Hebrews 5 - Introduction

THERE are three general parts of this chapter;

First, A description of the office and duties of a high priest, Hebrews 5:1-4.

Secondly, The application of this general description unto the person and priesthood of Jesus Christ in particular, Hebrews 5:5-10.

Thirdly, An occasional diversion into a reproof of and expostulation with the Hebrews, for and about their backwardness in learning the mysteries of the gospel, begun in this, and carried on in the beginning of the next chapter, Hebrews 5:11-14.

In the First part, the general description of a high priest is given:

1. From his original; he is “taken from among men.”

2. From the nature of his office; he is “ordained for men in things pertaining to God.”

3. From the especial end of it; to “offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins,” Hebrews 5:1.

4. From the qualification of his person for the discharge of his office; for he must be one that “can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way:” whereunto is subjoined the ground of that qualification; for “he himself also is compassed with infirmity,” Hebrews 5:2.

5. From the continual duty arising from his office and personal qualification for it, in respect of others and himself; for “by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins,” Hebrews 5:3.

6. From his call to his office: which is,

(1.) Asserted to be from God, “And no man taketh this honor to himself, but he that is called of God;”

(2.) Exemplified in the instance of Aaron's, “As was Aaron,” Hebrews 5:4.

Secondly, The ἀπόδοσις, or “application” of this description unto the person of Jesus Christ (which is the second part of the chapter), is not to show an exact conformity thereunto, as though all things should be the same, and even or equal, in the high priest which he had described and him whom he would now represent unto them. This would have been contrary to the design of the apostle. For the description he hath given us of a high priest is of him, or such a one as the Hebrews had under the law; and his purpose was to show them how much more excellent a priest he was of whom he treated. There must, therefore, of necessity be sundry differences between them. Wherefore, in the application of this description of a legal high priest unto the person and office of Christ, three things (as we shall show afterwards in particular) the apostle aimeth at:

1. To demonstrate that there was nothing essentially requisite unto the constituting of any one to be a high priest, or in the discharge of that office, but it was found in and agrees unto the Lord Jesus Christ;

2. Whatever was of weakness or infirmity in the high priest of old, on the account of his infirm and frail condition, that Jesus Christ was free from;

3. That he had in this office several pre-eminences and advantages which the old high priest was not partaker of or sharer in: which things will in our progress be explained.

Hence the application made by the apostle of the precedent description is not to be expected such as should exactly correspond with it in all particulars. Wherefore,

1. By a ὕστερον πρότερον, he insisteth first, in the application, on the last instance of his description, namely, the call of a high priest. And this as to the person of Christ is expressed,

(1.) Negatively, “He glorified not himself to be made a priest:”

(2.) Positively, it was of God; which he proves by a double testimony, one from Psalms 2:7, the other from Psalms 110:4-6.

2. On the discharge of his office whereunto he was so called of God:

which he describes,

(1.) From the season of it; “it was in the days of his flesh:”

(2.) The manner of its performance; “he offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears:

(3.) The general issue of it; he “was heard in that he feared,” Hebrews 5:7.

3. He proceeds by the anticipation of an objection, and therein the declaration of a singular pre-eminence that he had above all other priests, with the love and condescension with which the discharge of his office was accompanied; together with the great benefit which ensued thereon: “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.” Hebrews 5:8.

4. The glorious end of his priesthood, manifesting the incomparable excellency of it above that of Aaron, is expressed Hebrews 5:9. All issuing,

5. In a summary description of his call and office, as he intends afterwards to enlarge upon them, Hebrews 5:10.

The third part of the chapter contains a diversion unto a reproof of and expostulation with the Hebrews, about the things concerning which he intended to treat with them: wherein is expressed,

1. The occasion; and that,

(1.) On the part of the things which he treated about, not absolutely, but with respect unto them, “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered;”

(2.) On their part, “Seeing that ye are dull of hearing,” Hebrews 11:2. This fault of theirs, occasioning their reproof, is aggravated,

(1.) From the means and advantages to the contrary which they had enjoyed, Hebrews 5:12;

(2.) By a particular elegant description of the nature of that weakness, evil, and defect which he blamed in them, Hebrews 5:12-13;

(3.) By a declaration of the contrary virtue, the want whereof in them he complains of, Hebrews 5:14.

This is the substance of the discourses of this chapter, considered apart by themselves. We must also inquire into their relation unto those foregoing, and the design of the apostle in them, which is twofold; for,

First, They have respect unto his general purpose and aim. And herein they contain an entrance into a full and particular description of the sacerdotal office of Christ, with the excellency of it, and the benefits which thereby redound unto the church. This was the principal intention of the apostle in the writing of this epistle; for besides the excellency of the doctrine hereof in itself, and the inestimable benefits which the whole church receiveth thereby, it was peculiarly for many reasons necessary for the Hebrews, as hath been showed. Wherefore in the first chapter he lays down a description of the person of Christ, which, under the new testament, is vested with all those sacred offices in and over the church of God which were typically exercised by others under the old. Of these, in the following Chapter s he more particularly treats of his kingly and prophetical; comparing him therein with Moses and Joshua, showing in sundry instances his pre-eminence above them. He had also by the way interserted several things concerning his sacerdotal office, with a general description whereof, and declaration of the advantage of the church thereby, he closeth the foregoing chapter.

In all these things it was the purpose of the apostle not to handle them absolutely, but with respect unto that exercise of them which, by God's appointment, was in use in the church of the Hebrews under the old testament; for that the nature of his treaty with them did require. And herein he effected two things, both apposite unto his principal end; for,

1. He declares what it was in all those institutions which God intended to instruct them in, seeing they were all “shadows of good things to come.” So he lets them know that whatever esteem they had of them, and however they rested in them, they were not appointed for their own sakes, but only for a time, to foresignify what was now, in the person and mediation of Christ, actually and really exhibited unto them.

2. He makes it evident how exceedingly the way and worship of God which they were now called unto, and made partakers of under the gospel, did excel those which before they were intrusted with; whence the conclusion was easy and unavoidable, unto the necessity of their stead-. fastness in the profession of the gospel, the principal thing aimed at in the whole.

On these grounds, the apostle undertaketh a comparison between the priesthood of Aaron and his successors and that of Jesus Christ, which was prefigured thereby. And this he doth with respect unto both the ends mentioned; for, first, he shows them how they were of old instructed in the nature and use of that priesthood which, according to the promise of God, was to be introduced and erected in the church in the person of his Son. Hence he lays down sundry things which they knew to belong unto the priesthood of old, whence they might learn somewhat, yea much, of the nature of this now exhibited, seeing they were instituted on purpose to declare it, although they did it but obscurely. And then also he makes known the excellency of this priesthood of Christ above that of old, as the substance excels the shadow, and the permanent thing represented, the obscure and fading representations of it. Unto the handling of these things an entrance is here made, which, with sundry occasional diversions, is pursued to the end of the 10th chapter.

Secondly, In particular, the present discourse of this chapter hath relation unto what immediately precedes in the close of the foregoing; for having therein proposed to their consideration the priestly office of Christ, and given a glorious description of it in general, with respect unto his person and exaltation, he shows how greatly this conduces to the advantage and' consolation of the church, as may be seen in the text, and our exposition of it. To confirm what be had so proposed, and to strengthen our faith in expectation of the benefits expressed, he enters upon a particular description of that office as exercised by Christ; and in this respect the ensuing discourse renders the reasons and gives the grounds of what he had immediately before laid down and declared.