Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

Jesus Our High Priest

3 Therefore, ^(A)holy brothers and sisters, partakers of a ^(B)heavenly calling, consider ^(C)the Apostle and ^(D)High Priest of our ^(E)confession: Jesus; ^2 [a]He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as ^(F)Moses also was in all His house. ^3 (G)For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. ⁴ For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. ⁵ Now ^(H)Moses was faithful in all ^[b]God’s house as ^(I)a servant, ^(J)for a testimony of those things ^(K)which were to be spoken later; ⁶ but Christ was faithful as ^(L)a Son over His house—^(M)whose house we are, ^(N)if we hold firmly to our ^(O)confidence and the boast of our ^[c](P)hope.

⁷ Therefore, just as ^(Q)the Holy Spirit says,

The Danger of Unbelief

^12 (X)Take care, brothers and sisters, that there will not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart ^[e]that falls away from ^(Y)the living God. ¹³ But ^(Z)encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the ^(AA)deceitfulness of sin. ¹⁴ For we have become partakers of Christ ^(AB)if we keep the beginning of our ^[f](AC)commitment firm until the end, ¹⁵ while it is said,

¹⁶ For who ^(AE)provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, ^(AF)did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? ¹⁷ And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, ^(AG)whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness? ¹⁸ And to whom did He swear ^(AH)that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were ^(AI)disobedient? ¹⁹ And so we see that they were not able to enter because of ^(AJ)unbelief.

The Believer’s Rest

4 Therefore, we must fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have ^(AK)come short of it. ² For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also did; but ^(AL)the word ^[h]they heard did not benefit them, because ^[i]they were not united with those who listened with faith. ³ For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said,

although His works were finished ^(AN)from the foundation of the world. ⁴ For He has said ^(AO)somewhere concerning the seventh day: “^(AP)And God ^(AQ)rested on the seventh day from all His works”; ⁵ and again in this passage, “^(AR)They certainly shall not enter My rest.” ⁶ Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who previously had good news preached to them failed to enter because of ^(AS)disobedience, ⁷ He again sets a certain day, “Today,” saying ^[j]through David after so long a time just ^(AT)as has been said before,

⁸ For ^(AV)if ^[k]Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. ⁹ Consequently, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. ¹⁰ For the one who has entered His rest has himself also ^(AW)rested from his works, as ^(AX)God did from His. ¹¹ Therefore let’s make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same ^(AY)example of ^(AZ)disobedience. ¹² For ^(BA)the word of God is ^(BB)living and ^(BC)active, and sharper than any two-edged ^(BD)sword, even penetrating as far as the division of ^(BE)soul and ^(BF)spirit, of both joints and marrow, and ^(BG)able to ^[l]judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ And ^(BH)there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are ^(BI)open and laid bare to the eyes of Him to whom ^[m]we must answer.

¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great ^(BJ)high priest who has ^(BK)passed through the heavens, Jesus ^(BL)the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our ^(BM)confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have ^(BN)a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been ^(BO)tempted in all things just as we are, yet ^(BP)without sin. ¹⁶ Therefore let’s ^(BQ)approach the throne of grace with ^(BR)confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.

The Perfect High Priest

5 For every high priest ^(BS)taken from among men is appointed on behalf of people in ^(BT)things pertaining to God, in order to ^(BU)offer both gifts and sacrifices ^(BV)for sins; ^2 [n](BW)he can deal gently with the ^(BX)ignorant and ^(BY)misguided, since he himself also is ^[o](BZ)clothed in weakness; ³ and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices ^(CA)for sins for himself, ^(CB)as well as for the people. ⁴ And ^(CC)no one takes the honor for himself, but receives it when he is called by God, just ^(CD)as Aaron also was.

⁵ So too Christ ^(CE)did not glorify Himself in becoming a ^(CF)high priest, but it was He who ^(CG)said to Him,

⁶ just as He also says in another passage,

⁷ In the days of ^[p]His humanity, ^[q](CK)He offered up both prayers and pleas with ^(CL)loud crying and tears to the One ^(CM)able to save Him ^[r]from death, and He ^[s]was heard because of His ^(CN)devout behavior. ⁸ Although He was ^(CO)a Son, He learned ^(CP)obedience from the things which He suffered. ⁹ And having been ^(CQ)perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him, ¹⁰ being designated by God as ^(CR)High Priest according to ^(CS)the order of Melchizedek.

¹¹ Concerning ^[t]him we have much to say, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become ^[u]poor listeners. ¹² For though ^[v]by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you ^(CT)the ^[w](CU)elementary principles of the ^(CV)actual words of God, and you have come to need ^(CW)milk and not solid food. ¹³ For everyone who partakes only of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is an ^(CX)infant. ¹⁴ But solid food is for ^(CY)the mature, who because of practice have their senses ^(CZ)trained to ^(DA)distinguish between good and evil.