Hebrews 5

1 For every high priest is taken from among the peoplet and appointedt to represent them before God,t to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.2 He is able to deal compassionately with those who are ignorant and erring, since he also is subject to weakness,3 and for this reason he is obligated to make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people.4 And no one assumes this honors on his own initiative,t but only when called to it by God,t as in fact Aaron was.5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming high priest, but the one who glorified him was God,t who said to him, “You are my Son! Today I have fathered you,”ts6 as also in another place Godt says, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”s7 During his earthly lifet Christt offeredt both requests and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of his devotion.8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through the things he suffered.s9 And by being perfected in this way, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,

10 and he was designatedt by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek.s

The Need to Move on to Maturity

11 On this topic we have much to sayt and it is difficult to explain, since you have become sluggisht in hearing.12 For though you should in fact be teachers by this time,t you need someone to teach you the beginning elements of God’s utterances.t You have gone back to needingt milk, nots solid food.13 For everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the message of righteousness, because he is an infant.

14 But solid food is for the mature, whose perceptions are trained by practice to discern both good and evil.

HEBREWS 5

1 Every high priest is appointed to help others by offering gifts and sacrifices to God because of their sins. 2 A high priest has weaknesses of his own, and he feels sorry for foolish and sinful people. 3 t This is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins and for the sins of others.

4 t But no one can have the honor of being a high priest simply by wanting to be one. Only God can choose a priest, and God is the one who chose Aaron.

5  t This is how it was with Christ. He became a high priest, but not just because he wanted the honor of being one. It was God who told him,
“You are my Son, because today
I have become your Father!”

6  t In another place, God says,
“You are a priest forever
just like Melchizedek.”t
7  t God had the power to save Jesus from death. And while Jesus was on earth, he begged God with loud crying and tears to save him. He truly worshiped God, and God listened to his prayers. 8 Jesus is God's own Son, but still he had to suffer before he could learn what it really means to obey God. 9 Suffering made Jesus perfect, and now he can save forever all who obey him.

10 This is because God chose him to be a high priest like Melchizedek.

Warning against Turning Away