HEBREWS CHAPTER 5

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(Heb 5:1) "For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins;

[BSM: In view of the last three verses in Hebrews chapter 4, the author of Hebrews moves to every high priest who is among men in the sense of they are not without sin as the high priest Jesus Christ 66667777

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Hebrews 5:1-14 (NASB)
1  For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins;
2  he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness;
3  and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself.
4  And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was.
5  So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, "YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU";
6  just as He says also in another passage, "YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK."
7  In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.
8  Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.
9  And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,
10  being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
11  Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
12  For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
13  For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.
14  But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

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1 The author proposes to explore something of the nature of high priesthood and begins by showing that it has both a manward and a Godward reference. It is of the essence of priesthood that the priest has community of nature with those he represents. But his work is "in matters related to God," specifically in offering "gifts and sacrifices for sins." These two are sometimes differentiated as cereal and animal offerings. It seems more likely, however, that the writer is summing up the priestly function of offering.
2 It is not easy to translate metriopathein (NIV, "to deal gently with"). It refers to taking the middle course between apathy and anger. A true high priest is not indifferent to moral lapses; neither is he harsh. He "is able" to take this position only because he himself shares in the same "weakness" as the sinners on whom he has compassion. The word may denote physical or moral frailty, and the following words show that in the case of the usual run of high priests the latter is included. The earthly high priest is at one with his people in their need for atonement and forgiveness.
3 The high priest is required to make offerings for himself just as for his people. For the Day of Atonement it was prescribed that the high priest present a bull "for his own sin offering" (Lev 16:11). And in the first century, as he laid his hands on the head of the animal, he would say, "O God, I have committed iniquity and transgressed and sinned before thee, I and my house and the children of Aaron, thy holy people. O God, forgive, I pray, the iniquities and transgressions and sins which I have committed and transgressed and sinned before thee, I and my house" (M Yoma 4:2). Only then was he able to minister on behalf of the people. In the matter of sins and of sacrifices the priest must regard himself in exactly the same way he regards the people. His case is identical with theirs.
 
4 The negative statement immediately refutes any thought that a man can take the initiative in being made high priest. It is an honor to be a high priest (cf. Jos. Antiq. III, 188 [viii. 1]). The only way to be made high priest is by divine appointment, and the appointment of Aaron sets the pattern (Exod 28:1-3). In point of fact, no other call to be high priest is recorded in Scripture, though we might reason that the call to Aaron was not simply personal but also included his family and descendants. At any rate, the Bible records disasters that befell those who took it upon themselves to perform high priestly duties, as in the cases of Korah (Num 16), Saul (1Sam 13:8ff.), and Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:16ff.).
Notes



3 Περί (peri) sometimes comes very close in meaning to ὑπέρ (hyper), as in the first two instances here. The meaning must be "on behalf of" or "in the place of."



