1Every high priest is chosen from among the people. He is appointed to act for the people. He acts for them in whatever has to do with God. He offers gifts and sacrifices for their sins. 2Some people have gone astray without knowing it. He is able to deal gently with them. He can do that because he himself is weak. 3That’s why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins. He must also do it for the sins of the people. 4And no one can take this honor for himself. Instead, he receives it when he is appointed by God. That is just how it was for Aaron.
5It was the same for Christ. He did not take for himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,
“You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.” (Psalm 2:7)
6In another place God said,
“You are a priest forever,
just like Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:4)
7Jesus prayed while he lived on earth. He made his appeal with sincere cries and tears. He prayed to the God who could save him from death. God answered Jesus because he truly honored God. 8Jesus was God’s Son. But by suffering he learned what it means to obey. 9In this way he was made perfect. Eternal salvation comes from him. He saves all those who obey him. 10God appointed him to be the high priest, just like Melchizedek.
A Warning Against Falling Away
11We have a lot to say about this. But it is hard to make it clear to you. That’s because you are no longer trying to understand. 12By this time you should be teachers. But in fact, you need someone to teach you all over again. You need even the simple truths of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food. 13Anyone who lives on milk is still a baby. That person does not want to learn about living a godly life. 14Solid food is for those who are grown up. They have trained themselves to tell the difference between good and evil. That shows they have grown up.
1Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 4And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.
5In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him,
“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.”5:5 Psalm 2:7
6And he says in another place,
“You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.”5:6 Psalm 110:4
7During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Warning Against Falling Away
11We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
