Hebrews 5: High Priest and Obedience

Short answer: Hebrews 5 explains that every high priest is appointed from among men to offer sacrifices for sins, and Christ likewise did not take this honor on himself but was appointed by God. It then warns readers who have become dull of hearing that they need milk instead of solid food, urging them to grow in discernment.

What Hebrews 5 says

The chapter opens by describing the role of every high priest. He is taken from among men and appointed to act on their behalf in things pertaining to God, offering gifts and sacrifices for sins. Because he himself is surrounded with weakness, he can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray. He must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as for the people. No one takes this honor on himself; he is called by God, just as Aaron was. This establishes the pattern of mediation and divine appointment that will be applied to Christ.

Verses 5 through 10 apply this pattern to Christ. He did not glorify himself to become high priest, but God said to him, You are my Son, today I have become your father. And in another place, You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek. In the days of his flesh, he offered up prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear. Though he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. Having been made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him, and was named by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Verses 11 through 12 turn to the readers. The author has many words to say about this, but they are hard to interpret because the readers have become dull of hearing. By this time they should be teachers, yet they again need someone to teach them the rudiments of the first principles of God's revelations. They have come to need milk, not solid food. This is a rebuke, not a compliment. The problem is not the difficulty of the subject alone but the condition of the hearers, who have regressed in their ability to receive deeper teaching.

The final two verses explain the metaphor of milk and solid food. Everyone who lives on milk is not experienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby. But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil. The chapter ends with a call to maturity, where constant practice and exercise lead to discernment. It does not define maturity as mere knowledge but as a trained capacity to distinguish good from evil, developed through use.

Verses that carry the chapter

• “For every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.” (Hebrews 5:1) — This verse establishes the foundational principle that a high priest is taken from among men and appointed for men in things pertaining to God, which sets up the entire discussion of Christ's priesthood.
• “So also Christ didn’t glorify himself to be made a high priest, but it was he who said to him, “You are my Son. Today I have become your father.” (Hebrews 5:5)” (Hebrews 5:5) — This verse shows that Christ did not take the honor of high priest on himself but was appointed by God, echoing the earlier statement that no one takes this honor on himself.
• “though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered.” (Hebrews 5:8) — This verse contains the striking statement that though Christ was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered, which deepens the understanding of his humanity and priestly sympathy.
• “But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:14) — This verse defines mature believers as those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil, providing the positive goal of the warning about milk and solid food.

Gospel connection

Hebrews 5 connects to the wider biblical story by presenting Christ as the fulfillment of the Old Testament priestly system. The chapter recalls that priests were appointed from among men to offer sacrifices for sins, and that even Aaron did not take the honor on himself but was called by God. Christ likewise did not glorify himself but was appointed by God, and his priesthood is described as being after the order of Melchizedek, a figure introduced earlier in the letter and rooted in Genesis. The chapter also links Christ's suffering and obedience to his role as the author of eternal salvation. This anticipates the fuller explanation in later chapters, where his once-for-all sacrifice is contrasted with the repeated sacrifices of the Levitical priests. The warning about dull hearing and the need for solid food also connects to the broader biblical theme that God's people are called to grow in understanding and obedience, not to remain infants in the faith.

Application

This chapter asks readers to examine their own receptivity to God's word. It is possible to become dull of hearing, to need milk when one should be teaching others. The application is not to try harder in one's own strength but to recognize the danger of stagnation and to pursue maturity through regular use of the word. The chapter presents Christ as the sympathetic high priest who learned obedience through suffering, which means that growth often comes through difficult circumstances. Readers are called to obey him, since he is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey. Practically, this means paying attention to teaching, exercising discernment, and not avoiding the harder parts of Scripture. It also means trusting that Christ, who offered prayers with tears and was heard, understands weakness and can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray.

Biblical fidelity check

The chapter does not claim that Christ sinned or that his learning obedience implies prior disobedience. It does not explain the full meaning of Melchizedek or the order of his priesthood, only that Christ is named after that order. It does not specify what the strong crying and tears were about, except that they were directed to the one able to save him from death. It does not say that the readers were unbelievers, only that they had become dull of hearing and needed milk. It does not define the exact content of the first principles or the word of righteousness. It does not claim that maturity is automatic or that solid food is only for an elite group. It also does not describe the historical setting of the original readers or the specific false teachings they faced. Where the text is silent, we should not speculate beyond what is written.

Questions for study

1. What does verse 1 say about where a high priest comes from and for whom he is appointed?
2. According to verses 7 and 8, what did Christ offer up and what did he learn through suffering?
3. Why does the author say the readers need milk instead of solid food in verses 12 and 13?
4. What does verse 14 say distinguishes those who are full grown from those who are not?
5. How does the chapter describe the relationship between Christ's obedience and the salvation he brings?

Keep reading

Related studies: Hebrews 1 Bible Study, Hebrews 11 Bible Study, Hebrews 13 Bible Study, Hebrews 2 Bible Study.

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FAQ

What does it mean that Christ learned obedience by the things he suffered?

Verse 8 says that though he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. This does not imply he was previously disobedient, but that his obedience was tested and proven through suffering, becoming a lived reality in his human experience.

Why is Melchizedek mentioned in this chapter?

Verses 6 and 10 state that Christ is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. The chapter does not explain who Melchizedek was, but it uses this title to show that Christ's priesthood is not based on the Levitical line but on a different and superior order.

What is the difference between milk and solid food in this passage?

Verses 13 and 14 contrast milk with solid food. Milk represents basic teaching for those who are inexperienced in the word of righteousness, while solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to discern good and evil.