Gli hēgoúmenoi della Lettera agli Ebrei partecipavano all’unica mediazione sacerdotale di Cristo?

Abstract

The Epistle to the Hebrews asserts that the high priesthood of Christ is “unchangeable” (7:24). Hence, it does not call any Christian “priest” or “high priest”. Nevertheless, the present inquiry shows that, in the biblical author’s view, Christians participate in Christ’s priesthood in the sense that, thanks to him, they offer themselves as a sacrifice to the Father (cfr 13:15-16) as he did (cfr 9:11-14). But above all, the article highlights a number of literary indicators in this homiletic discourse, indicators which allow us to consider that the hēgoúmenoi of the community participated in the priesthood of Christ as his instruments and signs, and were capable, therefore, of enabling other baptised Christians to offer themselves as a sacrifice to the Father.