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 ³Because of this, he must make an offering for his own sins as well as for the people.^o ⁴No one takes this honor on himself; instead, a person is called by God, just as Aaron was.^p ⁵In 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,^B^C^q

⁶also says in another place,

You are a priest forever

according to the order of Melchizedek.^D^r

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 ⁹After 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 ¹³Now 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

Read in Logos

Footnotes

B I have begotten you
E In the days of his flesh

Cross references

n Heb 2:18; 4:15; 7:28
o Lv 4:3; 9:7; Heb 9:7
p Ex 28:1; 1Ch 23:18
C Ps 2:7
q Ps 2:7; Jn 8:54; Heb 1:1
D Gn 14:18–20; Ps 110:4
r Ps 110:4; Heb 7:17
s Mt 26:39; Mk 14:36
t Ps 22:1; Mt 27:46,50; Mk 15:34,37; Lk 23:46
u Php 2:7–8; Heb 1:2
v 1Co 3:2; Heb 6:1; 1Pt 2:21
w Is 7:15; 1Co 2:6