CHAPTER 5

(A.D. 64)

MELCHISEDEC

¹For every High Priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God (from among men pertains to the frailty of men), that he may offer both Gifts and Sacrifices for sins (the Gifts referred to Thank-Offerings, while the Sacrifices referred to certain animals being offered, all types of Christ):

²Who can have compassion on the ignorant (refers to having feelings for those on whose behalf he officiates), and on them who are out of the way (refers to those who have sinned, and who know they have sinned); for that He Himself also is compassed with infirmity. (This refers to the condition of all men, even the High Priest in the old Judaistic economy.)

³And by reason hereof he ought (refers to the very purpose of his office, which is to offer Sacrifice for sins), as for the people (proclaims the High Priest serving as a Mediator), so also for himself, to offer for sins. (This refers to the fact that he was a sinful man as well, and had to offer a Sacrifice even for himself, which would make Atonement that would provide reconciliation with God.)

⁴And no man takes this honour unto himself, but he who is called of God, as was Aaron. (Under the Old Law, the only ones who could offer Sacrifices were Priests, who had to be sons of Aaron, and whose order was ordained by God and not man.)

⁵So also Christ Glorified not Himself to be made an High Priest (proclaims the fact that this was no personal ambition on the Messiahs part that resulted in Him becoming a High Priest, but rather the fact that God called Him to that position); but He who said unto Him, You are My Son, today have I begotten You. (The Priesthood of Christ was planned by God from the very beginning, which meant the Incarnation was absolutely necessary.)

⁶As He said also in another place(Ps. 110:4), You are a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. (This is the distinguishing characteristic of this order of Priesthood, and proclaims it as an Eternal One.)

⁷Who in the days of His flesh (proclaims the Incarnation of Christ), when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him (presents the prayer-life of the Master) Who was able to save Him from death (presents the prayer for Resurrection), and was heard (proclaims the fact that God heard and answered His Prayer) in that He feared (the picture in the word feared is that of a cautious taking hold of, and a careful and respectful handling; it is Christ taking into account all things, not only His Own desire, but the Will of the Father);

⁸Though He were a Son (stresses Deity, but at the same time the role of Christ as Son of Man), yet learned He obedience (doesnt mean He had to learn to obey, for that would mean He had sinned; it means He actively sought out the path of obedience, and then unfailingly walked therein) by the things which He suffered (concerned the entire course of His Life, but more so the Cross);

⁹And being made perfect (refers to being brought to the goal fixed by God, which had to be if He was to be the Perfect Sacrifice), He became the Author of Eternal Salvation (proclaims a perfect Salvation, because He was and is the Perfect Redeemer, because He was the Perfect Sacrifice) unto all them who obey Him (we obey Him by exhibiting Faith in the Cross, which then gives the Holy Spirit latitude to work; this Truth was given to Paul [Rom. 6:3-5, 11, 14; Gal. 1:11-12]);

¹⁰Called of God an High Priest (the Title is conferred on Him by God the Father) after the order of Melchisedec. (Christ was not to be a great High Priest merely for the Jews, but for the Gentiles as well; in order for this to be, His Priesthood would have to rest in something other than the Levitical Order; being after the Order of Melchisedec satisfied both demands, because Melchisedec preceded Israel as a people [Gen. 14:18-20; Ps. 110:4].)

FAITH

¹¹Of Whom we have many things to say (refers to Christ), and hard to be uttered (his difficulty was in adapting the interpretation to the capacity of his readers), seeing you are dull of hearing. (These Jewish Christians were slow and sluggish regarding their understanding of the teaching of New Testament Truth. This made it difficult to teach them.)

¹²For when for the time you ought to be teachers (refers to the fact that they had been saved long enough to be mature in the Word by now), you have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God (pertains to the Old Testament and what it really meant, instead of the way it was being erroneously taken by these Christian Jews); and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat (refers to their lack of maturity).

¹³For every one who uses milk (doesnt refer to one who has just been saved, but rather to those who have been saved for quite some time, and should have advanced in the Word of the Lord)is unskilful in the Word of Righteousness (refers to the benefits of the Cross, from which Righteousness is derived): for he is a babe. (This refers to the individual who does not understand or know all the benefits of what Jesus did at the Cross.)

¹⁴But strong meat belongs to them who are of full age (refers to those mature in the Lord), even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Such a person is walking after the Spirit. This refers to placing ones Faith in the Cross and not after the flesh, the flesh refers to depending on other things [Rom. 8:1-2, 11].)