Hebrews 5-6

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Messiah, a High Priest

5 For every high priest taken from men is appointed in service^[a] 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 subject to weakness.^{(A) 3} Because of this, he must make a sin offering for himself 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, the Messiah did not exalt Himself to become a high priest, but the One who said to Him, You are My Son; today I have become Your Father,^{(D)[b] 6} also said in another passage, You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.^(E)[c]

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 Though He was God’s Son, He learned obedience through 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 in the order of Melchizedek.

The Problem of Immaturity

¹¹ We have a great deal to say about this, and it’s 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 Regression

6 Therefore, leaving the elementary message about the Messiah, let us go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God,^{(K) 2} teaching about ritual washings,^[e] laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.^{(L) 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, became companions with the Holy Spirit,^{(M) 5} tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age, ⁶ and who have fallen away, because,^[f] to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding Him up to contempt.^{(N) 7} For ground that has drunk the rain that has often fallen on it and that produces vegetation useful to those it is cultivated for receives a blessing from God. ⁸ But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and will be burned at the end.^(O)

⁹ Even though we are speaking this way, dear friends, in your case we are confident of the better things connected with salvation. ¹⁰ For God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love^[g] you showed for His name when you served the saints—and you continue to serve them.^{(P) 11} Now we want each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the final realization of your hope, ¹² so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.^(Q)

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:

¹⁵ And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham^[i] obtained the promise. ¹⁶ For men 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,^{(S) 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.^{(T) 19} We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.^{(U) 20} Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner,^(V) because He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.^(W)