College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
Hebrews 5:5-10
C.
Christ's qualifications for the priesthood. Hebrews 5:5-10.
Text
Hebrews 5:5 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:
Hebrews 5:6 as He saith also in another place,
Thou art a Priest for ever
After the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 5:7 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, Hebrews 5:8 though He was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which He suffered; Hebrews 5:9 and having been made perfect, He became unto all them that obey Him the Author of eternal salvation; Hebrews 5:10 named of God a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Paraphrase
Hebrews 5:5 So also the Christ did not glorify Himself by making Himself an High-priest, but He glorified Him with that office, Who, after His ascension into heaven, said to Him, My son Thou art; to-day I have demonstrated Thee to be My Son by raising Thee from the dead.
Hebrews 5:6 As also He glorified the Christ to be an High Priest, Who in another psalm saith to Him, Thou art a Priest for ever, according to the order of Melchizedek: Thou art a human Priest, not like Aaron, but Melchizedek.
Hebrews 5:7 Secondly, as an High Priest, He can commiserate the ignorant and erring. For though He be the Son of God, He was subject to the infirmity of the human nature, and particularly to the fear of death, as is plain from this, that He in the days of His flesh, having offered up both deprecations and supplications, with strong crying (Psalms 22:1) and tears, to Him Who was able to save Him from death, by raising Him from the dead; and being delivered from fear.
Hebrews 5:8 Although He was the Son of God, He learned how difficult obedience is to men, by the things which He suffered in the flesh while He obeyed God; and also what need men have of help to enable them to bear their trials and sufferings.
Hebrews 5:9 And being thus qualified to have a right measure of compassion on the ignorant and erring, He was made perfect as an High Priest; and He became, to all who obey Him, the Author of eternal salvation, by offering Himself a sacrifice for their sins:
Hebrews 5:10 As is evident from His being saluted by God, on His return from the earth, an High Priest, according to the order of Melchizedek.
Comment
So Christ also glorified not Himself to he made a High Priest
The devil offered Him glory, but He rejected it:
a.
He asked God to glorify Him. John 17:5: And now, Father, glorify Thou me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.
b.
He sought to glorify God:
1.
John 17:4; I have glorified Thee on earth: I have accomplished the work that Thou hast given me to do.
2.
John 8:50: I sought not My own glory.
c.
He exhibited the glory of God:
1.
John 1:14. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
2.
2 Corinthians 4:6: Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
3.
Hebrews 1:3: Who, being the effulgence of His glory. Christ was one who was willing to humble Himself, not to exalt Himself,
but he that spake unto Him
God planned for Christ to be High Priest. He said this in Psalms 2:7.
Thou art my Son. This day have I begotten Thee:
God prophetically called Jesus His Son. The word, begotten, does not refer to His origin but to His resurrection.
as he saith also in another place
This is found in Psalms 110 :
a.
This is one of the clearest of prophecies in the Psalms concerning Christ.
b.
The Jew applies this to David:
1.
This Psalm is applied to Christ by the apostles in Acts 2:34.
2.
This cannot apply to David. It was not lawful for kings to exercise the priesthood.
3.
Uzziah was meddling with an office that did not belong to him, so provoked God and was smitten with leprosy. 2 Chronicles 26:18.
Thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek
This is rare: He was both king and priest. The comparison here is the important thing:
a.
Aaron was temporaryChrist was eternal.
b.
Aaron's office was successivepassed on to his children. Melchizedek's and Christ's office was personal, non heriditary.
c.
Melchizedek's priesthood, then, is above Aaron's priesthood. Without father and mother is discussed in Hebrews 7.
a.
Matthew Henry says that this scripture is not to be taken literally. His genealogy is not given in order that he might be a type of Christ.
b.
Archeologists have found this expression inscribed on tablets of that era.
Forever means while time endures. When 1 Corinthians 15:24 is fulfilled, His office will no doubt end.
Who in the days of His flesh
While Christ was on the earth is meant:
a.
This word, who, does not refer to Melchizedek, but to Christ.
b.
It is obvious by Hebrews 5:8 that Jesus is meant.
Having offered up prayers
Arequest, petition is meant by the word, prayers:
a.
