Smoodock's Blog

In Hebrews 5:8 Paul refers to Jesus as a Son. However, Paul at this point is not arguing that Jesus is the literal and eternal Son of God. That theology can be argued from the New Covenant, but the word son in this context refers to his argument in Hebrews 5:5. As the High Priest, he was the Judge of everyone’s obedience to God. This is the context in which Paul uses the word son (cf. Psalm 2:7). We all learn obedience by being called into account by those set in authority over us. Experience tells us to obey our parents, because, if we don’t, we will be chastised or punished. Experience tells us to obey the local traffic laws, because, if we’re caught by the local authorities, we could be fined. We learn to submit through the discipline of those in authority over us.

Do people in authority have to obey anyone? We live in a democratic republic, and, ideally, those who are in authority, even the President, must obey the law. Abuses occur, but who is able to call those things into account? How does a king or a dictator learn obedience, since he does not have to answer to any human for what he does? Who does God have to obey, or to whom must he submit? God is the supreme authority and acts out of his own integrity. In Jesus’ case, being the Messiah and High Priest, he answers to no one but God. His name or authority is above that of everyone else, whether in heaven or on earth (cf. Philippians 2:9-10; 1Peter 3:22).

Paul argues that even Jesus learned obedience in the days of his flesh (Hebrews 5:7) by the things he suffered (Hebrews 5:8). We are told elsewhere that, when Jesus set aside his authority as God and found himself in the form or body of a servant (i.e. in the flesh, in the form of man) he became obedient even unto death (Philippians 2:6-8). Although Jesus often challenged men in positions of authority, calling them into account, he humbled himself and obeyed those in authority over him. Even though they were corrupt and should have obeyed him, Jesus still submitted to their authority, when doing so wasn’t in conflict with honoring God (Matthew 15:6; Mark 7:13). He did so, because all human authority is sanctioned by God (Romans 13:1). Under the authority of men, Jesus suffered many things, but he endured all, because that authority was ordained by God, and rebelling against those men would, in effect, have been rebelling against God who sanctioned their positions of authority.

The word Paul uses for perfect in Hebrews 5:9 is teleioo (G5048) and it means to make perfect or complete. It has nothing to do with Jesus’ sinless life or being the perfect man. Rather it has to do with Jesus fulfilling the office of high priest. This couldn’t have been done without suffering and dying on the cross, in order that he would have an offering to God for man. When these things were made perfect, that is, when he had completed the work of High Priest, then, and only then, did he become the Author of eternal salvation.

The high priest’s qualifications are set forth in Hebrews 5:1-2, 4. Although he had to offer a sacrifice for his own sins (verse-3) this qualified the high priest as a sinner, but it didn’t make him a high priest. So, in spite of the fact that he was also a sinner, he was appointed to his office by God (Hebrews 5:4), and stood between God and man, representing the holiness of God before men and acting as an advocate for men in the Presence of God. In doing so, he had the authority to bring to God both the gifts of men and their pleas for mercy by way of the sacrifices they offered (Hebrews 5:1-2).

As for Jesus, he didn’t need a sacrifice for himself (Hebrews 5:3; cf. 4:15),[1] but he was able to sympathize with men’s frailty, in that for our sakes he became weak (Philippians 2:6-8). He became one of us (John 1:1, 14), needing food and water to survive. Indeed, he became the weakness of God (1Corinthians 1:25) for our sakes, so that we might live through the power of God (2Corinthians 13:4; cf. Hebrews 5:9), through the sacrifice of himself on the cross as our Sin-Offering (Hebrews 1:3; 10:12).

[1] However, in earlier studies I’ve shown that Jesus did plead for his own life (cp. Matthew 26:38, Mark 14:34). See my studies: He Was Heard in that He Feared and Jesus’ Prayer in Gethsemane.