How Paul Taught the Priesthood of Believers (Without Naming It) | Danillo Augusto Santos

Paul never uses the word "priesthood"—yet the concept runs through his letters. How did he teach it without naming it?In this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, Daniel Mikkelsen sits down with Danillo Augusto Santos, New Testament lecturer and PhD scholar specialising in the priesthood of believers in Paul's letters, to explore one of Pauline theology's most overlooked mysteries.Paul's contemporaries—both Jewish and Gentile—were intimately familiar with priesthood. The Jerusalem Temple still stood. Pagan temples dominated cities. Yet Paul deliberately avoids using the Greek words ἱερεύς (hiereus, "priest") or ἱεράτευμα (hierateuma, "priesthood") when writing to his churches. Why?Danillo walks through the Greek text of Romans 15, Philippians 2, 1 Corinthians 3, etc. to show this wasn't accidental—it was strategic. He explores why Paul used λειτουργός (leitourgos, "minister") instead of explicit priestly vocabulary, how the concept of priesthood runs implicitly through Paul's sacrificial language, and what the Old Testament prophecies in Exodus 19 and Isaiah 61 reveal about God's original plan for His people as priests.This matters beyond academics. If Paul teaches that every believer is priest, temple, and sacrifice—mediating access to God and bearing His name—what does that mean for worship, Christian service, and how we live tomorrow?Free Greek Guide — 'Why Learning Greek Could Be a Struggle and How to Move Forward' Discover common pitfalls in learning biblical Greek and Daniel's three-step framework to read with confidence. 👉 https://ntgreektutoring.com/why-struggle-with-greekDon't Miss the Next Episode: Daniel welcomes Daniel Pollorena to discuss the Kingdom of God in Paul.Chapters 00:00 Coming Up... 01:06 Meet Danillo Santos: Pauline Scholar and Pastor 03:40 Why Greek Changed Everything for Me 07:02 The Method That Finally Made Greek Click 10:03 What English Translations Can't Show You 12:55 It's Not Just Detail - It Enhances Meaning 19:15 The Greek Word Translators Struggle With 22:48 Romans 15: Paul's Priestly Ministry (In Greek) 31:36 Why Paul NEVER Used the Word "Priesthood" 37:51 The Exodus Promise Israel Never Fulfilled 45:18 How to Spot Hidden Priesthood in Paul's Letters 52:32 Places Paul Teaches Priesthood (Without Saying It) 01:04:24 You're Not Just Saved - You're Transformed 01:12:19 You Are Temple, Priest AND Sacrifice 01:17:36 Philippians 2: Paul's Shocking Self-Description 01:27:56 What This Means for How You Live TomorrowMusic Credits: Music from #Uppbeat 🔗 https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/aspirePlease, let us know what you thoughts on the episode.If you enjoyed this episode of Exploring the Language of Scripture, please consider becoming an Explorer! Your support helps keep the podcast ad-free, allows us to bring in more guests, and enhances the content we create. By joining our Explorer community, you’ll receive exclusive benefits, including Q&As, priority for Greek tutoring applications, and discounts on tutoring. Explore more and join the Explorer programme here: Become an Explorer. Podcast Keywords:biblical languages, New Testament, Old Testament, Christ, bible study,  Relationship with God, learn biblical languages, Biblical Theology, Christianity, Covenants, New covenant, old covenant, language acquisition, Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew.