Hebrews 5–6

5Every high priest is chosen from his fellow-men and appointed to serve God on their behalf, to offer sacrifices and offerings for sins. ²Since he himself is weak in many ways, he is able to be gentle with those who are ignorant and make mistakes. ^3*And because he is himself weak, he must offer sacrifices not only for the sins of the people but also for his own sins. ^4*No one chooses for himself the honour of being a high priest. It is only by God’s call that a man is made a high priest—just as Aaron was. ^5*In the same way, Christ did not take upon himself the honour of being a high priest. Instead, God said to him:

“You are my Son;

today I have become your Father.”

^6*He also said in another place,

“You will be a priest for ever,

in the priestly order of Melchizedek.”^d

^7*In his life on earth Jesus made his prayers and requests with loud cries and tears to God, who could save him from death. Because he was humble and devoted, God heard him. ⁸But even though he was God’s Son, he learnt through his sufferings to be obedient. ⁹When he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him, ¹⁰and God declared him to be high priest, in the priestly order of Melchizedek.^e

Warning against Abandoning the Faith

¹¹There is much we have to say about this matter, but it is hard to explain to you, because you are so slow to understand. ^12*There has been enough time for you to be teachers—yet you still need someone to teach you the first lessons of God’s message. Instead of eating solid food, you still have to drink milk. ^13*Anyone who has to drink milk is still a child, without any experience in the matter of right and wrong. ¹⁴Solid food, on the other hand, is for adults, who through practice are able to distinguish between good and evil.

6Let us go forward, then, to mature teaching and leave behind us the first lessons of the Christian message. We should not lay again the foundation of turning away from useless works and believing in God; ²of the teaching about baptisms^f and the laying on of hands; of the resurrection of the dead and the eternal judgement. ³Let us go forward! And this is what we will do, if God allows. ⁴For how can those who abandon their faith be brought back to repent again? They were once in God’s light; they tasted heaven’s gift and received their share of the Holy Spirit; ⁵they knew from experience that God’s word is good, and they had felt the powers of the coming age. ⁶And then they abandoned their faith! It is impossible to bring them back to repent again, because they are again crucifying the Son of God and exposing him to public shame.

⁷God blesses the soil which drinks in the rain that often falls on it and which grows plants that are useful to those for whom it is cultivated. ^8*But if it grows thorns and weeds, it is worth nothing; it is in danger of being cursed by God and will be destroyed by fire.

⁹But even if we speak like this, dear friends, we feel sure about you. We know that you have the better blessings that belong to your salvation. ¹⁰God is not unfair. He will not forget the work you did or the love you showed for him in the help you gave and are still giving to your fellow-Christians. ¹¹Our great desire is that each of you keep up your eagerness to the end, so that the things you hope for will come true. ¹²We do not want you to become lazy, but to be like those who believe and are patient, and so receive what God has promised.

God’s Sure Promise

¹³When God made his promise to Abraham, he made a vow to do what he had promised. Since there was no one greater than himself, he used his own name when he made his vow. ^14*He said, “I promise you that I will bless you and give you many descendants.” ¹⁵Abraham was patient, and so he received what God had promised. ¹⁶When people make vows, they use the name of someone greater than themselves, and the vow settles all arguments. ¹⁷To those who were to receive what he promised, God wanted to make it very clear that he would never change his purpose; so he added his vow to the promise. ¹⁸There are these two things, then, that cannot change and about which God cannot lie. So we who have found safety with him are greatly encouraged to hold firmly to the hope placed before us. ^19*We have this hope as an anchor for our lives. It is safe and sure, and goes through the curtain of the heavenly temple into the inner sanctuary. ^20*On our behalf Jesus has gone in there before us, and has become a high priest for ever, in the priestly order of Melchizedek.^g