them.

9 But you believers are a chosen tribe, a group of royal priests, a holy nation,[ref] a people group that God has procured,[ref] so that you can tell others about the virtues of the one[ref] who called you out of darkness and into his marvellous light.[ref] 10 Previously you weren’t a people group, but now you’re God’s people—previously you hadn’t been shown mercy, but now you have been.[ref]

2:6: Isa 28:16 (LXX).

2:7: Psa 118:22.

2:8: Isa 8:14-15.

2:9: Exo 19:5-6; Isa 43:20 (LXX).

2:9: Exo 19:5; Deu 4:20; 7:6; 14:2; Tit 2:14.

2:9: Isa 43:21.

2:9: Isa 9:2.

2:10: Hos 2:23.

4 To whom approaching a_ living _stone, on _one _hand having _been _rejected by humans, on _the _other _hand chosen by god, honoured,

5 also yourselves as living stones you _all _are _being _built, a_ spiritual _house, into a_ holy _priesthood to _offer _up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to_god through Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa) chosen _one /messiah.

6 Because it _is _contained in in _scripture:
Behold, I _am _laying a_stone in Siōn/(Tsiyyōn), a_cornerstone chosen honoured, and the one believing in him, by _no _means may_ not _be _disgraced.

7 Therefore is the value to _you _all, the ones believing, but to _disbelieving ones The_stone which the ones building rejected, this was _become to the_head of_the_corner,

8 and:
A_stone of _stumbling, and a_rock of _offense, who are _stumbling disbelieving in _the message, to which also they _were _appointed.

9 But you _all are a_ chosen _race:
a_royal priesthood, a_ holy _nation, a_people for his_procuring, so _that the virtues you _all _may _proclaim _out, of _the one having _called you _all out _of darkness, to the marvellous light of _him,

10 who once were not a_people, but now are the_people of_god, the ones not having _been _shown _mercy, and now having _been _shown _mercy.

OET Rev 1:4-6

1:4 The greetings to seven assemblies of believers

4 This letter is from Yohan (John; Grk. Yoannes) to the seven assemblies in Asia Minor:

Grace and peace to you all from the God who is and was and will be,[ref] and from the seven spirits who are in front of his throne,[ref] 5 and from Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) the messiah, the faithful witness,[ref] the first to come back to life, and the ruler of all the leaders of the nations of the world.[ref]

Yeshua loves us and he has released us from our sins by his blood, 6 and made us into a kingdom of priests to God his father,[ref] and he is deserving of honour and power throughout the ages. May it be so.

1:6: Exo 19:6; Rev 5:10.

4 Seven Yōannaʸs to _the assemblies which in the Asia:
grace to _you _all and peace, from the one being, and who was, and who coming, and from the seven spirits, who are before the throne of _him,

5 and from Yaʸsous chosen _one /messiah, the witness the faithful, the firstborn of _the dead, and the ruler of _the kings of _the earth.
To _the one loving us, and having _released us from the sins of _us in the blood of _him,

6 and made us a_kingdom, priests the to_god and father of _him, to _him be the glory and the dominion to the ages.
Truly.

Approaching Yahweh and offering our service

OET Heb 10:19-25

10:19 Don’t give up on your faith

19 Therefore brothers and sisters, we have confidence to enter the holy place by Yeshua’s (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) blood—20 a new and life-giving path that he initiated for us to go through the curtain, which is his flesh. 21 Since we have an incredible priest presiding over God’s house, 22 we can approach God with sincere hearts in full assurance due to our faith, having our hearts sprinkled to clean us from our guilty consciences and with our bodies having been washed in clean water.[ref] 23 We can hold onto the confession of our unwavering hope because the one who made the promise is faithful, 24 and we can be considering how to provoke each other to show love and to do good things—25 not giving up meeting together as some have, but rather encouraging each other even more as you all see the day of judgement coming closer.

10:22: Lev 8:30; Eze 36:25.

19 Therefore having, brothers, confidence for the entrance of _the holy places by the blood of_Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa),

20 which he _dedicated for _us a_way recent and living through the curtain, this is of _the flesh of _him,

21 and a_priest great over the house of_ the _god,

22 we _may _be _approaching with a_true heart in full _assurance of _faith, having _been _sprinkled our hearts from a_conscience evil, and having _been _washed our body in _water pure.

23 We _may _be _retaining the confession of _our hope unwavering, because/for faithful is the one having _promised,

24 and we _may _be _observing one _another toward provocation to _love and to _good works,

25 not abandoning the gathering _together of _ourselves, as the_custom with _some, but exhorting also by _so _much more, with _as _much _as you _all _are _seeing nearing the day.

OET Heb 13:15-16

15 With Yeshua’s help, we should always be praising God as if we were presenting offerings to him. We do that when we say that we believe that Yeshua is God. 16 But on top of faith, we need to continue to do good and share what we have with others, because those are the kinds of sacrifices that please God.

Every member contributing

OET Rom 12:3-8

3 Because of the generosity which has been shown to me, I’m saying that none of you should think of yourself more highly than what’s appropriate, but rather you should be sensible about what you think of yourselves according to how much faith God’s allotted to each of you. 4 Just like one body has many components, and each individual component works differently,[ref] 5 so too we’re all part of one body in Messiah and we’re all parts of each other. 6 We have gifts according to the special generosity that was shown to us:[ref] if it’s prophecy, then do it in proportion to your faith, 7 or if it’s service, then serve, or teaching, then teach, 8 or encouraging, then encourage, or sharing, then be generous, or leading, then do it earnestly, or showing mercy, then do it cheerfully.

