Hebrews 5

Hebrews 5 continues the line of thought from the end of chapter 4, which introduced Jesus as a "great high priest." The chapter explains the qualifications of a high priest and then applies them to Christ. An exhortation begins at verse 11 and continues into chapter 6.

Outline

• Verses 1–4 A high priest is taken from among men and offers gifts and sacrifices for sins. Because he himself is subject to weakness, he can bear gently with the ignorant and with those who have gone astray, and he must also offer sacrifices for his own sins. Only one called by God, as Aaron was, takes this honorable office.
• Verses 5–6 Christ likewise did not take this glory upon himself. God called him "my Son" (Psalm 2:7) and declared him a priest forever after the order (line) of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4).
• Verses 7–10 In the days of his flesh, Christ offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears. Though he was a Son, he learned obedience through suffering and was made perfect, becoming the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him.
• Verses 11–14 The author says he has much to say about Melchizedek, but the readers are "dull of hearing." He rebukes them for having become people who need milk: at a time when they ought to be teachers, they need to be taught the first principles again.

Key Verses

• Hebrews 5:6 "Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." The argument concerning Melchizedek in chapter 7 begins here.
• Hebrews 5:8–9 "Yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect..." This is a representative passage on the humanity and suffering of Christ.
• Hebrews 5:14 "But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age." This verse is frequently cited in discussions of spiritual maturity.

People and Places

• Jesus Christ — presented as the high priest called by God.
• Aaron — the brother of Moses and the first high priest of Israel.
• Melchizedek — the king of Salem and priest of God who appears in Genesis 14.
• No places are mentioned in this chapter.

Points for Reflection

• The "strong crying and tears" of verse 7 are commonly read as a reference to the prayer in Gethsemane. Because the text does not specify the scene, however, some interpreters take it as referring to Christ's prayers throughout his earthly life.
• The phrase "made perfect" in verse 9 is commonly understood not as the correction of a moral defect but as the completion of Christ's qualification as high priest. This interpretation is considered alongside "yet without sin" in Hebrews 4:15.
• The high priest's offering "for his own sins" in verse 3 is contrasted with Christ in Hebrews 7:27. Verses 1–4 are cited in Catholic teaching on the ministerial priesthood, while in Protestantism they are invoked in discussions of Christ's unique high priesthood and the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers.
• The metaphor of milk and solid food resembles 1 Corinthians 3:1–2.

In Korean Churches

Verses 7–9 are often used as a sermon text during Holy Week. Verses 12–14 are frequently cited in discipleship training and Bible studies on spiritual maturity.