The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Part 52

But now we do not yet see all things put under him. (9)But we behold him, who was made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, on account of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, in order that he by the grace of G.o.d might taste death for every one. (10)For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

(11)For both he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, (12)saying:

I will declare thy name to my brethren; In the midst of the congregation I will sing praise to thee.

(13)And again: I will put my trust in him. And again: Behold, I and the children whom G.o.d gave me. (14)Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner took part in the same; that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the Devil; (15)and might deliver those who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

(16)For surely he does not succor angels; but he succors the seed of Abraham. (17)Wherefore, in all things it became him to be made like to his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to G.o.d, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (18)For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

III.

WHEREFORE, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Jesus, (2)who was faithful to him who appointed him, as also was Moses in all His house.

(3)For he has been accounted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who has built the house has more honor than the house. (4)For every house is builded by some one; but he who built all things is G.o.d. (5)And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, as a testimony of the things which were to be afterward spoken; (6)but Christ as son over His house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the boldness and the joyousness of the hope firm unto the end[3:6].

(7)Wherefore, as the Holy Spirit says:

To-day, if ye will hear his voice, (8)Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, In the day of the temptation in the wilderness; (9)Where your fathers tempted me, Proved me, and saw my works, forty years.

(10)Wherefore, I was offended with that generation; And I said: They always go astray in their heart, And they knew not my ways; (11)As I swore in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.

(12)Take heed, brethren, lest there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living G.o.d. (13)But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called To-day, that no one of you may be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (14)For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end. (15)When it is said: To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation; (16)who then, when they had heard, provoked? Nay, was it not all who came forth out of Egypt by Moses? (17)But with whom was he offended forty years? Was it not with those who sinned? whose carca.s.ses fell in the wilderness. (18)And to whom did he swear, that they should not enter into his rest, but to those who believed not? (19)And we see that they were not able to enter in, because of unbelief.

IV.

LET us fear therefore, lest, a promise being still left us of entering into his rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it.

(2)For to us were the glad tidings preached, as also to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mingled with faith in those who heard. (3)For we who believed enter into the rest, as he said: As I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest, although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

(4)For he has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day thus: And G.o.d rested on the seventh day from all his works; (5)and in this again: They shall not enter into my rest.

(6)Since then it remains that some do enter into it, and they to whom the glad tidings were first preached entered not in because of unbelief, again (7)he limits a certain day, To-day, (saying in David, after so long a time, as has before been said,)

To-day, if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts.

(8)For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not, after this, have spoken of another day.

(9)So then, there remains a Sabbath-rest to the people of G.o.d. (10)For he that entered into his rest, himself rested from his works, as G.o.d did from his own. (11)Let us therefore endeavor to enter into that rest, that no one may fall into the same example of unbelief.

(12)For the word of G.o.d is living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (13)And there is no creature that is not manifest in his sight; but all things are naked and opened to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

(14)Having therefore a great high priest, who has pa.s.sed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of G.o.d, let us hold fast our profession.

(15)For we have not a high priest who can not be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but who has in all points been tempted in like manner, without sin. (16)Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

V.

FOR every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to G.o.d, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; (2)being able to bear with the ignorant and erring, since he himself also is encompa.s.sed with infirmity; (3)and on account of it he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to make offering for sins. (4)And no one takes to himself the honor, but being called by G.o.d, as was also Aaron. (5)So also Christ did not glorify himself to be made high priest, but he who spoke to him:

Thou art my Son, I this day have begotten thee;

(6)as also in another place, he says:

Thou art a priest forever, After the order of Melchizedek;

(7)who, in the days of his flesh offering up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and being heard on account of his G.o.dly fear, (8)though a Son yet learned from what he suffered the [required]

obedience, (9)and being perfected became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him; (10)called by G.o.d, High Priest[5:10], after the order of Melchizedek.

(11)Of whom we have much to say, and hard to be explained, since ye have become dull of hearing. (12)For though ye ought, on account of the time, to be teachers, ye again have need that some one teach you the first principles of the oracles of G.o.d, and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. (13)For every one who partakes of milk is inexperienced in the word of righteousness; for he is a child. (14)But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, who by use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

VI.

