New Testament
Hebrews 5
Overview
The author now formally develops the doctrine of Christ's high priesthood. He first lays out the qualifications of any high priest: he must be chosen from among men to represent them before God, able to "deal gently" with the ignorant and wayward because he himself is beset with weakness, and he must not take the honor upon himself but be called by God, as Aaron was (5:1-4). He then shows that Christ meets these criteria, but transposed to a higher key: Christ did not glorify Himself but was appointed by the Father, who said "You are my Son" (Psalm 2:7) and "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek" (Psalm 110:4)—the first mention of Melchizedek in the argument. Christ's solidarity with weak humanity is shown in the days of His flesh, when He "offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears" and "learned obedience through what he suffered" (5:7-8), becoming "the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him" (5:9). The chapter then breaks off into rebuke (5:11-14): the readers have become "dull of hearing," still needing milk when they ought to be teachers, unskilled in the word of righteousness like infants rather than the mature who have trained their senses to discern good and evil.
1For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:
2Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.
3And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.
4And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
5So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
6As he saith also in another place , Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
7Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
8Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
9And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
10Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
11Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.