Christ, the great High Priest, is compared to Aaron, the first high priest
Hebrews 5:1-14
- What did it mean to the original reader or original audience?
Summarize the main story: Describe the events of the scriptural story in your own words.
Review and retell the story.
#People = Melchizedek, Jesus Christ, Aaron, The author of Hebrews (unknown), Hebrew Christians
#Time =
#Place = None are explicitly mentioned in this chapter.
#Obedient faith =
#Sin =
#Key Idea =
1For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
5So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”;
6as he says also in another place,
“You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek.”
7In the days of his flesh, Jesusa offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Warning Against Apostasy
11About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 5:1-10 establishes Jesus as the heavenly high priest and explains how he fulfills that role under the old covenant system:
- Every
high priest is appointed for men in matters related to God, to offer gifts
and sacrifices for sins [v.1].
- The
high priest can show compassion on those who are ignorant and going
astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness [v.2].
- No man
takes this honor upon himself, but he is called by God, as Aaron was
[v.4].
This establishes the principle that the high priest serves
as a representative between God and humanity, with compassion and understanding
for those who are weak or erring.
Jesus as the Perfect High Priest
The passage then contrasts this with Jesus' role as the
perfect high priest:
- Christ
did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but was declared to be a
priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek [v.5-6].
- Jesus
was perfected through suffering and resurrection, becoming the author of
eternal salvation for all who obey Him [v.9].
- He was
called by God as High Priest "according to the order of
Melchizedek" [v.10].
Key points here are that Jesus' priesthood is based on
divine appointment, not human achievement, and that He is perfected and
empowered to save eternally.
The Need for Spiritual Maturity
Finally, the passage addresses the spiritual immaturity of
the audience:
- By now
they should be teachers, but they need someone to teach them again the
first principles of God's oracles [v.12-13].
- This
reflects their lack of spiritual growth and maturity.
In summary, the passage contrasts the imperfect human high
priesthood with Jesus' perfect divine priesthood, emphasizing His
qualifications and authority as our High Priest. It also highlights the
spiritual immaturity of the audience, calling them to greater spiritual growth
and understanding.
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
5:11–14 The author emphasizes the importance of understanding the basic truths that undergird the Christian faith. These Jewish Christians were immature. The letter’s recipients were making slow progress on the path to spiritual maturity (v. 12). Some of them should have been teaching others, but they had not even applied the basics to their own lives. They were reluctant to move beyond age-old traditions, established doctrines, and discussion of the basics. They wouldn’t be able to understand the high-priestly role of Christ unless they moved out of their comfortable position, cut some of their Jewish ties, and stopped trying to blend in with their culture. Commitment to Christ moves people out of their comfort zones.
5:11 this May refer to the priesthood of Jesus or Melchizedek (see 7:1–9).
5:12 elementary truths of God The Greek term used here probably refers to the OT Scriptures in general or prophecy in particular (e.g., Acts 7:38; Rom 3:2; 1 Pet 4:11).
5:12 milk, not solid food A common metaphor for levels of teaching or instruction (e.g., 1 Cor 3:1–4)—the author calls his audience to Christian maturity. To grow from infant Christians to mature Christians, we must learn discernment. We must train our conscience, our senses, our mind, and our body to distinguish good from evil. Can you recognize temptation before it traps you? Can you tell the difference between a correct use of Scripture and a mistaken one?
5:13 message of righteousness This expression could refer to sound ethical teaching, general Christian teachings, the doctrine of righteousness through Christ, or Israel’s Scriptures.
5:13 infant The NT metaphorically employs the image of an infant in reference to those who need correction (1 Cor 3:1–3), highlighting the need to grow in Christian maturity (Gal 4:1–6; Eph 4:13–16).
5:14 Our capacity to feast on deeper knowledge of God (“solid food”) is determined by our spiritual growth. Too often we want God’s banquet before we are spiritually capable of digesting it. As you grow in the Lord and put into practice what you have learned, your capacity to understand will also grow.
5:14 mature The Greek word here, teleios, is used metaphorically for those who are morally and spiritually prepared (see 1 Cor 2:6). They are complete and whole, an extension of the meaning of teleios.
Maturity =Heb 6:1–3; 10:14; 12:1–2; 1 Cor 2:6; 3:1–3; 14:20; 2 Cor 13:9–11; Eph 4:11–16; Col 4:12; 1 Pet 2:1–3 = The author of Hebrews was concerned with the spiritual immaturity of his audience. He wanted to give them real spiritual meat, but they were acting like spiritual babies who needed basic nourishment rather than deeper teaching (5:13). They had not been listening to the word of God. They had been believers long enough to be teaching others (5:12), but a growing insensitivity had rendered them spiritually dull (5:11; cp. 1 Cor 3:1–3). They lacked the maturity to discern the basic difference between right and wrong (5:14).
The author challenged them to move on to maturity so he could present them with deeper truths of the faith (6:1–3). As elsewhere in the NT, maturity in Hebrews has to do with one’s ability to discern spiritual truth (1 Cor 2:6). Christians are exhorted to be mature in their thinking (1 Cor 14:20). The body of Christ is growing to maturity through the equipping of believers and by growing in the knowledge of the Son of God (Eph 4:11–16). The result is a united community of faith in which love and truth further build-up of the body of Christ.
Spiritual maturity is not an automatic result of time. It results from focused listening to the word of God and living out that word in fellowship with the community.
5:14 trained Mature believers train themselves by constant practice. They are to be trained in godliness (Heb 12:11; compare 1 Tim 4:7).
5:14 their faculties A metaphor for a person’s entire being: heart, mind, and soul (Jer 4:19; 4 Macc 2:22).
5:14 distinguishing of both good and evil Describes the mark of Christian maturity (compare 2 Pet 2:14; see Deut 1:39; Isa 7:16).
EDUCATION, Qualified Teachers—Not all church members are qualified to be teachers. Many are immature in the faith. They have not learned to live righteous lives or discuss mature questions. All Christians need to mature in the faith so they can distinguish good from evil. Maturity comes from constant study and practice of the faith. Each Christian with teaching gifts should exercise those gifts at the present stage of maturity while seeking constantly greater knowledge and maturity.
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- What transformative move needs to be made?
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Take Away Challenges
What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?
Whom do you know who needs to hear this?
What is God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What beliefs, thoughts, or actions need to be addressed or changed?
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