John 17: great prayers of oneness.
b.
He prayed before performing miracles.
c.
He prayed before going to the cross. Luke 22:40-44.
If Christ prayed, then surely we need to pray, yet few have callouses on their knees.
and supplications
Supplications are prayers prompted by a deep sense of need, and our own helplessness.
a.
When used separately, the words, prayer and supplications are used interchangeably.
b.
When used together, it means a prayer prompted by a deep sense of helplessness.
with strong crying and tears
This is to show the intensity of His grief. These are the outward symptoms of grief. Examples of it:
a.
Matthew 26:42: let this cup pass from Me.
b.
Matthew 27:46: My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?
unto Him that was able to save Him from death
He was not immediately delivered from death:
a.
He obtained what He prayed for when He came forth a conqueror.
1.
If the death referred to is physical death, God could have saved him. Angels could have saved Him. Matthew 26:53-54.
2.
God could not save Him and still carry out His purpose, See Matthew 26:53-54.
b.
God was able to do things not asked of Him by Christ. Death should be studied in the light of some prepositions:
a.
The preposition:
1.
from.
2.
out of.
b.
Newell says He did not ask God to save Him from dying, but to save Him out of death.
and having been heard
Did not God forsake Him?
a.
Yes, in order that the flesh could die.
b.
If we live in God, He must forsake us in order for us to die.
God heard his prayers, however, for Christ did not see corruption in the grave as do all others.
Newell says His prayer was for the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning Himself.
for his godly fear
Some interpret:
Having been heard for his piety.
He was heard by reason of His reverent submission.
Fear of responsibilities.
What was the object of His fear?
a.
Milligan: He had a heart to fear and tremble, like other men in view of great undertakings:
1.
The fact that Jesus told them to watch and pray lest they enter into temptation was proof of this.
2.
It was not fear of death, but fear of being unequal to the occasion.
b.
Matthew Henry says He was ready to sink under the heavy load of the world of sin and coming suffering. God heard His prayer and supported him in the agonies.
Though he was a son
IfGod's Son had to be obedient, may we expect special favors, namely the right to disobedience?
a.
May we impose upon God?
b.
May we alter His teachingclimb up some other way? Obedience is the natural thing for true family relationship.
yet He learned obedience
He was not driven to this by force:
a.
He was not trained to it like an oxen, but He willingly submitted.
b.
He learned it fully, for in a very special way He was called to deny himself.
Obedience made Him a consecrated one:
a.
Jesus was consecrated, sanctified to the office of priest by obedience.
b.
It was not a legal obedience, but an objective obedience.
by the things which he suffered
Obedience to the call of the cross was becoming obedient. Philippians 2:6-8: Suffered must refer to all the experiences of Christ while in the flesh.
and having been made perfect
The Greek word means sanctified as well as made perfect:
a.
His obedience further consecrated Him to His task.
b.
Nothing could make Christ move from His purpose. What is meant by the word, perfection?
a.
Newell: ... not moral perfection.
b.
The perfection refers to His humiliation and suffering, culminating at the cross. Luke 13:32: And He said unto them, Go and say to that fox, (Herod) behold I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I am perfected.
c.
Tested by every temptation.
He became unto all that obey Him
There is no room here for the false doctrine of only believe:
a.
We must obey, which is an imitation of Christ in obedience.
b.
The obedience of Christ to the cross made Him the Author of our salvation.
As Christ became Saviour by obedience, so we must be saved by obedience.
the Author of eternal salvation
Author is from the Greek word, cause:
a.
Cause is used to denote that which constitutes an occasion of action, A rock may crush a house, but there was something that moved the rock.
b.
Without Christ's cross there would be no blood for the remission of our sins, So Christ is our cause of salvation, In none other is there salvation. Acts 4:12.
Eternal salvation is the joy of all who will obey.
Named of God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek
Named of Godthe one Father appointed Him to the task. Named also means called of God, saluted, acknowledged.
When did His priesthood begin?
1.
Perhaps when He made purification for sins, which was the offering. Hebrews 7:28.
2.
After the offering, He went into the heavens to intercede at the throne of grace. Hebrews 7:25.