12:4-5: 1Cor 12:12.

12:6-8: 1Cor 12:4-11.

3 For/Because I _am _saying through the grace which having _been _given to _me, to _everyone which being among you _all, not to _be _over _esteeming beyond what it _is _fitting to _be _thinking, but to _be _thinking in _order that to _be _being _sensible, to _each as the god allotted a_measure of _faith.

4 For/Because just _as in one body, many members we _are _having, and the the_members all not the same is _having practicing,

5 thus the many, one body we _are in chosen _one /messiah, and which each one of _one _another members.

6 But having gifts according _to the grace which having _been _given to _us special:
whether prophecy, according _to the relationship of _the faith,

7 or service, in the service, or the one teaching, in the teaching,

8 or the one exhorting, in the exhortation, the one sharing, in generosity, the one leading, with earnestness, the one showing _mercy, with cheerfulness.

OET 1 Cor 12:12-27

12:12 One body with many parts

12 Just like a human body is a unit but has many parts which are all components, no matter how many, making up that one body, so too is the messiah.[ref] 13 Yes, in one spirit we were all immersed into one body, whether we were Yehudim (Jews) or Hellains (Greeks), whether slaves or free, and we all were given one spirit to drink. MEANING?

14 Yes, indeed the body is not one part, but many. 15 If your foot said, “Since I’m not a hand, I’m not part of the body,” that wouldn’t make it any less a part of the body, 16 and if your ear said, “Since I’m not an eye, I’m not part of the body,” that wouldn’t make it any less a part of the body. 17 If your whole body was an eye, how could you hear? But then, if your whole body was an ear, how could you smell anything? 18 Actually, God has placed every part in our bodies exactly where he wanted to put them. 19 If it was all just one part, how could it be a body? 20 Yes, there’s many parts, but only one body.

21 Your eye can’t tell your hand, “I don’t need you,” and your head can’t tell your feet, “I don’t need you.” 22 On the contrary, the body parts that seem to be weaker are very vital, 23 and those body parts that seem less honourable, we give them greater honour and hence our unpresentable body parts are treated with more modesty. 24 Our presentable parts don’t have any need for that, but rather God has put the body together and he gave greater honour to the lesser parts 25 so that there won’t be any division in the body, but its members should care equally for each other. 26 So if one body part is hurting, all the parts hurt as well. If one body part is honoured, then all the parts are happy together.

27 Now you all are the body of Christ, and each of you is a part of it.

12:12: Rom 12:4-5.

12 For/Because just _as the body one is, and members many is _having, but all the members of _the body, many being, one is body, thus also is the chosen _one /messiah.

13 For/Because also in one spirit we all into one body were _immersed, whether Youdaiōns, or Hellaʸns, or slaves, or free, and all one spirit were _gave _to _drink.

14 For/Because also the body not is one member, but many.

15 If may _say the foot:
Because not I _am a_hand, not I _am of the body, not by this, not it _is of the body.

16 And if may _say the ear:
Because not I _am an_eye, not I _am of the body, not by this, not it _is of the body.

17 If all the body were an_eye, where is the hearing?
If all were hearing, where is the smelling?

18 But right _now the god appointed the members, one each of _them in the body, as he _wanted.

19 And if was the things all one member, where is the body?

20 But now many on _one _hand one, on _the _other _hand members body.

21 Not and is _able the eye to _say to _the hand:
Need of _you not I _am _having, or in_contrast the head to _the feet:
Need of _you _all not I _am _having.

22 But by _much rather the supposing members of _the body weaker to _be _being, necessary is,

23 and which we _are _supposing less _honourable to _be of _the body, around _these honour more _abundant we _are _putting _around, and the dishonourable of _us, propriety more _abundant is _having,

24 and the the_prominent of _us, no need is _having.
But the god united _together the body, to _the members being _deficient, more _abundant having _given honour,

25 in _order _that not there _may _be division in the body, but the same for one _another may _be _caring _for the members.

26 And whether is _suffering one member, is _suffering _with it all the members, or is _being _glorified a_member, is _rejoicing _with it all the members.

27 And you _all are the_body of_chosen _one /messiah, and members of part.

OET 1 Pet 4:7-11

7 The end of everything is getting close, so make good decisions and be serious in prayer, 8 and more than anything, display genuine love to each other, because love triumphs over many sins.[ref] 9 Show hospitality to each other without grumbling. 10 Whatever gift each person has received, they should use it to serve the others as good managers of the various forms of grace God’s given us. 11 Anyone who shares wisdom that came from God or uses the strength that God’s given them to serve others needs to be honouring God through Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) the messiah. He’s the one who deserves the honour and power throughout all time.

4:8: Prv 10:12.

7 And the end of _all things has _neared.
Therefore be _sensible and be _sober for the_prayers,

8 before all things, having the earnest love among yourselves, because love is _covering a_multitude of _sins,

9 be hospitable to one _another apart _from grumbling,

10 each one as he _received a_gift, serving it to yourselves, as good managers of_the_various grace of_god.

11 If anyone is _speaking, as oracles of_god, if anyone is _serving, as of strength of _which the god is _supplying, in _order _that in all things the god may _be _being _glorified through Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa) chosen _one /messiah, to _whom is the glory and the power to the ages of _the ages.
Truly.

Please contact us at Freely dot Given dot org (at) gmail dot com if there’s any passages that you’d like us to add to this topic page, or any passages that need a little bit more context around them. (We encourage our readers to always view things in their context, so we discourage use of the word ‘verse’, especially in sayings like, “This verse says …”.)