C. Christ's Qualifications as High Priest (5:5-11)
Having made clear what is required in high priests, the author shows that Christ has these qualifications. Moreover, he shows that Christ is both Priest and King, which goes beyond the view expressed in some Jewish writings that there will be two messiahs, one of Aaron and another of David. No other NT writer speaks of Jesus as a high priest. It is a highly original way of looking at him.
5-6 Christ has the qualification of being called by God. There is perhaps a hint at his obedience in the use of the term "the Christ" (ho Christos) rather than the human name "Jesus." He who was God's own Christ did not take the glory on himself (cf. John 8:54). The writer cites two passages, the first being Psalm 2:7 (cf. 1:5). He will later argue that Jesus ministers in the heavenly sanctuary. Accordingly, it is important that Jesus be seen to be the Son, one who has rights in heaven.
The second citation is from Psalm 110:4. The first verse of this psalm is often applied to Jesus (e.g., 1:13), but this appears to be the first time the Melchizedek passage is used in this way. The psalm says, "You are a priest forever," which is the first use of the term "priest" in this epistle (a term the author will use fourteen times, out of thirty-one in NT; next most frequent use is in Luke—five times). The author of Hebrews uses it of priests generally (7:14; 8:4), of the Levitical priests (7:20, etc.), of Melchizedek (7:1, 3), and of Christ (5:6; 7:11, 15, 17, 21; 10:21). When it is used of Christ, it seems to differ but little from "high priest." It is a powerful way of bringing out certain aspects of Christ's saving work for men. All that a priest does in offering sacrifice for men Christ does. But whereas they do it only symbolically, he really effects atonement.
"Forever" is another contrast. Other priests have their day and pass away. Not Christ! His priesthood abides. He has no successor (a fact that will be brought out later). He is a priest "of the same kind as Melchizedek" (J.C. Ward). Most translations render this "of the order of Melchizedek," but this is incorrect. There was no succession of priests from Melchizedek and thus no "order." Jesus, however, was a priest of this kind—not like Aaron and his successors.
7 The author turns to the second qualification—Jesus' oneness with mankind. In realistic language he brings out the genuineness of Jesus' humanity. Commentators agree that the writer is referring to the agony in Gethsemane, but his language does not fit into any of our accounts. It seems that he may have had access to some unrecorded facts. It is also possible that he wants us to see that there were other incidents in Jesus' life that fit into this general pattern. He speaks of "the days of his flesh," which NIV renders "Jesus' life on earth." But the use of the word "flesh" (sarx) is probably meant to draw attention to the weakness that characterizes this life.
"Prayers and petitions" (the latter word [hiketerias] appears only here in the NT) point to dependence on God, who alone can save from death. The "loud cries and tears" are not mentioned in the Gethsemane accounts, though there is no reason for thinking that they had no part in the incident. Westcott quotes a rabbinic saying: "There are three kinds of prayers, each loftier than the preceding: prayer, crying, and tears. Prayer is made in silence: crying with raised voice; but tears overcome all things ('there is no door through which tears do not pass')" (in loc.).
There are difficulties at the end of v. 7. The word "heard" (eisakoustheis) is usually taken to mean that the prayer was answered, not simply noted. Most interpreters agree. But they also contend that the prayer must have been answered in the terms in which it was asked. The problem, then, is that Jesus prayed, "Take this cup from me" (Mark 14:36); but he still died. Some see the solution in holding that "from death" (ek thanatou) means "out of the state of death," whereas apo thanatou would be needed for "deliverance away from dying." This is ingenious; but the usage of the prepositions does not support it. Others draw attention to the word rendered "reverent submission" (eulabeia, used again in the NT only at 12:28). As it can mean "fear" as well as "reverence," or "godly fear," it has been suggested that we might understand the verse thus: "He was heard and delivered from the fear of death." This however, does seem to be reading something into the text. Another solution is that the prayer was not that Jesus should not die but that he should not die in Gethsemane ("If Christ had died in the Garden, no greater calamity could possibly have fallen on mankind," Hewitt, in loc.). This, however, seems artificial and has not gained much support.
All in all, it seems much better to remember that Jesus' prayer was not simply a petition that he should not die, because he immediately said, "Yet not what I will, but what you will" (Mark 14:36). The important thing about answered prayer is that God does what brings about the end aimed at, not what corresponds exactly to the words of the petitioner. In this case the prayer was that the will of God be done, and this has precedence over the passing of the cup from Jesus. Since the cup had to be drunk, it was drunk! But the significant point is that the Son was strengthened to do the will of the Father. Yet another solution is to take some of the words over into the next verse. This involves inserting a full stop after "death" and then combining the rest as follows: "Having been heard because of his reverent submission, although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered." This, however, seems unnatural and puts too much weight on v. 8.
8 We should take these words in the sense of "son though he was" rather than "although he was a son." It is the quality of sonship that is emphasized. Again, it is the fate of sons to suffer (12:7), but the writer does not say "because he was a son" but "although ...." Jesus' stature was such that one would not have expected him to suffer. But he did suffer and in the process learned obedience. This, startling though it is, does not mean that Jesus passed from disobedience to obedience. Rather, he learned obedience by actually obeying. There is a certain quality involved when one has performed a required action—a quality that is lacking when there is only a readiness to act. Innocence differs from virtue.
9 Here we must make a similar comment about Jesus' being "made perfect." This does not mean that he was imperfect and that out of his imperfection he became perfect. There is a perfection that results from having actually suffered; it is different from the perfection that is ready to suffer. "He became" indicates a change of relationship that follows the perfecting. The suffering that led to the perfecting did something. It meant that Jesus became "the source of eternal salvation." This expression can be paralleled in Greek literature, though there, of course, "salvation" is understood in very different ways. "Eternal salvation" is not a very common expression (found only here in the NT; cf. Isa 45:17). "Eternal" (aionios) means "pertaining to an age (aion)." Normally the word refers to the age to come and so means "without end," though it can also be used of what is without beginning or end (9:14) or simply of what is without beginning (Rom 16:25). It is used of what does not end in connection with redemption (9:12), covenant (13:20), judgment (6:2), and inheritance (9:15). Jesus will bring people a salvation that is eternal in its scope and efficacy, a salvation that brings them into the life of the world to come. It is a nice touch that he who learned to obey brought salvation to those who obey.
10 The writer has forcefully made his point that Jesus shared our human life. He was qualified to be high priest because of his common nature with us and his compassion. Now the writer returns to the thought that Jesus was made high priest by God. What is to become his characteristic designation throughout this epistle is a title not given by men, nor assumed by himself, but conferred on him by God the Father.
 
