Letters to the Churches

For every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:

who can bear gently with the ignorant and erring, for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity;

and by reason thereof is bound, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.

And no man taketh the honor unto himself, but when he is called of God, even as was Aaron.

So Christ also glorified not himself to be made a high priest, but he that spake unto him, Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten thee:

as he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever After the order of Melchizedek.

Who in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear,

though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered;

and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation;

named of God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Of whom we have many things to say, and hard of interpretation, seeing ye are become dull of hearing.

For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food.

For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe.

But solid food is for fullgrown men, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

And this will we do, if God permit.

For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,

and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come,

and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

For the land which hath drunk the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receiveth blessing from God:

but if it beareth thorns and thistles, it is rejected and nigh unto a curse; whose end is to be burned.

But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak:

for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and the love which ye showed toward his name, in that ye ministered unto the saints, and still do minister.

And we desire that each one of you may show the same diligence unto the fulness of hope even to the end: