Our High Priest Is Like Melchizedek

5 To be sure, every high priest is chosen from the people and is appointed to represent the people in the things pertaining to God, so that he may offer gifts, as well as sacrifices, for sins. ² He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also weak in many ways. ³ And for this reason he is obligated to offer sacrifices for his own sins, just as he does for the people.

⁴ No one takes this honor on himself, but he is called by God, just as Aaron was. ⁵ In the same way, Christ did not take the glory of becoming a high priest on himself, but God said to him:

⁶ He also said the same thing in another place:

⁷ In the days of his flesh,^[c] he offered prayers and pleas with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. ⁸ Although he was the Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. ⁹ After he was brought to his goal, he became the source of eternal salvation for everyone who obeys him, ¹⁰ because he was designated by God as a high priest, like Melchizedek.

Milk or Solid Food

¹¹ We have much to say about this, and it is difficult to explain, because you have become too lazy to listen. ¹² In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the beginning principles of God’s word all over again. You have become people who need milk, not solid food. ¹³ For everyone who lives on milk is not acquainted with the word of righteousness, because he is still an infant. ¹⁴ But solid food is for mature people, who have their senses trained by practice to distinguish between good and evil.