11 NIV takes this verse as the opening sentence in a new paragraph, as do some commentators. This is not impossible, but on the whole it seems better to take it as completing the preceding paragraph. The writer points out that there is a good deal that could be said about his subject. It is "hard to explain," not because of some defect in the writer or the intrinsic difficulty of the subject, but because of the slowness of the learners. This leads to a new train of thought that is pursued throughout chapter 6 (we come back to Melchizedek in ch. 7). While "this" is quite general, it might be masculine and so could refer to Melchizedek or Christ. On the whole, it seems best to see a reference here to the way Melchizedek prefigures Christ. "Are" should really be "have become." It is an acquired state, not a natural one. "Slow" renders nothros, which means "sluggish," "slothful." They ought to have been in a different condition. The readers of the epistle were not naturally slow learners but had allowed themselves to get lazy.
V. The Danger of Apostasy (5:12-6:20)
Obviously the author was much concerned lest his readers slip back from their present state into something that amounts to a denial of Christianity. So he utters a strong warning about the dangers of apostasy. He wants his friends to be in no doubt about the seriousness of falling into it.
A. Failure to Progress in the Faith (5:12-14)
This little section is of special interest because it shows that the recipients of the letter were people of whom better things might have been expected. They should have been mature Christians. Since they had evidently been converted for quite some time, they ought to have made much more progress in the faith than they in fact had. The author is troubled by their immaturity.
12 The readers had been Christians for long enough to qualify as teachers. This does not necessarily mean that the letter was written to a group of teachers, for the emphasis is on progress in the faith. Those addressed had failed to go on though they had been believers long enough to know more. Christians who have really progressed in the faith ought to be able to instruct others (as 1 Peter 3:15 shows; cf. Rom 2:21). But, far from this being the case, they still need instruction, and that in elementary truths.
"Someone to teach you" stands over against "teachers" and points up the contrast. Their knowledge of the faith is minimal when it ought to have been advanced. "The elementary truths" renders an expression that is equivalent to our "ABC." It points to the real beginnings. The Greek actually means something like "the ABC of the beginning of the oracles of God." There can be no doubt as to the elementary nature of the teaching in question. Yet it is not quite clear what "the oracles of God" are.
 
Quite possibly the OT is meant, though some think it is the whole Jewish system. Since the expression is quite general, it seems better to take it of all that God has spoken—i.e., the divine revelation in general.
The verse ends with another strong statement about the plight of the readers. "You need milk" renders an expression that literally means "you have become having need of milk," an expression in which "you have become" is important. Once again the writer is drawing attention to the fact that his readers have moved their position. Always in the Christian life, one either moves forward or slips back. It is almost impossible to stand still. These people had not advanced; so the result was that they had gone back and had "become" beginners. The contrast between milk and solid food is found elsewhere (cf. 1Cor 3:2, though there the word for "food" is different). "Milk" stands for elementary instruction in the Christian way. "Solid food" is, of course, more advanced instruction, the kind of teaching beginners cannot make much of but which is invaluable to those who have made some progress. What is appropriate at the early stages of the Christian life may cease to be suitable as time goes on.
13 The author explains his reference to milk and solids (the Gr. has a gar ["for"], which shows he is giving the reason for his preceding statement). "Anyone" (pas) is inclusive (pas allows no exception). In other words, the author is saying, "This is the way it is." The Christian occupied with elementary truths is spiritually "still an infant" and must be treated as such. He is "unskilled in the word of righteousness" (RSV), to take a translation a little more literal than NIV. The Greek apeiros means "without experience of" and so comes to mean "unskilled." It is uncertain what "word of righteousness" means. The problem is that both "word" and "righteousness" may be taken in more ways than one. "Word" may mean the Christian message, in which case we may wish to see "righteousness" in terms of "the righteousness of God" that is made known and made available in Christ. Or we may see "righteousness" as the right conduct God expects believers to follow. Or the author may be following up the previous metaphor and thinking of the prattling speech of the child (cf. G. Schrenk, "There is a most unusual phrase in Hb. 5:13, where apeiros logou dikaiosynes implies that the infant is incapable of understanding correct, normal speech," TDNT, 2:198). The first of these suggestions scarcely seems called for by the context. Therefore I am inclined to favor the second, though agreeing that the third is quite possible.
14 Mature people (teleioi) need solid food. The teleioi in the mystery religions were the initiates. It is unlikely, however, that this is its meaning here. "But" (de) shows the contrast to infants in v. 13. The reference is clearly to the mature who have "trained themselves." The NT makes considerable use of metaphors from athletics and gymmnazo means "to exercise naked," "to train." It is not easy to find a good equivalent for hexis in this place (NIV, "constant use"). The difficulty is that, apart from this passage, hexis seems to denote the quality that results from training, not the training itself ("not the process but the result, the condition which has been produced by past exercise and not the separate acts following one on another" [Westcott, in loc.]). But our uncertainty about the detail does not carry over to the main thrust of the passage. The writer is clearly saying that the mature Christian, the eater of solid food, constantly exercises himself in spiritual perception, and the result is manifest. He can "distinguish good from evil" and, therefore, the implication runs, will not be in danger of doing the wrong thing to which the readers find themselves attracted. Lacking this perception, Christian service will always be immature and partial.
Expositor's Bible Commentary, The - Volume 12: Hebrews through Revelation.

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III. Part II: God's Priest-Son (chaps. 5-10)
In the first major movement of the epistle (1:5-4:16), the author set forth two major truths: (1) the exalted position and destiny of Him who is uniquely God's King-Son and (2) the salvation-inheritance of those who cleave to Him by faith. Included in the consideration of these themes have been solemn warnings not to neglect or forfeit the inheritance that His exalted station makes so attainable. The Son's future kingship has been at the center of all this discussion.
At the same time, it has been made clear that the King-Son is also a High Priest. The importance of this reality has already been briefly pointed out. Now, however, the Son's priestly role would be considered in detail. In doing so the writer as usual interspersed sections of exposition with passages of exhortation and warning.
A. Introduction: the qualified Priest (5:1-10)
Before enlarging on the ramifications of the priesthood of Christ, the writer took the logical step of showing Christ's qualifications for that role. Though His priesthood has already been assumed, its validity must now be asserted if the admonitions based on it are to carry full weight.
1. The General Requirements For A High Priest (5:1-4)
 
