Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

6 So let us go on to grown-up teaching. Let us not go back over the beginning lessons we learned about Christ. We should not again start teaching about faith in God and about turning away from those acts that lead to death. ² We should not return to the teaching about baptisms,^[a] about laying on of hands,^[b] about the raising of the dead and eternal judgment. ³ And we will go on to grown-up teaching if God allows.

⁴ Some people cannot be brought back again to a changed life. They were once in God’s light, and enjoyed heaven’s gift, and shared in the Holy Spirit. ⁵ They found out how good God’s word is, and they received the powers of his new world. ⁶ But they fell away from Christ. It is impossible to bring them back to a changed life again, because they are nailing the Son of God to a cross again and are shaming him in front of others.

⁷ Some people are like land that gets plenty of rain. The land produces a good crop for those who work it, and it receives God’s blessings. ⁸ Other people are like land that grows thorns and weeds and is worthless. It is about to be cursed by God and will be destroyed by fire.

⁹ Dear friends, we are saying this to you, but we really expect better things from you that will lead to your salvation. ¹⁰ God is fair; he will not forget the work you did and the love you showed for him by helping his people. And he will remember that you are still helping them. ¹¹ We want each of you to go on with the same hard work all your lives so you will surely get what you hope for. ¹² We do not want you to become lazy. Be like those who through faith and patience will receive what God has promised.

¹³ God made a promise to Abraham. And as there is no one greater than God, he used himself when he swore to Abraham, ¹⁴ saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”^{[c] 15} Abraham waited patiently for this to happen, and he received what God promised.

¹⁶ People always use the name of someone greater than themselves when they swear. The oath proves that what they say is true, and this ends all arguing. ¹⁷ God wanted to prove that his promise was true to those who would get what he promised. And he wanted them to understand clearly that his purposes never change, so he made an oath. ¹⁸ These two things cannot change: God cannot lie when he makes a promise, and he cannot lie when he makes an oath. These things encourage us who came to God for safety. They give us strength to hold on to the hope we have been given. ¹⁹ We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong. It enters behind the curtain in the Most Holy Place in heaven, ²⁰ where Jesus has gone ahead of us and for us. He has become the high priest forever, a priest like Melchizedek.^[d]

The Priest Melchizedek

7 Melchizedek^[e] was the king of Salem and a priest for God Most High. He met Abraham when Abraham was coming back after defeating the kings. When they met, Melchizedek blessed Abraham, ² and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything he had brought back from the battle. First, Melchizedek’s name means “king of goodness,” and he is king of Salem, which means “king of peace.” ³ No one knows who Melchizedek’s father or mother was,^[f] where he came from, when he was born, or when he died. Melchizedek is like the Son of God; he continues being a priest forever.

⁴ You can see how great Melchizedek was. Abraham, the great father, gave him a tenth of everything that he won in battle. ⁵ Now the law says that those in the tribe of Levi who become priests must collect a tenth from the people—their own people—even though the priests and the people are from the family of Abraham. ⁶ Melchizedek was not from the tribe of Levi, but he collected a tenth from Abraham. And he blessed Abraham, the man who had God’s promises. ⁷ Now everyone knows that the more important person blesses the less important person. ⁸ Priests receive a tenth, even though they are only men who live and then die. But Melchizedek, who received a tenth from Abraham, continues living, as the Scripture says. ⁹ We might even say that Levi, who receives a tenth, also paid it when Abraham paid Melchizedek a tenth. ¹⁰ Levi was not yet born, but he was in the body of his ancestor when Melchizedek met Abraham.

¹¹ The people were given the law^[g] concerning the system of priests from the tribe of Levi, but they could not be made perfect through that system. So there was a need for another priest to come, a priest like Melchizedek, not Aaron. ¹² And when a different kind of priest comes, the law must be changed, too. ¹³ We are saying these things about Christ, who belonged to a different tribe. No one from that tribe ever served as a priest at the altar. ¹⁴ It is clear that our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses said nothing about priests belonging to that tribe.

Jesus Is like Melchizedek

¹⁵ And this becomes even more clear when we see that another priest comes who is like Melchizedek.^{[h] 16} He was not made a priest by human rules and laws but through the power of his life, which continues forever. ¹⁷ It is said about him,

¹⁸ The old rule is now set aside, because it was weak and useless. ¹⁹ The law of Moses could not make anything perfect. But now a better hope has been given to us, and with this hope we can come near to God. ²⁰ It is important that God did this with an oath. Others became priests without an oath, ²¹ but Christ became a priest with God’s oath. God said:

²² This means that Jesus is the guarantee of a better agreement^[i] from God to his people.

²³ When one of the other priests died, he could not continue being a priest. So there were many priests. ²⁴ But because Jesus lives forever, he will never stop serving as priest. ²⁵ So he is able always to save those who come to God through him because he always lives, asking God to help them.

²⁶ Jesus is the kind of high priest we need. He is holy, sinless, pure, not influenced by sinners, and he is raised above the heavens. ²⁷ He is not like the other priests who had to offer sacrifices every day, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people. Christ offered his sacrifice only once and for all time when he offered himself. ²⁸ The law chooses high priests who are people with weaknesses, but the word of God’s oath came later than the law. It made God’s Son to be the high priest, and that Son has been made perfect forever.