1* Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.* 2He is able to deal patiently* with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset by weakness 3and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people.a 4No one takes this honor upon himself but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.b 5In the same way, it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest, but rather the one who said to him:

6just as he says in another place:*

7In the days when he was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death,* and he was heard because of his reverence.e 8Son though he was,* he learned obedience from what he suffered;f 9and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him,g 10declared by God high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.h

IV. Jesus’ Eternal Priesthood and Eternal Sacrifice

Exhortation to Spiritual Renewal. 11* About this we have much to say, and it is difficult to explain, for you have become sluggish in hearing. 12Although you should be teachers by this time, you need to have someone teach you again the basic elements of the utterances of God. You need milk, [and] not solid food.i 13Everyone who lives on milk lacks experience of the word of righteousness, for he is a child. 14But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties are trained by practice to discern good and evil.