Letters to the Churches

For every cohen gadol taken from among men is appointed to act on people’s behalf with regard to things concerning God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

He can deal gently with the ignorant and with those who go astray, since he too is subject to weakness.

Also, because of this weakness, he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as those of the people.

And no one takes this honor upon himself, rather, he is called by God, just as Aharon was.

So neither did the Messiah glorify himself to become cohen gadol; rather, it was the One who said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.”

Also, as he says in another place, “You are a cohen forever, to be compared with Malki-Tzedek.”

During Yeshua’s life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions, crying aloud and shedding tears, to the One who had the power to deliver him from death; and he was heard because of his godliness.

Even though he was the Son, he learned obedience through his sufferings.

And after he had been brought to the goal, he became the source of eternal deliverance to all who obey him,

since he had been proclaimed by God as a cohen gadol to be compared with Malki-Tzedek.

We have much to say about this subject, but it is hard to explain, because you have become sluggish in understanding.

For although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the very first principles of God’s Word all over again! You need milk, not solid food!

Anyone who has to drink milk is still a baby, without experience in applying the Word about righteousness.

But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by continuous exercise to distinguish good from evil.

Therefore, leaving behind the initial lessons about the Messiah, let us go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of turning from works that lead to death, trusting God,

and instruction about washings, s’mikhah, the resurrection of the dead and eternal punishment.

And, God willing, this is what we will do.

For when people have once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become sharers in the Ruach HaKodesh,

and tasted the goodness of God’s Word and the powers of the ‘olam haba —

and then have fallen away — it is impossible to renew them so that they turn from their sin, as long as for themselves they keep executing the Son of God on the stake all over again and keep holding him up to public contempt.

For the land that soaks up frequent rains and then brings forth a crop useful to its owners receives a blessing from God;

but if it keeps producing thorns and thistles, it fails the test and is close to being cursed; in the end, it will be burned.

Now even though we speak this way, dear friends, we are confident that you have the better things that come with being delivered.

For God is not so unfair as to forget your work and the love you showed for him in your past service to his people — and in your present service too.

However, we want each one of you to keep showing the same diligence right up to the end, when your hope will be realized;