1For every high priest is taken from among the people and appointed to represent them before God, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He is able to deal compassionately with those who are ignorant and erring, since he also is subject to weakness, 3and for this reason he is obligated to make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. 4And no one assumes this honor on his own initiative, but only when called to it by God, as in fact Aaron was. 5So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming high priest, but the one who glorified him was God, who said to him, “You are my Son! Today I have fathered you,” 6as also in another place God says, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” 7During his earthly life Christ offered both requests 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 devotion. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience through the things he suffered. 9And by being perfected in this way, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10and he was designated by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

The Need to Move on to Maturity

11On this topic we have much to say and it is difficult to explain, since you have become sluggish in hearing. 12For though you should in fact be teachers by this time, you need someone to teach you the beginning elements of God’s utterances. You have gone back to needing milk, not solid food. 13For everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the message of righteousness, because he is an infant. 14But solid food is for the mature, whose perceptions are trained by practice to discern both good and evil.