Hebrews 5–6

Qualifications for High Priesthood

5For every high priest taken from among men ^ais appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. ²He can ¹have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to ^bweakness. ³Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for ^chimself, to offer sacrifices for sins. ⁴And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as ^dAaron was.

A Priest Forever

^5eSo also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him:

^f“You are My Son,

Today I have begotten You.”

⁶As He also says in another place:

^g“You are a priest forever

According to the order of Melchizedek”;

⁷who, in the days of His flesh, when He had ^hoffered up prayers and supplications, ⁱwith vehement cries and tears to Him ^jwho was able to save Him from death, and was heard ^kbecause of His godly fear, ⁸though He was a Son, yet He learned ^lobedience by the things which He suffered. ⁹And ^mhaving been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, ¹⁰called by God as High Priest ⁿ“according to the order of Melchizedek,” ¹¹of whom ^owe have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become ^pdull of hearing.

Spiritual Immaturity

¹²For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the ²oracles of God; and you have come to need ^qmilk and not solid food. ¹³For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is ^ra babe. ¹⁴But solid food belongs to those who are ³of full age, that is, those who by reason of ⁴use have their senses exercised ^sto discern both good and evil.

The Peril of Not Progressing

6Therefore, ^aleaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to ¹perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from ^bdead works and of faith toward God, ^2cof the doctrine of baptisms, ^dof laying on of hands, ^eof resurrection of the dead, ^fand of eternal judgment. ³And this ²we will do if God permits.

⁴For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted ^gthe heavenly gift, and ^hhave become partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶³if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, ⁱsince they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

⁷For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, ^jreceives blessing from God; ^8kbut if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

A Better Estimate

⁹But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. ¹⁰For ^lGod is not unjust to forget ^myour work and ⁴labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ⁿministered to the saints, and do minister. ¹¹And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence ^oto the full assurance of hope until the end, ¹²that you do not become ⁵sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience ^pinherit the promises.

God’s Infallible Purpose in Christ

¹³For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, ^qHe swore by Himself, ¹⁴saying, ^r“Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” ¹⁵And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the ^spromise. ¹⁶For men indeed swear by the greater, and ^tan oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. ¹⁷Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to ^uthe heirs of promise ^vthe ⁶immutability of His counsel, ⁷confirmed it by an oath, ¹⁸that by two ⁸immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to ^wlie, we ⁹might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope ^xset before us.

¹⁹This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, ^yand which enters the Presence behind the veil, ^20zwhere the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, ^ahaving become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.