Letters to the Churches

and was affirmed by God through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.

For it is not to angels that He has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking.

But somewhere it is testified in these words: “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?

You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor

and placed everything under his feet.” When God subjected all things to him, He left nothing outside of his control. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting for God, for whom and through whom all things exist, to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.

For both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

He says: “I will proclaim Your name to My brothers; I will sing Your praises in the assembly.”

And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And once again: “Here am I, and the children God has given Me.”

Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil,

and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

For surely it is not the angels He helps, but the descendants of Abraham.

For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, in order to make atonement for the sins of the people.

Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.

Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, set your focus on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.

He was faithful to the One who appointed Him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.

For Jesus has been counted worthy of greater glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.

And every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.

Now Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be spoken later.

But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope of which we boast.

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice,

do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness,

where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw My works.

Therefore I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known My ways.’