Hebrews 5–6

The Messiah, a High Priest

5For every high priest taken from men is appointed in service ^dto 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 subject to weakness. ^e3Because of this, he must make a sin offering for himself as well as for the people. ^f4No one takes this honor on himself; instead, a person is called by God, just as Aaron was. ^g5In the same way, the Messiah did not exalt Himself to become a high priest, but the One who said to Him, You are My Son; today I have become Your Father, ^hi6also said in another passage, You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. ^jk

⁷During His earthly life, ^lHe offered prayers and appeals ^mwith loud cries and tears ⁿto the One who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. ⁸Though He was God’s Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. ^o9After He was perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him, ¹⁰and He was declared by God a high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

The Problem of Immaturity

¹¹We have a great deal to say about this, and it’s 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. ^p13Now 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. ^q

Warning against Regression

6Therefore, leaving the elementary message about the Messiah, let us go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God, ^r2teaching about ritual washings, ^slaying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. ^t3And 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, became companions with the Holy Spirit, ^u5tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age, ⁶and who have fallen away, because, ^vto their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding Him up to contempt. ^w7For ground that has drunk the rain that has often fallen on it and that produces vegetation useful to those it is cultivated for receives a blessing from God. ⁸But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and will be burned at the end. ^x

⁹Even though we are speaking this way, dear friends, in your case we are confident of the better things connected with salvation. ¹⁰For God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love ^yyou showed for His name when you served the saints—and you continue to serve them. ^z11Now we want each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the final realization of your hope, ¹²so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance. ^a

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. ^bc

¹⁵And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham ^dobtained the promise. ¹⁶For men 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, ^e18so 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. ^f19We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. ^g20Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, ^hbecause He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. ⁱ