Hebrews Chapter 5
1 For every high priest, being taken from amongst men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.
2 The high priest can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, because he himself is also surrounded with weakness.
3 Because of this, he must offer sacrifices for sins for the people, as well as for himself.
4 Nobody takes this honour on himself, but he is called by God, just like Aaron was.
5 So also Christ didn't glorify himself to be made a high priest, but it was he who said to him, "You are my Son. Today I have become your father."
6 As he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek."
7 He, in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear,
8 though he was a Son, yet learnt obedience by the things which he suffered.
9 Having been made perfect, he became to all of those who obey him the author of eternal salvation,
10 named by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
11 About him we have many words to say, and hard to interpret, seeing you have become dull of hearing.
12 For although by this time you should be teachers, you again need to have someone teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the revelations of God. You have come to need milk, and not solid food.
13 For everyone who lives on milk is not experienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby.
14 But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.
Footnotes
- Verse 5
- Psalm 2:7
- Verse 6
- Psalm 110:4
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Hebrews Chapter 5 Guide
The writer proceeded with the same argument as he instituted a contrast. The two essential qualifications of a priest are capacity for sympathy, and the vocation of God. These are perfectly fulfilled in Christ, who is appointed by God to Priesthood after the order of Melchisedek. His sympathy is demonstrated by the declarations concerning Him that through "prayers," "supplications," "strong crying," "tears," He entered into all human experiences, and learned obedience through the things which He suffered. It should be noted that this does not mean that He learned to be obedient, but that He entered into the experience of obedience. Through this process He became "the Author of eternal salvation."
Having thus introduced the great subject, the writer declared his sense of the difficulty he experienced in dealing with it, because his readers were dull of hearing, having to be taught when they should be teaching, having to be fed with milk when they should be receiving solid food.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Hebrews Chapter 5 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- The office and duty of a high priest abundantly answered in Christ. -- (1-10)
- The Christian Hebrews reproved for their little progress in the knowledge of the gospel. -- (11-14)
Verses 1-10
The High Priest must be a man, a partaker of our nature. This shows that man had sinned. For God would not suffer sinful man to come to him alone. But every one is welcome to God, that comes to him by this High Priest; and as we value acceptance with God, and pardon, we must apply by faith to this our great High Priest Christ Jesus, who can intercede for those that are out of the way of truth, duty, and happiness; one who has tenderness to lead them back from the by-paths of error, sin, and misery. Those only can expect assistance from God, and acceptance with him, and his presence and blessing on them and their services, that are called of God. This is applied to Christ. In the days of his flesh, Christ made himself subject to death: he hungered: he was a tempted, suffering, dying Jesus. Christ set an example, not only to pray, but to be fervent in prayer. How many dry prayers, how few wetted with tears, do we offer up to God! He was strengthened to support the immense weight of suffering laid upon him. There is no real deliverance from death but to be carried through it. He was raised and exalted, and to him was given the power of saving all sinners to the uttermost, who come unto God through him. Christ has left us an example that we should learn humble obedience to the will of God, by all our afflictions. We need affliction, to teach us submission. His obedience in our nature encourages our attempts to obey, and for us to expect support and comfort under all the temptations and sufferings to which we are exposed. Being made perfect for this great work, he is become the Author of eternal salvation to all that obey him. But are we of that number?
Verses 11-14
Dull hearers make the preaching of the gospel difficult, and even those who have some faith may be dull hearers, and slow to believe. Much is looked for from those to whom much is given. To be unskilful, denotes want of experience in the things of the gospel. Christian experience is a spiritual sense, taste, or relish of the goodness, sweetness, and excellence of the truths of the gospel. And no tongue can express the satisfaction which the soul receives, from a sense of Divine goodness, grace, and love to it in Christ.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.