Christ, a High Priest

5 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed in matters pertaining to God for the people, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. ² He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he is also clothed with weakness.^{(A) 3} Because of this, he must make an offering for his own sins as well as for the people.^{(B) 4} No one takes this honor on himself; instead, a person is called by God, just as Aaron was.^{(C) 5} In the same way, Christ did not exalt himself to become a high priest, but God who said to him,

⁶ also says in another place,

⁷ During his earthly life,^[d] he offered prayers and appeals^(F) with loud cries and tears^(G) 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 what he suffered.^{(H) 9} After he was perfected, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, ¹⁰ and he was declared by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

The Problem of Immaturity

¹¹ We have a great deal to say about this, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand. ¹² Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food.^{(I) 13} Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.^(J)

Warning against Falling Away

6 Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God,^{(A) 2} teaching about ritual washings,^[a] laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.^{(B) 3} And we will do this if God permits.

⁴ For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit,^{(C) 5} who tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age, ⁶ and who have fallen away. This is because,^[b] to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding him up to contempt.^{(D) 7} For the ground that drinks the rain that often falls on it and that produces vegetation useful to those for whom it is cultivated receives a blessing from God. ⁸ But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and at the end will be burned.^(E)

⁹ Even though we are speaking this way, dearly loved friends, in your case we are confident of things that are better and that pertain to salvation. ¹⁰ For God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love^[c] you demonstrated for his name by serving the saints—and by continuing to serve them.^{(F) 11} Now we desire each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the full assurance of your hope until the end, ¹² so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.^(G)

Inheriting the Promise

¹³ For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater to swear by, he swore by himself: ¹⁴ I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply you.^{[d](H) 15} And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham obtained the promise. ¹⁶ For people swear by something greater than themselves, and for them a confirming oath ends every dispute. ¹⁷ Because God wanted to show his unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, he guaranteed it with an oath,^{(I) 18} so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us.^{(J) 19} We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.^{(K) 20} Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner,^(L) because he has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.^(M)

The Greatness of Melchizedek

7 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, met Abraham and blessed him as he returned from defeating the kings, ² and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means king of righteousness, then also, king of Salem, meaning king of peace. ³ Without father, mother, or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God,^(A) he remains a priest forever.

⁴ Now consider how great this man was: even Abraham the patriarch^(B) gave a tenth of the plunder to him. ⁵ The sons of Levi who receive the priestly office have a command according to the law to collect a tenth from the people^(C)—that is, from their brothers and sisters—though they have also descended from Abraham. ⁶ But one without this^[a] lineage collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises.^{(D) 7} Without a doubt, the inferior is blessed by the superior. ⁸ In the one case, men who will die receive a tenth, but in the other case, Scripture testifies that he lives.^{(E) 9} And in a sense Levi himself, who receives a tenth, has paid a tenth through Abraham, ¹⁰ for he was still within his ancestor^[b] when Melchizedek met him.

A Superior Priesthood

¹¹ Now if perfection came through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the law^(F)), what further need was there for another priest to appear, said to be according to the order of Melchizedek and not according to the order of Aaron?^{(G) 12} For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must be a change of law as well. ¹³ For the one these things are spoken about belonged to a different tribe. No one from it has served at the altar. ¹⁴ Now it is evident that our Lord came from Judah,^(H) and Moses said nothing about that tribe concerning priests.

¹⁵ And this becomes clearer if another priest like Melchizedek appears, ¹⁶ who did not become a priest based on a legal regulation about physical^[c] descent but based on the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷ For it has been testified:

¹⁸ So the previous command is annulled because it was weak and unprofitable^{(J) 19} (for the law perfected^(K) nothing), but a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.^(L)

²⁰ None of this happened without an oath. For others became priests without an oath, ²¹ but he became a priest with an oath made by the one who said to him:

²² Because of this oath, Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant.^(N)

²³ Now many have become Levitical priests, since they are prevented by death from remaining in office. ²⁴ But because he remains forever, he holds his priesthood permanently. ²⁵ Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede^(O) for them.

²⁶ For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.^{(P) 27} He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do—first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all time when he offered himself.^{(Q) 28} For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the promise of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son,^(R) who has been perfected^(S) forever.