Study Desk

and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins for himself also, as well as for the people.

And someone does not take for himself the honor, but is called by God, just as Aaron also was.

For indeed, although you ought to be teachers by this time, you have need of someone to teach you again the beginning elements of the oracles of God, and you have need of milk, not solid food.

For everyone who partakes of milk is unacquainted with the message of righteousness, because he is an infant.

But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have trained their faculties for the distinguishing of both good and evil.

For it is impossible concerning those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and become sharers of the Holy Spirit,

and having fallen away, to renew them again to repentance, because they have crucified again for themselves the Son of God and held him up to contempt.

For ground that drinks the rain that comes often upon it, and brings forth vegetation usable to those people for whose sake it is also cultivated, shares a blessing from God.

But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to a curse, whose end is for burning.

For God is not unjust, so as to forget your work and the love which you demonstrated for his name by having served the saints, and continuing to serve them.

And we desire each one of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the full assurance of your hope until the end,

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater to swear by, he swore by himself,

For people swear by what is greater than themselves, and the oath for confirmation is the end of all dispute for them.

in order that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge may have powerful encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us,

where Jesus, the forerunner for us, entered, because he became a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God—he remains a priest for all time.

For he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

Thus if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood, for on the basis of it the people received the law, what further need is there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek and not said to be according to the order of Aaron?

For when the priesthood changes, of necessity there is a change of the law also.