Hebrews 5
New Testament for Everyone
5 Every high priest, you see, is chosen from among human beings, and is placed before God on their behalf, so that he can offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to sympathize with people who don’t know very much, or who wander off in different directions, since he too has his own share of weakness. 3 That’s why he has to offer sacrifices in relation to his own sins as well as those of the people.
The son becomes the priest
4 Nobody takes the office of priesthood on himself; you have to be called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 In the same way, the Messiah didn’t exalt himself so that he might become a high priest. It came about through the one who said to him,
You are my son; today I have become your father.
6 As he says in another passage,
You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.
7 During the time of Jesus’ earthly life, he offered up prayers and supplications, with loud shouts and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death. He was heard because of his devotion. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 When he had been made complete and perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 since he has been designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Are you ready for solid food?
11 We have plenty to say about all this. But it may be hard to make it clear, because your capacity to take things in has become sluggish. 12 Yes: by now you really should have become teachers, but you need someone to teach you the basic elementary beginnings of God’s oracles. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Everyone who drinks milk, you see, is unskilled in the word of God’s justice; such people are just babies. 14 Mature people need solid food—and by “mature” I mean people whose faculties have been trained by practice, to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 5
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 5
1 Every high priest is taken from among men to represent them in their dealings with God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.[a] 2 He is able to deal patiently with those who are ignorant and misguided, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3 And as a result of this, he must make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. 4 Moreover, one does not assume this position of honor on his own initiative, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 Even Christ did not confer upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. Rather, he was appointed by the one who said to him:
“You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you.”
6 And he says in another place:
“You are a priest forever,
according to the order of Melchizedek.”
7 During the course of his earthly life, Jesus offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who had the power to save him from death, and he was heard because of his godly fear. 8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through his sufferings, 9 and when he had been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 and he was designated a high priest by God according to the order of Melchizedek.
Christ, the One True Priest[b]
Deepen the Christian Life.[c] We have much to say about this subject, but it is difficult to explain because you have been slow in learning. 12 By this time you should have been teachers, yet you still need to have someone explain to you the basic elements of God’s words.You need milk, not solid food. 13 Anyone who lives on milk is still an infant and is ignorant of the word of righteousness. 14 But solid food is for adults whose faculties have been trained by practice to distinguish between good and evil.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 5:1 To offer gifts and sacrifices for sins: on the Day of Atonement (which the author is here envisioning), atonement was made for the sins of the Israelites (see Lev 16:34).
- Hebrews 5:11 This is the central part of the letter. Its themes center around a single great idea: Christ, “high priest of the good things that have come” (Heb 9:11), or “that are to come.” The vision starts with the past and with a reflection on all the religious situations already experienced, then leaves them and focuses on their fulfillment: the future of humanity with God, in and with Christ. Proofs are piled up to show that this new priesthood transcends all the ancient institutions, brings them to fulfillment, and renders them things of the past.
11
The word “priest” is taken here in the sense used by the Old Testament and by religions of the time: the man of worship, the man who represents his brothers and sisters in ritual actions that will enable them to be purified and have access to the divinity. Jesus Christ appears as the only one who is the presence of the forgiveness of God, the one who gives access to God, the representative of all that humanity expects from God. Every other priesthood and all other sacrifices are only a sketch, sign, shadow, prefiguration, and expectation. They are now surpassed. The ancient words and hopes are evoked to say more than they could have suggested without the faith in Christ. - Hebrews 5:11 The author warns his readers against regressing spiritually and morally. They must become “perfect”—what we would call “adults” or “mature.” That is, they must not be content with the rudiments of faith but must deepen their faith by reflection. Six basic teachings are enumerated and apostasy is condemned. Finally, a note of hope is given. A life marked by love cannot be insignificant; and this love has a concrete expression: the service of the saints (Heb 6:10), i.e., the sustenance of the poor of the Jerusalem community (see Rom 15:25-31; 2 Cor 8:4; 9:1-15).
希伯来书 5
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
5 每一个大祭司都是从人间选出来，奉派替人办理与 神有关的事，为的是要献上礼物和赎罪的祭物。 2 他能够温和地对待那些无知和迷误的人，因为他自己也被软弱所困。 3 因此，他怎样为人民的罪献祭，也应该怎样为自己的罪献祭。 4 没有人可以自己取得这大祭司的尊荣，只有像亚伦一样，蒙 神选召的才可以。
5 照样，基督也没有自己争取作大祭司的尊荣，而是曾经对他说：
“你是我的儿子，
我今日生了你”
的 神荣耀了他； 6 就像他在另一处说：
“你是照着麦基洗德的体系，
永远作祭司的。”
7 基督在世的时候，曾经流泪大声祷告恳求那位能救他脱离死亡的 神；因着他的敬虔，就蒙了应允。 8 他虽然是儿子，还是因着所受的苦难学会了顺从。 9 他既然顺从到底（“他既然顺从到底”或译：“他既然达到完全”），就成了所有顺从他的人得到永远救恩的根源； 10 而且蒙 神照着麦基洗德的体系，称他为大祭司。
劝勉信徒要长大成人
11 论到这些事，我们有很多话要说，可是很难解释；因为你们已经迟钝了，听不进去。 12 到这个时候，你们应该已经作老师了；可是你们还需要有人再把 神道理的初步教导你们。你们成了只能吃奶而不能吃干粮的人！ 13 凡是吃奶的，还是个婴孩，对公义的道理没有经历； 14 只有长大成人的，才能吃干粮，他们的官能因为操练纯熟，就能分辨是非了。
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.