5:1. If it be asked what a high priest really is, the answer is easily drawn from the Old Testament institution with which the readers were familiar. Such a person is one of mankind's own number: he is selected from among men and he is also their representative in matters related to God. These "matters" include the offering of both gifts (dōra) and sacrifices (thysias) for sins (cf. 8:3; 9:9).
5:2-3. The high priest must also be a man of compassion as the word metriopathein, which underlies the phrase deal gently, implies. This is the capacity to moderate one's feelings to avoid the extremes of cold indifference and uncontrolled sadness. For an ordinary high priest of the Old Testament, this sympathy grew out of an awareness that he himself was subject to weakness, prone to failures of his own. Hence in his sacrificial activities he must make the necessary offerings for his own and the peoples' sins. In this respect alone, as the author will show later (cf. 7:27), Christ did not exactly correspond to the characteristics described here, since He "was without sin" (4:15). But it is also possible that the writer thought of the compassion of the Son-Priest as being far richer than the moderate gentleness he ascribed to other high priests.
5:4. But one thing is certain. The high-priestly office was a divine appointment and could not simply be entered because one aspired to that honor. Just as Aaron was, this High Priest must also be called by God.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.

2. The Son's Call To Priesthood (5:5-10)
5:5-6. No one is to suppose, the author insisted, that Christ began His priestly functions without the appropriate call from God. On the contrary, the same One who declared Christ to be the King-Son, declared Him also to be a Priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. In uniting as the author did here the text of Psalm 2:7, which he had quoted before (Heb. 1:5), and the text of Psalm 110:4, he skillfully joined the two great truths about the Messiah which lie at the heart of this epistle. The declaration of Psalm 2 had proclaimed Him the Davidic Heir whose destiny was to rule the nations (cf. Ps. 2:8). But Psalm 110 had also been earlier quoted to much the same effect (cf. Heb. 1:13). Now, however, a further statement of this latter psalm was cited to show that the future Conqueror is also a Priest of a special order. In this way the author united in the person of Christ the dual offices of Priest and King. In doing so the author was perhaps conscious of countering a sectarian position like that evidently current at Qumran, where both a lay, or kingly, Messiah and a priestly Messiah seem to have been anticipated. In any case the two quotations given here from Psalms 2:7 and 110:4 furnish the concentrated essence of the author's thought about the Lord Jesus Christ. It is likely enough that the writer assigned the proclamations of both psalms to the moment when the Son "sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven" (Heb. 1:3).
5:7. But also in other respects Jesus is qualified for His priesthood. If it is a question of offerings (cf. v. 1), it can be pointed out that when Jesus was on earth He offered up prayers and petitions. In the expression "offered up" the writer employed the same verb (prospherō) he had used in verse 1. The added description, with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, has often been thought to refer to the experience of Gethsemane. But the Greek here seems to reflect the Septuagint rendering of Psalm 22:24. Since that psalm is messianic for this author (cf. Heb. 2:12), it is probable that he actually has the sufferings of the Cross in mind, as does the psalm. This would be appropriate since the cries of the Savior would then be linked directly with His sacrificial work.
That these "cries and tears" were accepted by God is evidenced by the observation, He was heard because of His reverent submission (eulabeias). To this also Psalm 22 bears reference in that its latter half are the words of One who has emerged from suffering in triumph and praises God for that (cf. Ps. 22:22-31). In fact the psalm's first note of triumph has already been quoted (i.e., Ps. 22:22 in Heb. 2:12). Thus the "reverent" Sufferer was indeed saved from death, and this by means of rising from the dead. Hence too the Resurrection furnishes the decisive proof of God's acceptance of Jesus' sacrificial activity.
 
