Hebrews 5–7

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.

The Greatness of Melchizedek

7For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham as he^* was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,^{a 2}to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth of everything^b—in the first place, his name is translated “king of righteousness,” and then also “king of Salem,” that is, “king of peace”; ³without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God—he remains a priest for all time.

⁴But see how great this man was, to whom Abraham^c the patriarch gave a tenth from the spoils! ⁵And indeed those of the sons of Levi who receive the priesthood have a commandment to collect a tenth from the people according to the law, that is, from their brothers, although they are descended from Abraham^d. ⁶But the one who did not trace his descent from them collected tithes from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. ⁷Now without any dispute the inferior is blessed by the more prominent. ⁸And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case it is testified that he lives. ⁹And, so to speak^e, even Levi, the one who receives tithes, has paid tithes through Abraham. ¹⁰For he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

The Superiority of Jesus to Melchizedek

¹¹Thus if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood, for on the basis of it the people received the law, what further need is there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek and not said to be according to the order of Aaron? ¹²For when^* the priesthood changes, of necessity there is a change of the law also. ¹³For the one about whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe from which no one has officiated at the altar. ¹⁴For it is evident that our Lord is a descendant of Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses said nothing concerning priests. ¹⁵And it is still more clear, if another priest according to the likeness of Melchizedek arises, ¹⁶who has become a priest not according to a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷For it is testified,

“You are a priest forever^f according to the order of Melchizedek.”^g

¹⁸For on the one hand a preceding commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness ¹⁹(for the law made nothing perfect), but on the other hand there is the introduction of a better hope through which we draw near to God. ²⁰And by as much as this was not without an oath (for these on the one hand have become priests^h without an oath, ²¹but he with an oath by the one who said to him,

“The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind,

‘You are a priest foreverⁱ’ ”^j),

²²by so much more^k Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

²³And indeed many have become^l priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, ²⁴but he, because he continues forever^m, holds the priesthood permanently. ²⁵Therefore also he is able to save completely those who draw near to God through him, because he^* always lives in order to intercede on their behalf.

²⁶For a high priest such as this indeed is fitting for us, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and having become exalted above the heavens, ²⁷who does not need every dayⁿ like the former high priests to offer up sacrifices for his own sins and then for the sins of the people, because he did this once for all when he^* offered up himself. ²⁸For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the statement of the oath, after the law, appoints a Son, who is made perfect forever^o.