Hebrews 5
CHAPTER 5
For every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness; 3 and because of it, he is required to offer sacrifices both for his sins and also for the sins of the people. 4 And no one takes this honour to himself, but only when he is called by God, even as was Aaron. 5 So Christ also did not glorify himself to become a high priest, but He that spoke to him: You are my Son. This day have I begotten you. 6 As also He said elsewhere: You are a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek. 7 Who in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to Him that was able to save him from death, and was heard for his Godly fear; 8 though he was a Son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, he became to all those that obey him the author of eternal salvation, 10 pronounced by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Spiritual growth, from milk to meat
11 Of him we have much to say and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For when by reason of the time, you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God; and have become as those in need of milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone that partakes of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food is for the mature, those who by experience of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.
Commentary
5:2 As stressed in 4:15,16, the atonement ‘works’ because Jesus in His mortal life was “subject to weakness” as we are; therefore He wasn’t God.
5:7-9 Jesus prayed to God, and needed saving from death. He was therefore not God. He ‘learnt’ obedience and was ‘perfected’ by His sufferings. Such language is inappropriate to God Himself.
5:12-14 When we are baptized, we are “born again” (Jn. 3:3-5), and drink milk; but we should develop over time so that we are able to move on from basic Gospel teachings [“milk”] to deeper things.