5:8-10. The whole experience just referred to was a form of education for Jesus before He served His suffering people. His unique relation to God notwithstanding (He was a Son), He had to experience the true meaning of obedience in terms of the suffering it entailed. Having done so, He was thereby made perfect for the role He would play as His people's Captain and High Priest. That there is an element of mystery in all this need not be denied, but it is no greater than that found in Luke's words: "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men" (Luke 2:52). In a real sense not fully comprehensible, the Incarnation gave the already infinitely wise and perfect Son of God the experiential acquisition of knowledge about the human condition. Suffering thus became a reality that He tasted and from it He can sympathize deeply with His followers. (The Gr. has an interesting play on words in the verbs He learned [emathen] and He suffered [epathen].)
This is what the writer had in mind when he affirmed that He became the Source (aitios) of eternal salvation for all who obey Him. The salvation here referred to cannot be distinguished from that which is termed an inheritance (Heb. 1:14). It is also to be identified with the "eternal inheritance" mentioned in 9:15. It should not be confused with the acquisition of eternal life which is conditioned not on obedience but on faith (cf. John 3:16, etc.). Once again the writer had in mind final deliverance from and victory over all enemies and the consequent enjoyment of the "glory" of the many sons and daughters. This kind of salvation is explicitly contingent on obedience and indeed on an obedience modeled after that of Jesus who also suffered. It is thus closely related to the saying of the Lord in which He declared, "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me and for the gospel will save it" (Mark 8:34-35).
The High Priest has become the "Source" of this kind of salvation experience for those who are willing to live obediently. In describing Him this way, the author was chiefly thinking of all the resources that flow from Christ's priestly activities that make a Christian's life of obedience possible. Whatever one's suffering, the High Priest understands it, sympathizes, and makes available the "mercy" and "grace" which are needed to endure it successfully. As the writer will later say, "He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them" (Heb. 7:25). With precisely this end in view Christ was designated by God to be High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.

B. The third warning (5:11-6:20)
The author had barely begun his consideration of the topic of the Melchizedek priesthood of Christ. But he felt constrained to pause for another warning section before proceeding further. This was due to the immaturity and sluggishness of his audience which made him wonder how much exposition they could digest. No doubt he hoped to arouse them to greater attentiveness to the truth he wished to unfold. But at the same time he wanted them to face squarely the danger of remaining where they were, since this could lead to tragic retrogression.
1. The Problem Of Immaturity (5:11-14)
5:11-12. We have much to say about this, he began, referring to the subject of Jesus' Melchizedek priesthood. As it turned out, his subsequent discussion was indeed lengthy (7:1-10:18) as well as deep. Accordingly he anticipated that it would be hard to explain because his readers were slow to learn. They had been Christians a long time, he reminded them, so that by this time they ought to be teachers. Others who had been in the faith less time than they should be profiting from their instruction. Instead they needed someone to instruct them again in the basics.
In alluding to the elementary truths the writer employed an expression which could refer to the letters of the alphabet as they might be learned by a school child. "You seem to need your ABCs reviewed," his rebuke suggested, but at the same time he had no intention of going over them (6:1). What he apparently had mainly in view was their wavering state of mind in regard to the error that sought to lure them away from the faith. If they were being urged, whether by sectarians or others, to abandon their Christian profession, then clearly this called into question the fundamental truths they should have been firm in. The result was, to all appearances, you need milk, not solid food! But what he would shortly offer them would be solid food indeed, by which he evidently hoped to pull them dramatically forward in their Christian experience.
5:13-14. It is unsatisfactory to remain a baby in spiritual matters. This is true because a spiritual infant, living on milk... is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. The words "not acquainted" (apeiros) might be better rendered "inexperienced." It is not so much that a spiritual "infant" lacks information—though at first he obviously does—but rather that he has not yet learned to put "the teaching about righteousness" to effective use. He lacks the skill which goes with maturity and which results in the ability to make appropriate moral choices. Such ability is exactly what is possessed by those who... have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. That kind of person can handle solid food.
Once more the writer betrayed his concern about his readers' ability to reject the false ideas which confronted them. Had they been sufficiently mature they would be able to "distinguish" those ideas as "evil" over against the truths they should have known were "good." But he feared that this capability was not yet really theirs, though he would make every effort to instill it in them.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.

