'Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset by weakness and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. No one takes this honor upon himself but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. In the same way, it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest, but rather the one who said to him: “You are my son; this day I have begotten you”; just as he says in another place: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 5:1-6).”'
The high priest offers sacrifices for sins as on the Day of Atonement, “For on this day atonement is made for you to make you clean; of all your sins you will be cleansed before the Lord (Lev. 16:30).” The high priest is able to make sin offerings for others who commit sins out of weakness, but he is weak also and must make a sin offering for himself. God himself ordains all those He wants to be priests, just as he ordained Aaron (Ex. 28:1) because they are to be the mediators between God and man. Aaron was from the Levitical priesthood while Christ belongs to a higher order. Melchizedek was the king of Salem in antiquity (Gn. 14:18-20) who Christians use as a prefiguration of Christ. Christ is the only perfect High Priest who is able to free us from sin, and God has ordained Christ to be high priest forever.
Almighty God, we ask your blessings upon all priests with the hope that they will discharge the duties of their office in accordance with your will. Grant that through them we may understand Your Word as given to us by Your Son, and in the fulfillment of our time be brought to eternal salvation. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen
References:
Raymond E. Brown, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, & Roland E. Murphy, (Eds.). (1990, 1968). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentis Hall, Inc.
Jose M. Casciaro, Santiago Ausin, Gonzalo Aranda, Claudio Basevi, Vincente Balaguer, Francisco Varo, James Gavigan, Brian McCarthy & Thomas McGovern (Eds.). (2017). The Navarre Bible - New Testament. Dublin 8, Ireland: Four Courts Press.
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