Priestly Interpretation
Every religion mines its sacred texts for universal, cosmic meaning, meaning which surmounts the literary particularities of the text itself. A scriptural command, for example, not to mingle incommensurable elements with one another in husbandry or household management reflects the Order of the Divine Mind and is not to be transgressed wherever it applies by analogy.
The priest is created by his understanding and ability to apply meaning by interpretation—which must originate above the text itself, and in this he shows his authority over those who do not possess the transcendental Gift. It seems to me that one of the major differences between Protestants and other Christians is that the latter believe such priests actually exist, while Protestants remain officially (but only officially, I think) skeptical: Omnium qaeruntur papam.
S. M. Hutchens is a senior editor and longtime writer for Touchstone.
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