Hebrews 5–6

CHRIST, A HIGH PRIEST

5For every high priest taken from among men is appointed in matters pertaining to God for the people, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. ²He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he is also clothed with weakness.^{n 3}Because of this, he must make an offering for his own sins as well as for the people.^{o 4}No one takes this honor on himself; instead, a person is called by God, just as Aaron was.^{p 5}In the same way, Christ did not exalt himself to become a high priest, but God who said to him,

You are my Son;

today I have become your Father,^BCq

⁶also says in another place,

You are a priest forever

according to the order of Melchizedek.^Dr

⁷During his earthly life,^E he offered prayers and appeals^s with loud cries and tears^t to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. ⁸Although he was the Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered.^{u 9}After he was perfected, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, ¹⁰and he was declared by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

THE PROBLEM OF IMMATURITY

¹¹We have a great deal to say about this, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand. ¹²Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food.^{v 13}Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. ¹⁴But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.^w

WARNING AGAINST FALLING AWAY

6Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God,^{x 2}teaching about ritual washings,^A laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.^{y 3}And we will do this if God permits.

⁴For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit,^{z 5}who tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age, ⁶and who have fallen away. This is because,^B to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding him up to contempt.^{a 7}For the ground that drinks the rain that often falls on it and that produces vegetation useful to those for whom it is cultivated receives a blessing from God. ⁸But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and at the end will be burned.^b

⁹Even though we are speaking this way, dearly loved friends, in your case we are confident of things that are better and that pertain to salvation. ¹⁰For God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love^C you demonstrated for his name by serving the saints—and by continuing to serve them.^{c 11}Now we desire each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the full assurance of your hope until the end, ¹²so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.^d

INHERITING THE PROMISE

¹³For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater to swear by, he swore by himself: ¹⁴I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply you.^{De 15}And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham obtained the promise. ¹⁶For people swear by something greater than themselves, and for them a confirming oath ends every dispute. ¹⁷Because God wanted to show his unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, he guaranteed it with an oath,^{f 18}so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us.^{g 19}We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.^{h 20}Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner,ⁱ because he has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.^j