Threefold Office (Prophet, Priest, King)
Prophet, priest, and king: three anointed roles all fulfilled in Christ
The threefold office holds that Christ fulfills the three anointed vocations of ancient Israel: prophet who reveals God, priest who offers sacrifice and intercedes, and king who reigns. The pattern has patristic roots, noted in Eusebius, but the formal triple-office schema, the munus triplex, was systematized in the Reformation era by John Calvin in his Institutes. It is widely received across traditions as a way to grasp Christ's work.
How it traveled
- HebrewsRome · c. 67 CEexplains
- The Church History of EusebiusCaesarea · c. 339 CEexplains
- Ephraim Syrus: Three HomiliesEdessa · c. 373 CEexplains
- The Catechetical Lectures of S. CyrilJerusalem · c. 386 CEexplains
- The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the HebrewsConstantinople (Istanbul) · c. 407 CEexplains
- The Homilies of St. John ChrysostomConstantinople (Istanbul) · c. 407 CEexplains
- Expositions on the Book of PsalmsHippo Regius · c. 430 CEexplains
- Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59)Paris · c. 1274 CEexplains
- Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the GospelGeneva · c. 1564 CEexplains
- Seventeen Occasional SermonsNorthampton, Massachusetts · c. 1758 CEexplains
- A History of the Work of RedemptionNorthampton, Massachusetts · c. 1758 CEexplains
Key passages(20)
Each passage is tagged by what it does with the idea: explains it, applies it in practice, redefines it with a new meaning, or challenges it. Relevance shows how directly the passage is about this idea.
Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
THREE THINGS BRIEFLY TO BE REGARDED IN CHRIST—VIZ. HIS OFFICES OF PROPHET, KING, AND PRIEST. The principal parts of this chapter are—I. Of the Prophetical Office of Christ, its dignity and use, sec.
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Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
The First Part of the Apostles’ Creed—viz. the knowledge of God the Creator, being disposed of, we now come to the Second Part, which relates to the knowledge of God as a Redeemer in Christ. The subje
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Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
2. Moreover, it is to be observed, that the name Christ refers to those three offices: for we know that under the law, prophets as well as priests and kings were anointed with holy oil. Whence, also,
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Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
5. Accordingly, his royal unction is not set before us as composed of oil or aromatic perfumes; but he is called the Christ of God, because “the Spirit of the Lord” rested upon him; “the Spirit of wis
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Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
6. With regard to his Priesthood, we must briefly hold its end and use to be, that as a Mediator, free from all taint, he may by his own holiness procure the favour of God for us. But because a deserv
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A History of the Work of Redemption · Jonathan Edwards
IX. God was pleased, during this time, to give a further revelation of Christ the Redeemer in the predictions of him. Three prophecies deserve particular notice. The first is that of Balaam, Numb. xxi
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Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the Gospel · John Calvin
4. That the strength and utility of the kingdom of Christ cannot, as we have said, be fully perceived without recognising it as spiritual, is sufficiently apparent, even from this, that having during
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Ephraim Syrus: Three Homilies · Ephrem the Syrian
51. Accordingly, the Son came to the servant; not that the Son might be presented by the servant, but that by the Son the servant might present to His Lord Priesthood and Prophecy, to be laid up with
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Expositions on the Book of Psalms · Augustine of Hippo
11. And unto what art Thou born? “The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent: Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec” (ver. 4). For unto this wast Thou born from the womb before the m
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Seventeen Occasional Sermons · Jonathan Edwards
Therefore, in some of the prophecies of Christ, it is spoken of as a remarkable thing of him, that he should be a priest after the order of Melchizedek. Psal. cx. 4. “The Lord hath sworn and will not
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The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews · John Chrysostom
[6.] ( Ver. 25 ) “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Thou seest that he says this in respect of t
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The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom · John Chrysostom
Therefore He saith, “For whom it is prepared.” For what, saith He, if others should appear better than you? What, if they should do greater things? For shall ye, because ye have become my disciples, t
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Seventeen Occasional Sermons · Jonathan Edwards
In answer to this inquiry, I observe that he offered them up not as a private person, but as high priest. The apostle speaks of the strong crying and tears, as what Christ offered up as high priest. H
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A History of the Work of Redemption · Jonathan Edwards
The next thing that we have an account of, after God had pronounced sentence on the serpent, on the woman, and on the man, was, that God made them coats of skins, and clothed them; which, by the gener
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The Church History of Eusebius · Eusebius of Caesarea
Chapter III.—The Name Jesus and also the Name Christ were known from the Beginning, and were honored by the Inspired Prophets. 1. It is now the proper place to show that the very name Jesus and also
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Treatise on the Incarnation (qq[1]-59) · Thomas Aquinas
Reply to Objection 1: As was said above (A[3], OBJ[1]), judiciary power goes with royal dignity. Now Christ, although established king by God, did not wish while living on earth to govern temporarily
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A History of the Work of Redemption · Jonathan Edwards
They were in general such works as were images of the great work which he came to work on man’s heart; representing that inward, spiritual cleansing, healing, renovation, and resurrection, of which al
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A History of the Work of Redemption · Jonathan Edwards
And the way that Samuel spoke of these times of Christ and the gospel, was by giving the history of those things that typified, and pointed to them, particularly what he wrote concerning David. The Sp
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City of God · Augustine of Hippo
Chapter 5.—Of Those Things Which a Man of God Spake by the Spirit to Eli the Priest, Signifying that the Priesthood Which Had Been Appointed According to Aaron Was to Be Taken Away. But this is said
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“So that you ought rather to desist from the love of strife, and repent before the great day of judgment come, wherein all those of your tribes who have pierced this Christ shall mourn, as I have show
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