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In the last two chapters the writer of the Epistle has shewn the general superiority of ‘Jesus,’ the Founder of the New Covenant, over Moses and Joshua; and, further, that the divine promise partially fulfilled by the occupation of Canaan still awaits its complete and absolute fulfilment. He is thus brought back to the thought of Christ's High-priesthood, in virtue of which humanity finds access to the Presence of God, ‘His rest,’ pursuing in detail the line of argument suggested in 2:17, 18 and resumed in 4:14-16.

In this section the Apostle deals with the general conception of Christ's High-priesthood. He treats of the accomplishment of Christ's High-priestly work in the next section.

The section consists of three parts. The writer first briefly characterises the work and the qualifications of a High-priest; and shews that the qualifications are possessed by Christ in ideal perfection, and that He completes the (theocratic) type of the Aaronic High-priest by adding to it the features of the (natural) type of the High-priesthood of Melchizedek (Heb. 5:1-
10). Then follows a hortatory passage in which the duty of continuous and patient effort is enforced as the condition of right knowledge of the Christian revelation (5:11-6). Having thus prepared the way for a fuller exposition of the truth with which he is engaged, the writer unfolds through the image of Melchizedek a view of the absolute High-priesthood of Christ (Heb. 7).

Thus we have shortly:
i.
The characteristics of a High-priest fulfilled in Christ (5:1-10).
ii.
Progress through patient effort the condition of the knowledge of Christian mysteries (5:11-6:20).
iii.
The characteristics of Christ as absolute High-priest shadowed forth by Melchizedek (7:1-28).

i. The characteristics of a High-priest are fulfilled in Christ (5:1-10)

This paragraph falls naturally into two parts. (1) The characteristics of a High-priest are first laid down (Heb. 5:1-4); and then (2) it is shewn that these were perfectly satisfied by Christ (5:5-10).

(1) The characteristics of a High-priest are drawn from a consideration of his office (5:1); and from the qualifications which its fulfilment requires in regard to men and to God (5:2-4).

1 For every High-priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in the things that pertain to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; 2 being able to bear gently with the ignorant and erring, since he also himself is compassed with infirmity ,

3 and by reason thereof is bound, as for the people so also for himself, to offer for sins. 4 And no one taketh the honour to himself, but being called of God, even as was Aaron.

1. The general purpose of the institution of the High-priesthood. pa'" gavr ...] This section follows naturally from that which precedes. The perfect sympathy of our High-priest (4:15) satisfies one of the conditions which are necessarily attached to the office universally. On the ground of this fundamental correspondence between Christ's Nature and the High- priesthood, the writer proceeds to develop the idea of the High-priesthood before he applies it to Christ. The gavr is explanatory and not directly argumentative; and the Mosaic system is treated as embodying the general conception ( pa'" ); but even so the type of Melchizedek's priesthood is not to


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