Great question about the subject of the High Priest. And yes, you are right.
I am sure that the concept of Christ being our High Priest (for believers in the church today) stems first and foremost from a failure to rightly divide the Word of truth as our Apostle commands us in 2 Timothy 2:15. When one does not understand Paul's doctrine, and mixes it with the doctrine for the Hebrew people of time past and the ages to come, one will be thoroughly confused about this subject (and all other subjects as well)!
The book of Hebrews lays out the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is Israel's High Priest. His High Priestly role is to the Nation of Israel (typified by Aaron and his sons in the Old Testament). The High Priest was the only one who was ordained to go before God into the Holiest of Holies, or the Holiest All, and approach Him. The High Priest went to offer the blood of the covenant on behalf of the people of Israel. The book of Hebrews (for the Hebrew people) explains how this type/shadow was fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Our Apostle Paul never refers to our Lord Jesus Christ as our High Priest because that is not the role that he plays for the church the Body of Christ. Christ is our Head, and we are His Body. Therefore, our Lord does not serve that purpose to the believer today! We as gentiles were "strangers" from the covenants of promise, and the covenants belonged to Israel only.
Ephesians 2:11-12
Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Psalm 147:19-20
He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.
Romans 9:4
Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
So he cannot be operating as our High Priest because we don't have one! God deals with us on the basis of his pure grace!
Lastly, the only verses that I have found in Paul's epistles that would even come close to suggesting anything similar to a priestly role by definition would be...
1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
A mediator is a "go between." And, technically, a priest is a go between God and men. But even if one used this verse to show Christ somehow had a priestly role in our lives today as believers, Paul never uses the word priest, and also this is in reference to the lost, and not to us saved in the context!
Another passage that might be used is from Romans…
Romans 8:34
Who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ that died , yea rather , that is risen again , who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Again, here Paul says that our Lord makes "intercession" for us believers, and intercession is part of the role of a priest. But again, Paul NEVER refers to him as our priest, and he also mentions earlier in the chapter that the Holy Ghost also makes intercession for us, as well. So if someone uses certain verses to say that our Lord is our High Priest, then the same must be said about God the Holy Ghost, but scripture never says that.
Romans 8:27
And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
So, to call our Lord our High Priest is not what the scriptures testifies to, therefore we cannot make that assertion either!
In closing, here's an interesting thought to consider…
If I were to point out a High Priest for the believer, it would not be our Lord, but it would be Paul our Apostle!
Romans 15:16
That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
Here Paul uses terminology about himself that is also used of the priest in the bible. Words like "ministering," "the offering up" of the gentiles, etc.
Interesting that God uses these words in reference to our Apostle, is it not? Clear indication that he is magnifying Paul's office like he said in Romans.
Romans 11:13
For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
But because the issue of a priest is NOT mentioned by Paul in any way in his epistles, then it is not the issue with us today! We lack nothing in Christ.
Colossians 2:10
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
Priests were part of Israel's covenant with God and we have no covenant—we have pure GRACE! We already have access to the Father IN CHRIST! Amen...praise the Lord!
Hopefully this
helps!
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