The Bible affirms we no longer need a human priest, other than Jesus, to access God. In fact, the New Testament makes it very clear that because Jesus died for the sins of man, we no longer need a priest to access God on our behalf. Because we have been made righteous before God, we can access him ourselves.
“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.”
Mark 15 verse 37 – 38
In the Old Testament a High Priest was the only person allowed behind the temple curtain into the area they called the Holy of Holies. When Jesus died the temple curtain was miraculously torn in two, demonstrating that because of Jesus’ sacrificial death, mankind could now have a new, direct relationship with God.
“For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.”
Hebrews 7 verse 28
Here the writer of Hebrews is reaffirming that Jesus is in essence the new High Priest. His death and resurrection removes the need for human priests to intercede on our behalf.
“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever…”
Hebrews 6 verse 19 – 20
We no longer need a Priest to access God on our behalf. If Jesus as “forerunner” has entered into the presence of God, he expects others to follow him. Because Jesus died, dealing with our sin, we can now access God ‘behind the curtain’ directly.
From Adam, to Abraham, to the prophets of the Old Testament and the Apostles of the New Testament, we see that throughout the Bible God desires to have direct relationship with mankind. It is only the introduction of the sacraments at the Council of Trent in 1563 that has elevated the role of a Priest to act as a mediator between man and God.
The Roman Catholic Church turned grace from something that is given into something that is earned, so that people would be dependent on Priests to have a relationship with God and receive salvation. As we see, this is not biblical or an accurate portrayal of the heart of God.