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[Heb 5:7-9]:

(v. 7) "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One Who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission.

(v. 8) Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered

(v. 9) and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him..."

A) THE SON OF GOD WAS MADE PERFECT, I.E., MATURE OR COMPLETE IN THE EXPERIENCE OF HIS HUMANITY ESPECIALLY THROUGH SUFFERING IN ORDER TO BECOME THE SOURCE OF ETERNAL SALVATION

"made perfect" = "teleiotheis" = a better translation is made complete.

God the Son is absolutely perfect and complete as God. However, as a Man, He had to experience the condition of humanity, especially relative to suffering as a man in order to qualify as the Savior of the world. Christ was already perfect - morally, but He became mature or complete because of what He went through. He suffered with mankind therefore He was a part of mankind because of what He had gone through. Because of this completion He could become the source of all eternal salvation. As a Man, He is One of us.

B) ALL WHO OBEY CHRIST, I.E., OBEY HIS COMMAND TO BELIEVE IN HIM UNTO ETERNAL LIFE WILL INHERIT ETERNAL SALVATION

1) OBEDIENCE CAN BE AN OBEDIENCE WITHIN THE MIND

The phrase "tois hupakouousin autO" from Heb 5:9, is a dative participle which literally is rendered,"to the ones obeying Him" or the best rendering, "to those who obey Him".

Since salvation unto eternal life is via faith alone, (Eph 2:8-9);

and since one can obey not only with deeds, but also with the mind including certain mental attitudes such as believing;

then "tois Hupakouousin autO" is properly interpreted as an obedience by simply believing.

The Ten Commandments, for example, prohibit a number of mental attitude sins, such as coveteousness. To disobey one of these mental attitude commandments is to have that mental attitude of coveteousness - no actual deeds required! If one believed that coveteousness was a sin and did not practice such a mental attitude, then one was obeying that commandment within one's mind, and without any actions. Therefore, faith in Christ as Savior is indeed obeying the Gospel of salvation by simply exercising a mental assent - a simple trust in Christ in obedience to His command to believe in Him unto eternal life.

2) THE WORK THAT ONE MUST OBEY IN ORDER TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE IS STIPULATED AS A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE

In the Gospel of John, our Lord explicitly states that the work that one must do for eternal life is exclusively a matter of faith. So to obey the Lord unto eternal salvation must necessarily be to obey His command to trust alone in Him alone for eternal life, no deeds required:

a) [Compare Jn 6:27-29]:

(v. 27) "[Jesus answered] Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.

(v. 28) Then they asked Him, 'What must we do to do the works God requires?'

(v. 29) Jesus answered, 'The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.' "

Our Lord picks up on the word 'work' which the disciples used but not in a literal sense and provided the answer which is no work at all: but to simply to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior.

Just as a father can answer his precocious young son's question using drive in a non literal fashion as follows: 'Which car can I drive to class, Dad?' with: 'I'll tell you which car you can drive. You can drive the school bus to class;" so our Lord uses the work in a non literal fashion also.

2) TO OBEY THE TRUTH IS TO BELIEVE IN IT

a) [Compare 1 Pet 1:17-23]:

(v. 17) "Since you [believers, v. 18] call on a Father Who judges each man's work impartially, [relative to rewards, 1 Cor 3:11-15] live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

(v. 18) For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers.

[Notice the word "redeemed". The subject is salvation. Peter is reminding Jewish believers that they were saved not by things nor by their "empty way of life", i.e., by trying to be saved by the deeds of the Law handed down by their forefathers but they were saved by the blood of Jesus Christ]:

(v. 19) but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

(v. 20) He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

[And the basis upon which the blood of Christ saved you, Peter says to fellow believers, is faith, i.e., belief in the gospel of salvation]:

(v. 21) Through Him you believe in God, Who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God [relative to salvation unto eternal life]

(v. 22) Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart."

["Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth" = Now that you have received perfect righteousness, i.e., purification unto eternal life by "obeying the truth" = by believing in the gospel of salvation, (cp v. 21).]

(v. 23) For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God."

[So obeying the truth according to Scripture is believing in it. Verse 21 states that believing in God, in what He did relative to His Son: His Son's death, burial, resurrection and glorifiication (the Gospel of salvation) will result in purification, i.e., eternal life. And verse 22 describes this action of believing in the gospel of salvation as "obeying the truth." Then verse 23 confirms that the subject is being born again, i.e., salvation]

3) TO RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT UNTO ETERNAL LIFE IS TO OBEY CHRIST'S COMMAND AND BELIEVE IN THE GOSPEL, I.E., IN HIM ALONE

a) [Eph 1:13-14]:

(v. 13) "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

(v. 14) who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory."

[Notice that to receive the Holy Spirit one must simply believe in the gospel]

b) [Compare Acts 5:32]:

"We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, Whom God has given to those who obey Him."

Since the Holy Spirit is given to one at the point of believing in the gospel in accordance with Eph 1:13-14, then to obey Christ to receive the Holy Spirit is simply to obey His command to believe in the gospel.

4) TO DISOBEY IS TO DISBELIEVE THE GOSPEL RELATIVE TO ETERNAL LIFE

a) [1 Pet 2:6-8]:

(v. 6) "For in Scripture it says: 'See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.'

[The one who trusts in Christ, the Cornerstone, (cp 2:4; Eph 2:20; Gen 49:24) "will never be put to shame" i.e., will never suffer eternal condemnation, (cp Ps 78:66), therefore will be saved unto eternal life]

(v. 7) Now to you who believe, this Stone is precious, but those who do not believe, 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,' and,

(v. 8) 'A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.' They stumble because they disobey the message - which is also what they were destined for."

["...they disobey the message" = "But to those who do not believe," (v. 7). So to disobey is to disbelieve. therefore, to obey is to believe]

b) [Compare Jn 3:36]:

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, [but] whoever disobeys [rejects, refuses to believe in] the Son will not see life for God's wrath remains on Him."

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life" =

"Whoever believes" = "ho pisteuon" = "pisteuon" = nom. sg. m. pres. act. part. = "the believing one", i.e., the believer.

"[but] whoever disobeys [rejects, refuses to believe in] the Son will not see life for God's wrath remains on Him." =

This second half of verse 36 is contextually the opposite of the first half considering the opposite result of not seeing eternal life and therefore not ever having become a believer is in view in order to not see [eternal] life and remain under God's wrath:

"whoever rejects the Son" = "ho de apeithon"

= "apeithon" = "disobeys", lit. "one that is disbelieving", i.e., rejects the son = an unbeliever. This word apeitheo is consistently used in the New Testament to refer to the disobedience of unbelief.

"for God's wrath remains on Him." = This last part of the verse signifies that the individual never had eternal life in the first place in order for God's wrath to remain on him, i.e., he never began believing in Christ at any time so that he could be out from under God's wrath. So the second clause refers to those who never believed and thus they remain under condemnation.

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever "apeithon" = refuses to believe and obey, i.e., rejects the Son [as his Savior] will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

c) [Jn 3:18]:

"Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

Notice that here in John 3:18 that the only condition presented for being condemned is to not believe in the name of God's one and only Son. Compare Jn 8:42-47 = those who do not believe in Christ belong to their father the devil, i.e., are not saved. Since the sole condition on the part of the individual is to receive eternal life is to trust alone in Christ alone

and

since the sole condition of condemnation unto the Lake of Fire, i.e., since the only thing that gets you condemned to hell is not ever trusting alone in Christ alone as Savior

and

since disobeying the gospel of salvation g eets you condemned to hell then disobeying the gospel of salvation is the same thing as disbelieving it. One can disobey by doing something 'out of the line of the authority that you are under' and one can also disobey by believing something out of line.

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