Dec 18 - Hebrews 6-8
Hebrews
1Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,2instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.3And God permitting, we will do so.4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age,6if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.7Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.8But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.9Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case--things that accompany salvation.10God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.11We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.12We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.13When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,14saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants."15And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.16Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.17Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.18God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.19We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,20where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
1This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,2and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace."3Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.4Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!5Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people--that is, their brothers--even though their brothers are descended from Abraham.6This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.7And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater.8In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living.9One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham,10because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.11If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come--one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?12For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.13He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar.14For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.15And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears,16one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.17For it is declared: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."18The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless19(for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.20And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath,21but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever.'"22Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.23Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office;24but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.25Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.26Such a high priest meets our need--one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.27Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.28For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
1The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,2and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.3Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer.4If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already men who offer the gifts prescribed by the law.5They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."6But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.7For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.8But God found fault with the people and said: "The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.9It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.10This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.11No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.12For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."13By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.