Hebrews 5

1. Hebrews 5 • Christ as the Great High Priest

2. Vatican in Bold Bid to Attract Anglicans Left: Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.Right: Catholic Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols

3. From last week: 4:14-16 • Logically fits with the shift of the discussion to Jesus as High Priest, rather than discussion of the Sabbath Rest of God. • Devotionally very powerful phraseology

4. KJV Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Heb. 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Heb. 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Heb. 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Heb. 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. NJB Heb. 4:12 ¶ The word of God is something alive and active: it cuts more incisively than any two-edged sword: it can seek out the place where soul is divided from spirit, or joints from marrow; it can pass judgement on secret emotions and thoughts. Heb. 4:13 No created thing is hidden from him; everything is uncovered and stretched fully open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves. Heb. 4:14 ¶ Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must hold firm to our profession of faith. Heb. 4:15 For the high priest we have is not incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us, but has been put to the test in exactly the same way as ourselves, apart from sin. Heb. 4:16 Let us, then, have no fear in approaching the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace when we are in need of help.

5. Quick and Powerful... Heb. 4: 12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. • Hel. 3: 29 Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked— • D&C 6: 2 Behold, I am God; give heed unto my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore give heed unto my words. • D&C 11: 2 Behold, I am God; give heed to my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore give heed unto my word. • D&C 12: 2 Behold, I am God; give heed to my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore, give heed unto my word. • D&C 14: 2 Behold, I am God; give heed to my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore give heed unto my word. • D&C 27: 1 LISTEN to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Lord, your God, and your Redeemer, whose word is quick and powerful. • D&C 33: 1 BEHOLD, I say unto you, my servants Ezra and Northrop, open ye your ears and hearken to the voice of the Lord your God, whose word is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of the joints and marrow, soul and spirit; and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

6. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Mosiah 5:13 ...and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart? Alma 12:7 ...he was convinced that they knew the thoughts and intents of his heart... Alma 18:32 ...he knows all the thoughts and intents of the heart... Helaman 3:29 Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil... Text

7. Jesus: Great High Priest • The chief priest is usually referred to as either the “great priest” (Lev 21:10; Num 35:25,28,32; Hag 1:1, 12, 14; 2:3; Zech 3:1, 9; 6:11) or rarely “high priest” (Lev 4:3l; Josh 22:13, plus lots in Maccabees). • Here Hebrews combines “great” with “high priest.” • Heb. 4: 14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. • D&C 107: 2 Why the first is called the Melchizedek Priesthood is because Melchizedek was such a great high priest. • D&C 138: 41 Noah, who gave warning of the flood; Shem, the great high priest; Abraham, the father of the faithful; Isaac, Jacob, and Moses, the great law-giver of Israel;

8. “Come boldly unto the throne of grace...” parreœsiaG4244 (parrheœsia), openness, confidence, boldness, frankness; parreœsiazomai G4245 (parrheœsiazomai), speak out, speak openly, speak boldly. The term parrheœsiía is an important one in the political sphere as a presupposition of democracy. It signifies a. the right to say anything, b. an openness to truth, and c. candor. - Theological Dictionary of the New Testament parrheœsia occurs 31 times in the NT (13 times in the Johannine writings; 8 times in Paul; 5 times in Acts; and 4 times in Heb.; and once in Mk.). The vb. parrheœsiazomai is found 9 times (7 times in Acts; and twice in Paul). The two words vary in meaning from virtually the equivalent of eleutheria, freedom, to elpis, hope.... • We should approach the future not in fear of judgment but in full confidence, openness to God and in the hope of the fullness of the glory of God (cf. 2 Cor. 3:11 f.). Therefore, we should abide in Christ (1 Jn. 2:28; Heb. 3:6; 10:35), who has already triumphed over the principalities and powers in public (en parrheœsia, Col. 2:15), and made possible access into the holiest (Heb. 10:19; cf. 4:16). He who perseveres in faith, holds to Christ in love (cf. 1 Jn. 4:17; cf. also the emphasis laid on parrheœsia gained through faithful service, 1 Tim. 3:13), and who is not condemned by his own heart (1 Jn. 3:21) will have confidence in prayer (1 Jn. 5:14). He will also “have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming” (1 Jn. 2:28). Thus parrheœsia contains the ideas of “trust in God, certainty of salvation, the conquest of the consciousness of sin, sanction and power to pray, and expectation of the future” (O. Michel, Der Brief an die Hebräer, KEK 13, 196612, 98 [translated from German]). • H.-C. Hahn, The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology

9. “Come boldly unto the throne of grace...” “The term ‘with boldness’ (parresia) was associated with philosophers of the Cynic stripe.” -- LTJ, Hebrews, p 140 Alexandre et Diogène, by Pierre Puget, finished in 1694 for Louis XIV

