1 E very Jewish religious leader is chosen from among men. He is a helper standing between God and men. He gives gifts on the altar in worship to God from the people. He gives blood from animals for the sins of the people.

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 A Jewish religious leader is weak in many ways because he is just a man himself. He knows how to be gentle with those who know little. He knows how to help those who are doing wrong.

The high priest can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, because he himself is also surrounded with weakness.

3 B ecause he is weak himself, he must give gifts to God for his own sins as well as for the sins of the people.

Because of this, he must offer sacrifices for sins for the people, as well as for himself.

4 A Jewish religious leader does not choose this honor for himself. God chooses a man for this work. Aaron was chosen this way. Christ Is Our Religious Leader Who Has Made the Way for Man to Go to God

Nobody takes this honor on himself, but he is called by God, just like Aaron was.

5 I t is the same way with Christ. He did not choose the honor of being a Religious Leader Who has made the way for man to go to God. Instead, God said to Christ, “You are My Son. Today I have become Your Father.”

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 G od says in another part of His Word, “You will be a Religious Leader forever. You will be like Melchizedek.”

As he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”

7 D uring the time Jesus lived on earth, He prayed and asked God with loud cries and tears. Jesus’ prayer was to God Who was able to save Him from death. God heard Christ because Christ honored God.

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 E ven being God’s Son, He learned to obey by the things He suffered.

though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered.

9 A nd having been made perfect, He planned and made it possible for all those who obey Him to be saved from the punishment of sin.

Having been made perfect, he became to all of those who obey him the author of eternal salvation,

10 I n God’s plan He was to be a Religious Leader Who made the way for man to go to God. He was like Melchizedek. Do Not Fall Back Into Sin

named by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

11 T here is much we could say about this, but it is hard to make you understand. It is because you do not want to hear well.

About him we have many words to say, and hard to interpret, seeing you have become dull of hearing.

12 B y now you should be teachers. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the first things you need to know from God’s Word. You still need milk instead of solid food.

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 A nyone who lives on milk cannot understand the teaching about being right with God. He is a baby.

For everyone who lives on milk is not experienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby.

14 S olid food is for full-grown men. They have learned to use their minds to tell the difference between good and bad.

But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.