Latest Commentaries

Jesus is the only priest we need. Like Melchizedek, He is both king and priest, eternal, righteous, who brings peace and blessings. He is the source of our hope, which should keep us from drifting from our faith.

God keeps His word. He blesses those who are patient and obedient, like Abraham. This should encourage Christians to pursue maturity. The blessings of living faithfully are a certainty guaranteed by God.

The Pauline Author is convinced the window of repentance is still open for his friends. He thinks his readers are capable of maturity and faithfulness. He has already seen them show love to God by ministering to other Christians. The Pauline Author wants them to realize God will reward them, and that they should be diligent in growing mature. Faith and patience are key to inheriting God’s blessings.

Christians are expected to obey God and produce faithful works, which leads to blessings from Him. Some Christians rebel and waste the grace given to them, living lives that are useless and harmful to themselves and others.

Some believers squander the immense benefits of the gift of salvation and live in rebellion to God. They fall away from their faith. This does not undo their justification before God, but it ruins their walk and fellowship with God. It is impossible to bring some of these believers back to repentance once the window of repentance closes. This is why the Pauline Author is urging immediate repentance.

Things like repentance, belief, cleanliness, resurrection, and eternal judgement — these are all basic, foundational aspects of Christianity. They are not signs of mature believers. There are deeper teachings to understand beyond them. The Pauline Author’s believing Hebrew friends have wandered from the path of maturity and need to repent and return to that path or risk losing blessings. The window of repentance does not stay open indefinitely.

The Pauline Author has much to say about Christ’s priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek, but since the recipients of this letter have not gone on to maturity it will be difficult for them to understand. 

Jesus meets the qualifications for being a high priest.

The Pauline Author points out that Jesus was called by God to be a priest; therefore, His priesthood is legitimate. 

The Pauline Author lists the qualifications for a priest: appointed by God, offers gifts and sacrifices, human with human weaknesses, and can deal with sinners with understanding. 

Our high priest is sympathetic and available to help us persevere in our faith. We can have confidence to approach God because He is for us. 

Believers should be diligent to be obedient so that they enter God’s rest (receive the reward of their inheritance). God will judge our faithfulness based on our intent; He is able to discern all, even the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. 

The second generation entered God’s rest when they crossed over and possessed the land. But there remains a rest (inheritance) other than the one that was available to the Israelites. That is the reward of possessing the inheritance of sharing in Christ’s sonship. 

Faith and obedience will allow us to enter God’s rest. God rested on the seventh day when he finished His works; this is a picture of our opportunity to complete the work God has given us. 

We can miss out on entering God’s rest (receiving our inheritance); hearing God’s word must be united with faith in order to possess the greatest rewards of life.

The Israelites turned from God, and because of their unbelief, they did not receive their inheritance.

The Pauline Author continues warning these believers to not turn away from God. He asks them to encourage one another and turn from sin.

The Pauline Author gives the example of the Israelites’ refusal to trust God. Their lack of faith resulted in them wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and losing the chance to possess the land that God had promised them. 

Jesus was faithful to God just as Moses was faithful to God. Moses was faithful in God’s house as a servant but Jesus was faithful as a Son—the Inheritor. We can be a part of God’s household as inheritors as well, if we hold fast. 

Christ became a human to save humankind from the power of sin and death. By becoming a human and liberating us, He now acts as a high priest. He knows and has experienced the temptations humans suffer, and He is available to help those who ask for it.