Hebrews 5: A Priest Like Melchizedek
Christ did not seize the priesthood but was appointed by God in the order of Melchizedek, though the readers have grown dull and need to mature.
Hebrews 5 (WEB)
1 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 The high priest can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, because he himself is also surrounded with weakness.
3 Because of this, he must offer sacrifices for sins for the people, as well as for himself.
4 Nobody takes this honor on himself, but he is called by God, just like Aaron was.
5 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 As he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”
7 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 though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered.
9 Having been made perfect, he became to all of those who obey him the author of eternal salvation,
10 named by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
11 About him we have many words to say, and hard to interpret, seeing you have become dull of hearing.
12 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 oracles of God. You have come to need milk, and not solid food.
13 For everyone who lives on milk is not experienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby.
14 But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.
Hebrews 5 (KJV)
1 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:
2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.
3 And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.
4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Hebrews 5 (ASV)
1 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 who can bear gently with the ignorant and erring, for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity;
3 and by reason thereof is bound, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.
4 And no man taketh the honor unto himself, but when he is called of God, even as was Aaron.
5 So Christ also glorified not himself to be made a high priest, but he that spake unto him, Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten thee:
6 as he saith also in another place, Thou art 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 unto him that was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear,
8 though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered;
9 and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation;
10 named of God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard of interpretation, seeing ye are become dull of hearing.
12 For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food.
13 For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe.
14 But solid food is for fullgrown men, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.
Summary
The writer explains what a high priest is for: chosen from among men, appointed to represent them before God, and offering gifts and sacrifices for sins. Because he is himself weak, the earthly high priest can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, but he must also offer sacrifices for his own sins, and no one takes this honor for himself—he is called by God, as Aaron was. So too Christ did not exalt himself to become high priest; God appointed him, saying, “You are my Son,” and “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” In the days of his flesh Jesus offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly reverence. Though he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered, and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, named by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. About this Melchizedek the writer has much to say, but it is hard to explain because his readers have become dull of hearing. By now they ought to be teachers, yet they need someone to teach them again the basic principles of God's word; they have come to need milk and not solid food. Anyone living on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, an infant, while solid food is for the mature, whose faculties are trained by practice to discern good and evil.
Key Figures
- Christ the high priest — Appointed by God, not self-exalted, who offered prayers with loud cries and tears, learned obedience through suffering, and became the source of eternal salvation.
- Melchizedek — The ancient priestly order, after which Christ is named a priest forever, introduced here and explained more fully in chapter seven.
- The immature readers — Believers who should be teachers by now but have become dull of hearing, needing milk rather than the solid food of maturity.
Key Verse
Hebrews 5:9 (WEB)
Having been made perfect, he became to all of those who obey him the author of eternal salvation,
Lessons Learned
- Priesthood is a calling from God, not an honor seized for oneself.
- Even as the Son, Jesus prayed with loud cries and tears and learned obedience through suffering.
- Christ is the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.
- Spiritual immaturity leaves us dull and unable to handle the deeper truths of God.
- True priesthood is appointed, not grasped. “Nobody takes this honor on himself, but he is called by God” (Hebrews 5:4, WEB). Christ too was named high priest by the Father, not by his own ambition.
- The Son entered our struggle in prayer. He offered “prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears” (Hebrews 5:7, WEB). Our Savior knows what it is to wrestle before God in anguish.
- Obedience was learned through suffering. “Though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8, WEB). His perfect path of obedience was forged in real hardship.
- Maturity comes through practice. Solid food is for those “who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14, WEB). Growth requires using and applying what we know.
- What does the writer say a high priest is for, and how does Christ fulfill that role (5:1-5)?
- What does it mean that Jesus “learned obedience” through suffering even though he was the Son (5:8)?
- Why does the writer pause to rebuke his readers for being “dull of hearing” (5:11)?
- What is the difference between spiritual “milk” and “solid food” (5:12-14)?
- In what area of your faith have you stalled, and what would moving toward maturity look like?
- A high priest represents people before God, offering sacrifices and dealing gently with sinners, and he must be appointed by God (5:1-5). Christ perfectly fulfills this: divinely appointed, fully sympathetic through his own suffering, and offering the perfect sacrifice. He is the priest every earlier priest only pointed toward.
- Jesus did not move from disobedience to obedience—he was always sinless—but he experienced obedience in the costly arena of suffering, fully proving and completing his human submission (5:8). This shows a Savior who walked the hard road of trust, qualifying him to save and to sympathize.
- He has profound truths about Melchizedek to share, but the readers' sluggishness blocks them, so he interrupts to confront their immaturity (5:11). The rebuke is meant to wake them. Note that growth is partly our responsibility; dullness can set in when we stop pressing on.
- Milk is the basic, foundational teaching suitable for new believers; solid food is the deeper truth that mature, practiced believers can digest (5:12-14). The concern is not that milk is bad but that they should have moved beyond it. Maturity is marked by trained discernment of good and evil.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to identify where their growth has plateaued and one practice—study, obedience, service—that could move them forward. As leader, encourage rather than scold, since the goal is to press on, not to induce shame over slow progress.