(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.1"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. )
Jesus our high priest
- For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, so he might offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins,
- while being able to gently and compassionately forbear1“gently and compassionately forbear” is one word in Greek. It indicates moderated empathy which isn’t too strong or too weak. with the men being ignorant and wandering astray, since he himself is also bound by weakness.
- And because of this, just as he’s obligated to offer sacrifices for sins for the people, so he must also offer them for himself.
- And no one takes the honor on himself, but he’s called by God, just as Aaron also was.
- So also, the Anointed didn’t glorify Himself by becoming a high priest, but He was glorified by the One who said to Him: “You are My Son, today I have fathered you.”2quotation/allusion to Psalm 2:7
- Just as He also says in another place: “You are a priest through the age, according to the order of Melchizedek.”3 quotation/allusion to Psalm 110:4
- Who in the days of His flesh offered both prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His reverent fear of God.4“reverent fear of God” is one word in Greek, and different from the Greek words typically translated “(reverent) fear of God”. It could also be translated “pious fear of God” and focuses on a sense of holy reverence and veneration towards God that’s not contained in the phrase which is usually translated “(reverent) fear of God”. This word is used only twice, the other place being Hebrews 12:28
- Though being a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered.
- And having been perfected, He became the author of the salvation of ages to all the men obeying Him,
- having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
- About this, there’s many a word for us to say and it’s hard to explain since you have become lazy in hearing.
- For you also ought to be teachers by this time, but again you have need of someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God from the beginning. And you have become like men having need of milk and not of solid food.
- For every man partaking only of milk fails because of inexperience5“fails because of inexperience” is one word in Greek. It refers to someone who fails when tested because they don’t have adequate knowledge, skills, and/or experience. with the word of righteousness, for he’s an infant.
- But solid food is for mature men; the men having their perception strenuously *trained6“strenuously *train” is one word in Greek. It literally means to train naked or in a loincloth, and was used of athletes who trained themselves for the Olympic games, which were conducted clad thus. Figuratively – as it’s used here – it means to constantly train with rigorous effort and practice. through habitual practice for the discernment of both good and evil.
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