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Report a TypoHebrews ◦ Chapter 5
1 Every earthly high priest is selected from among people and is appointed to minister to them the healing truth about God and to lead them to understand the true meaning of what the gifts and sacrifices symbolize.2 He is able to deal patiently and gently with those who are ignorant of the Remedy — and therefore are getting sicker — since he himself is infected with the same infection of selfishness and sin.3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own selfish heart–to reveal that he needs the same Remedy to bring healing and restoration for himself–as well as for the infected minds of the people.4 No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.5 So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming the great heavenly high priest–the conduit of God's healing Remedy–but it was God who said to him, "You are my Son; today my fatherhood to you has become known."6 And he says elsewhere, "You are a priest–a conduit of my healing Remedy–forever, in the order of Melchizedek."7 During the days of his life on earth, Jesus suffered the anguish of human pain and emotions, and prayed to his Father (who could deliver him from death) and was heard because his heart and mind were pure.8 Although he was God's son, in his humanity he suffered, yet remained obedient through trusting his Father,9 and–once he completed his mission–lived out in humanity a perfect character of love, which conquered selfishness, and thus he became the source of eternal healing and life for all who trust and obey him,10 and was designated by God to be high priest (the heavenly physician who is the conduit of the healing Remedy) in the order of Melchizedek.11 We have so much to explain to you about this, and about God’s healing plan as symbolized in the sanctuary service, but it is hard to explain because you think like children — in concrete terms — and you are slow to learn.12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be able to clearly explain the true meaning of all the symbolism used, instead, you need someone to teach you the basic truths of God's character all over again! You need to be spoon-fed baby food because you can't handle solid food!13 Anyone who still lives on the baby food of symbols and metaphors is an infant in their thinking and doesn't have a clue about God's true character and his Remedy for sin.14 But the solid food of truth is for the mature, who, by constant use, have trained their faculties to distinguish true from false, good from evil, healthy from unhealthy.