The order of Aaron was only for the duration of the Mosaic system, but the order of Melchizedek is forever.
a.
Melchizedek was singular in his office.
b.
He had no predecessors or successors to his office.
Study Questions
732.
According to verse five, did Christ seek the job of priest?
733.
Did the devil tempt Him to glorify himself?
734.
What does Hebrews 1:3 say concerning Christ's glory?
735.
When did God speak concerning Christ? Hebrews 5:5 b.
736.
Does Psalms 2:7 refer to the day that Christ was begotten physically of God?
737.
How do we know from other sources that this declaration refers to Christ, and not David? Cf. Acts 2:34.
738.
Were kings allowed to serve as priests under the Mosaic law?
739.
After what order was Christ?
740.
In what way?
741.
Was Melchizedek just a priest?
742.
In what ways could Christ's and Melchizedek's priesthood be forever?
743.
Was Aaron's priesthood a successive one?
744.
What is meant, who in the days of His flesh?
745.
Who is referred to, Christ or Melchizedek?
746.
Is the doctrine that Christ lived in the flesh of great importance?
747.
Did Christ offer up prayers?
748.
On what occasion?
749.
On whose behalf?
750.
Could they be considered priestly prayers?
751.
What are supplications?
752.
Are the words prayers and supplications synonymous?
753.
What is meant by, strong crying?
754.
On what occasion did Christ pray with tears?
755.
Was His grief prophesied?
756.
To Whom did Christ pray?
757.
Then are God and Christ two different persons?
758.
Could God save Christ from death?
759.
Why didn-'t He? Why did not Christ come down from the cross?
760.
Did God answer Christ's prayer?
761.
Did Christ's prayer concern death?
762.
Did Christ pray to be saved from death, or out of death?
763.
If it was death for which He prayed, why did He not ask for angels as He said He could do? Matthew 26:53-54.
764.
Why did flesh have to die?
765.
If God heard Him, as the text says, did not God answer His prayer?
766.
Did God forsake Him on the cross? Harmonize.
767.
What in the character of Christ caused God to hear Christ's prayer?
768.
Was Christ fearful? Discuss.
769.
What could have been an object of fear?
770.
Did He have a heart to fear and tremble as others have?
771.
If God's son had to be obedient, can we expect special favors?
772.
Can we expect to impose our will on God and make Him obedient to us?
773.
If God will save a man on man's terms, who is being obedient to whom?
774.
What is meant by, He learned obedience?
775.
Was He driven to it by force, or was it a sanctification to His office?
776.
Was it a legal obedience, or an objective that caused obedience?
777.
To what great act of obedience did Christ submit? See Philippians 2:5-11.
778.
What taught Him obedience?
779.
Would things He suffered refer to hardships only or all of the experiences in the flesh?
780.
What did He suffer?
781.
Define the meaning of the word translated perfect.
782.
Does having been made perfect refer to immediate or continuous action?
783.
Does made perfect refer to moral excellence?
784.
Would Luke 13:32 help to throw light on the question?
785.
Could it be proven perfect that the author has in mind?
786.
Did the testing of every temptation prove Him to be perfect?
787.
Could we say that He was proven to be sanctified?
788.
To whom does He prove to be the Author of salvation?
789.
If it is for men that obey Him, can the moral man expect salvation?
790.
Can the person who desires substitutes above obedience expect salvation?
791.
Is there room for only believe here?
792.
If we follow Christ, should we not follow the great virtue, the spirit of obedience?
793.
If Christ became our Saviour by obedience, must we not be obedient, for salvation to be ours?
794.
What is meant, the author?
795.
In what way is He the cause? Isn-'t God the great primary cause?
796.
How long is our salvation to last?
797.
What is meant by, named of God?
798.
What other word could be used than named?
799.
When did Christ's priestly work begin? Cf. Hebrews 7:28; Hebrews 7:25.
800.
Is it fair to name a beginning of the priesthood when it is after the order of one without beginning and end?
801.
Of what duration was the Mosaic priesthood?
802.
Why was Christ not named after the Aaronic priesthood?
803.
Was He of the proper tribe for the Aaronic one?