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Qualifications for high priesthood
1 Now every high priest taken from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins, 2 being able to deal gently*A gentle priest is a comfort. with those who sin in ignorance and go astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. 3 Because of this he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well, just as he does for the people's. 4 Also, no one receives this honor on his own, but upon being called by God, just like Aaron.†Aaron's descendants receive the honor by virtue of birth, not choice.
Christ meets the qualifications
5 So also Christ did not exalt Himself to become High Priest, but it was He[F] who said to Him[S],
“You are my Son;
today I have begotten You.”‡See Psalm 2:7.
6 Just as He[F] also says in another place,
“You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.ӤSee Psalm 110:4.
7 He[S], in the days of His flesh, having offered up both prayers and supplications, with a loud cry and tears, to the One who was able to save Him from death, and having been answered because of His godly fear,*I believe the reference is to Gethsemane. Note that there was a single loud (desperate?) cry (that should have roused the drowsy disciples). His anguish was so severe that Jesus literally passed blood through the pores in His skin—normally fatal (Luke 22:44). I suspect that the fear mentioned here was the fear that He would die prematurely, there in the garden. He came to die, certainly, but it had to be on the cross. So the Father sent angels to strengthen Him, to keep Him from dying prematurely. 8 although being SON, He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been completed†His qualifications to become High Priest were completed. As God, what could He know about suffering and obedience, except in theory? While in human form Jesus literally learned obedience—He had to feel it like we feel it. He became the Source of eternal salvation for all those obeying Him,‡That is what the Text says; we must obey Him. 10 having been designated by God as High Priest ‘according to the order of Melchizedek’; 11 concerning whom we have much to say, but it is hard to explain, since you have become sluggish in hearing.§The ‘difficulty’ is not so much in the subject matter, but in the spiritual condition of the hearers. This would seem to indicate that the author has a specific audience in view.
“Let's move on toward perfection”
12 Really, because although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary principles of God's oracles all over again; you have come to the point*The implication is that they are going backwards. of needing milk, not solid food! 13 Surely; whoever lives on milk is an infant, and therefore unskilled in the Word of righteousness. 14 On the other hand, solid food is for the mature, those who by habitual use have trained their senses to distinguish good from bad.†Expressions like “habitual use” and “trained their senses” indicate directed, conscious effort on our part.

*5:2 A gentle priest is a comfort.

†5:4 Aaron's descendants receive the honor by virtue of birth, not choice.

‡5:5 See Psalm 2:7.

§5:6 See Psalm 110:4.

*5:7 I believe the reference is to Gethsemane. Note that there was a single loud (desperate?) cry (that should have roused the drowsy disciples). His anguish was so severe that Jesus literally passed blood through the pores in His skin—normally fatal (Luke 22:44). I suspect that the fear mentioned here was the fear that He would die prematurely, there in the garden. He came to die, certainly, but it had to be on the cross. So the Father sent angels to strengthen Him, to keep Him from dying prematurely.

†5:9 His qualifications to become High Priest were completed. As God, what could He know about suffering and obedience, except in theory? While in human form Jesus literally learned obedience—He had to feel it like we feel it.

‡5:9 That is what the Text says; we must obey Him.

§5:11 The ‘difficulty’ is not so much in the subject matter, but in the spiritual condition of the hearers. This would seem to indicate that the author has a specific audience in view.

*5:12 The implication is that they are going backwards.

†5:14 Expressions like “habitual use” and “trained their senses” indicate directed, conscious effort on our part.

© 2016 Wilbur N. Pickering, ThM, PhD