Hebrews 5–6

A High Priest Like Melchizedek

5For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of people in the things relating to God, in order that he can offer both gifts and sacrifices on behalf of sins, ²being able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and led astray, since he himself also is surrounded by weakness, ³and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins for himself also, as well as for the people^a. ⁴And someone does not take for himself the honor, but is called by God, just as Aaron also was. ⁵Thus also Christ did not glorify himself to become high priest, but the one who said to him,

“You are my Son, today I have begotten you,”^b

⁶just as also in another place he says,

“You are a priest forever^c according to the order of Melchizedek,”^d

⁷who in the days of his flesh offered up both prayers and supplications, with loud crying and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard as a result of his reverence. ⁸Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered, ⁹and being perfected, he became the source of eternal salvation to all those who obey him, ¹⁰being designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Advanced Teaching Hindered by Immaturity

¹¹Concerning this^e we have much to say and it is difficult to explain^f, since you have become sluggish in hearing. ¹²For indeed, although you^* ought to be teachers by this time^g, you have need of someone to teach you again the beginning elements of the oracles of God, and you have need of^h milk, notⁱ solid food. ¹³For everyone who partakes of milk is unacquainted with the message of righteousness, because he is an infant. ¹⁴But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have trained their faculties for the distinguishing of both good and evil.

A Serious Warning Against Falling Away

6Therefore, leaving behind the elementary message about Christ, let us move on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and faith in God, ²teaching about baptisms and laying on of hands, and resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. ³And this we will do, if God permits. ⁴For it is impossible concerning those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and become sharers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the coming age, ⁶and having fallen away, to renew them again to repentance, because they^* have crucified again for themselves the Son of God and held him up to contempt. ⁷For ground that drinks the rain that comes often upon it, and brings forth vegetation usable to those people for whose sake^a it is also cultivated, shares a blessing from God. ⁸But if it^* produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to a curse, whose end is for burning.

⁹But even if we are speaking in this way, dear friends, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and belonging to salvation. ¹⁰For God is not unjust, so as to forget your work and the love which you demonstrated for his name by^* having served the saints, and continuing to serve them. ¹¹And we desire each one of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the full assurance of your hope until the end, ¹²in order that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and patience.

The Reliability of God’s Promise

¹³For when^* God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater to swear by, he swore by himself, ¹⁴saying,

“Surely I will greatly bless^b you, and I will greatly multiply^c you.”

¹⁵And so, by^* persevering, he obtained the promise. ¹⁶For people swear by what is greater than themselves, and the oath for confirmation is the end of all dispute for them. ¹⁷In the same way God, because he^* wanted to show even more to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his resolve, guaranteed it with an oath, ¹⁸in order that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge may have powerful encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us, ¹⁹which we have like an anchor of the soul, both firm and steadfast, and entering into the inside of the curtain, ²⁰where Jesus, the forerunner for us, entered, because he^* became a high priest forever^d according to the order of Melchizedek.