Hebrews 5:1

AUTHORITY AND HONOR OF CHRIST'S PRIESTHOOD;

A COMPARISON WITH MELCHIZEDEK;

SALVATION TO THOSE WHO OBEY;

REPROOF OF NEGLIGENCE

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. (Hebrews 5:1)

In the Jewish system, a tremendous weight of significance and emphasis was placed upon the glorious office of the high priest; and, for the encouragement of Christians tempted to revert to Judaism, it was therefore necessary to show that Christ was and is indeed a great high priest, not merely equal, but vastly superior to any of the high priests of Israel. In this and following verses, the author of Hebrews analyzes the high priesthood of Christ in such a manner as to prove that the Christians who had given up the priesthood of Aaron and his successors had, in Christ, received far more than they had lost. In every conceivable comparison, as to rank, character, quality of sacrifice, or whatsoever, the marvelous superiority of Christ is emphatically demonstrated.

He begins with the ordinary qualifications of any high priest, namely, that (1) he should be taken from among people; (2) appointed by God; (3) have tender compassion for those whom he represented; (4) possess an adequate sacrifice; and (5) refrain from taking such an honor unto himself. Then he proceeds to show how, in all of these matters, Christ possessed the most extraordinary qualifications.

Without doubt, the earthly splendor of the Jewish high priest was a factor of seductive influence on Christians, especially those of Jewish background. His rich robes, the extravagantly ornate breastplate, the unique privilege of entering the Holy of Holies on the day of atonement, his status as judge and president of the Sanhedrin, his dramatic influence as the official representative of the Jewish nation, more especially at a time when they had no king, the traditional descent of the office from the sons of Aaron and reaching all the way back to the Exodus, and the grudging respect paid to the office, even by Roman conquerors - all these things and many others elevated the Jewish high priest to a position of isolated splendor in the eyes of the people. "Gifts and sacrifices for sins" has special reference to the day of atonement and to the ceremonial offering of blood, first for the sins of the high priest and then for the sins of all the people. The separate mention of gifts and sacrifices is a distinction between the unbloody offerings and the bloody ones, both classes of which were offered on the day of atonement. Barmby called attention to this distinction in these words, "Though bloodshedding was essential for atonement (Hebrews 9:22), the unbloody [~minchah] formed part of the ceremony of expiation, and this notably on the day of atonement."[1]