10. http://cartelfr.louvre.fr/cartelfr/visite?srv=car_not_frame&idNotice=4271http://cartelfr.louvre.fr/cartelfr/visite?srv=car_not_frame&idNotice=4271

11. Heb 5:1-4Twelve attributes of a high priest • Job Description: • Taken from among humans • In behalf of humans • In matters pertaining to God • To offer gifts and sacrifices • For sins. • Personal Dispositions: • Dealing gently with ignorant and wandering • Sharing their weakness • Offering gifts for himself • As well as for the people • Vocation: • Not chosen by oneself • Chosen by God • In the manner of Aaron Note that Christ models all of these attributes. Taken from LTJ, Hebrews, p137

12. Point 1: taken from among humans • This is fully deliberate and part of how high priests fulfill their responsibilities • See Alma 13:2, but also 13:1-3.

13. Two of these attributes now selected for further development • Christ chosen by God, as shown by two quotes from Psalms. (Ps 2:7, 110:4). • Christ shared out weakness and learned obedience by the things he suffered.

14. Ps 110:4 • Not cited by any other Christian writer of the era (e.g., no Gospels, Paul’s other epistles) • But cited directly three times in Hebrews(5:6; 7:17; 7:21) and alluded to eight more times in Hebrews 5, 6, and 7. • Major emphasis: Jesus is a high priest.

15. KJV Heb. 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Heb. 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; Heb. 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Heb. 5:10 ¶ Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. NJB Heb. 5:7 During his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, with loud cries and with tears, to the one who had the power to save him from death, and, winning a hearing by his reverence, Heb. 5:8 he learnt obedience, Son though he was, through his sufferings; Heb. 5:9 when he had been perfected, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation Heb. 5:10 and was acclaimed by God with the title of high priest of the order of Melchizedek. NIV Heb. 5:7 ¶ During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Heb. 5:8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered Heb. 5:9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him Heb. 5:10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

16. 7-10. These verses make clear reference to Christ and his mortal ministry and are in complete harmony with other scriptures which bear on the same matters, as also with the sermons of the early brethren of this dispensation who quote them as applying to our Lord. • However, there is a footnote in the Inspired Version which says, "The 7th and 8th verses allude to Melchizedek, and not to Christ." Standing alone, and because it is only part of the picture, this footnote gives an erroneous impression. The fact is verses 7 and 8 apply to both Melchizedek and to Christ, because Melchizedek was a prototype of Christ and that prophet's ministry typified and foreshadowed that of our Lord in the same sense that the ministry of Moses did. (Deut. 18:15-19; Acts 3:22-23; 3 Ne. 30:23; Jos. Smith 2:40.) Thus, though the words of these verses, and particularly those in the 7th verse, had original application to Melchizedek, they apply with equal and perhaps even greater force to the life and ministry of him through whom all the promises made to Melchizedek were fulfilled. Melchizedek a Prototype of Christ] See Heb. 7:1-3. • (Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols., 3:, p.157)

21. Types of Changes in the JST • Restoration of original text • Restoration of what was once said or done but which was never in the Bible • Editing to make the Bible more understandable for modern readers • Editing to bring biblical wording into harmony with truth found in other revelations or elsewhere in the Bible. • Changes to provide modern readers teachings that were not written by original authors.

22. “Translation” has a different meaning here • “The changes identified in categories 2 through 5 are not restorations of original text but are wordings that likely had never been in the Bible, had never been written in Hebrew or Greek, and had never been cast in the ancient literary style of Bible writers. The original language of those changes is the English of Joseph Smith. • “Because some JST passages were perhaps never in the Bible, we would not expect to find evidence for them in ancient manuscripts.” Joseph Smith's New Translation Of The Bible: Original Manuscripts, Faulring/Jackson/Matthews, p 11

23. Christ’s Suffering • Prayers answered “no” rather than “yes.” (See Mt 26:36-46) • From NIV Study Bible: He was made “perfect” (v. 9) through suffering, namely, his temptation in the desert and his ordeal on the cross. Though he was the eternal Son of God, it was necessary for him as the incarnate Son to learn obedience—not that he was ever disobedient, but that he was called on to obey to an extent he had never before experienced. The temptations he faced were real and the battle for victory was difficult, but where Adam failed and fell, Jesus resisted and prevailed. His humanity was thereby completed, “made perfect” (v. 9), and on the basis of this perfection he could become “the source of eternal salvation” (see 9:12).

24. Suffering: a key part of mortality Teaching of Presidents of the Church-Joseph Smith, page 230

25. Suffering and Sonship • Hebrews 12:5 • Jesus, the Son who had the most right to bypass suffering, chose the worst suffering.