WHEREFORE, leaving the first principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward G.o.d, (2)of the doctrine of immersions, and of the laying on of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. (3)And this we will do[6:3], if G.o.d permit. (4)For it is impossible that they who have once been enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, (5)and have tasted the good word of G.o.d, and the powers of the world to come, (6)and have fallen away, should again be renewed to repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of G.o.d afresh, and put him to open shame. (7)For the earth which has drunk in the rain oft coming upon it, and brings forth herbs fit for those for whose sake it is tilled, receives blessing from G.o.d; (8)but if it bears thorns and briers it is rejected, and is near to cursing; whose end is to be burned.

(9)But, beloved, we are persuaded of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. (10)For G.o.d is not unrighteous to forget your work, and the love which ye showed toward his name, in that ye ministered and still do minister to the saints.

(11)But we desire that each one of you show the same diligence, for the full a.s.surance of the hope unto the end; (12)that ye may not become slothful, but followers of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (13)For when G.o.d made the promise to Abraham, because he could swear by none greater, he swore by himself, (14)saying: Surely, blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. (15)And so, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise. (16)For men indeed swear by the greater; and the oath is to them an end of all gainsaying, for a confirmation. (17)Wherein G.o.d, wis.h.i.+ng more abundantly to show to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath; (18)that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible that G.o.d should lie, we may have strong encouragement, who fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us, (19)which we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast, and entering within the vail; (20)where as forerunner for us Jesus entered, having become a high priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.

VII.

FOR this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high G.o.d, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; (2)to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth of all; first indeed being interpreted King of righteousness, and then also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; (3)without father, without mother, without table of descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life[7:3], but likened to the Son of G.o.d, remains a priest continually.

(4)Now consider how great this man was, to whom Abraham the patriarch also gave a tenth of the spoils. (5)And they indeed that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take t.i.thes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they have come out of the loins of Abraham; (6)but he whose descent is not reckoned from them has taken t.i.thes of Abraham, and has blessed him who had the promises. (7)And without any contradiction, the less is blessed by the better. (8)And here indeed men who die receive t.i.thes; but there, one of whom it is testified that he lives. (9)And so to speak, Levi also, who receives t.i.thes, has paid t.i.thes in Abraham; (10)for he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchizedek met him.

(11)If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people have received the law), what further need was there that a different priest should arise, after the order of Melchizedek, and not be called after the order of Aaron? (12)For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there comes also a change of law. (13)For he of whom these things are spoken pertains to a different tribe, of which no one has given attendance at the altar.

(14)For it is evident that our Lord has arisen out of Judah; of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. (15)And it is yet more abundantly manifest, if after the similitude of Melchizedek there arises a different priest, (16)who has been made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an indissoluble life.

(17)For it is testified of him:

Thou art a priest forever; After the order of Melchizedek.

(18)For on the one hand, there is an annulling of the commandment that went before, on account of its weakness and unprofitableness,--(19)for the law perfected nothing,--and on the other the bringing in of a better hope, by which we draw near to G.o.d.

(20)And inasmuch as it was not without an oath,--(21)for they indeed were made priests without an oath, but he with an oath by him who said to him: The Lord swore and will not repent, thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek[7:21],--(22)by so much has Jesus become a surety of a better covenant. (23)And they indeed have been many priests, because they were hindered by death from continuing; (24)but he, because he remains forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.

(25)Whence also he is able to save to the utmost those who come to G.o.d through him, since he ever lives to intercede for them.

(26)For such a high priest became us, holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; (27)who has not necessity daily, as the high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; for this he did once for all, in offering up himself. (28)For the law makes men high priests who have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, makes the Son, who is perfected forever.

VIII.

NOW of the things which we are saying, this is the chief: We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty of the heavens; (2)a minister of the holy places, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

(3)For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; wherefore it is necessary, that this one have something which he may offer. (4)For if he were on earth, he would not be a priest, since there are those who offer gifts according to the law, (5)who minister after an outline and a shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was admonished by G.o.d, when he was about to make the tabernacle; for, See, says he, that thou make all things according to the pattern which was showed thee in the mount. (6)But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, by so much as he is also mediator of a better covenant, which has been established upon better promises.