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8

Three orders of priesthood were compared, and a warning to stagnated growth

Hebrews 5: 1-14

  • Session: 8
  • Week: 2
  • Day: 1
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Introduction

In this session, Hebrews chapter 5: 1-14 we focused on the comparison between the Aaronic priesthood and the Melchizedek priesthood.

Objectives

By the end of this session, the learner will have:

  • Compared and contrasted two orders of priesthood in the bible, namely, the Aaronic priesthood and the Melchizedek Priesthood, which is better by far.
  • Listed and explained three indicators that showed these believers (disciples) had stagnated growth and living.

Outline

  • The order of priesthood
  • Comparing Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthood
  • Growth curve

Group Study Time

Hebrews 5: 1-14

Connecting

  • Gather with two or more people for a community discovery bible study session.
  • Start with a heartfelt prayer, inviting God to guide and bless your understanding.
  • Explore the passage by reading it at least twice, using different Bible versions if available, then retell the story together as a group.
  • Reflect and share the challenges and blessings you experienced from the previous study.

Comprehending

  • Read Hebrews 5: 1-4. What do you learn about the Jewish High Priest (Aaron). His personality, his selection to office, his roles to self, others, and God.
  • Who was Priest Aaron in the Bible? Who was Melchizedek in the Bible?
  • Read Hebrews 5: 5-11. How is Jesus’s high priesthood the same as the Aaronic priesthood?
  • How is Jesus’s High Priesthood different and better than the Aaronic Priesthood? (Compare also with Hebrews 4: 14-16).
  • What is stagnated growth? What causes stagnation in the lives of Jesus’ followers?
  • Read Hebrews 5: 12-14. List and explain three indicators that showed these believers had stagnated growth and living?

Committing

  • Engage with the Bible—read, study, memorize, meditate, pray, listen, and live it out.
  • List three lessons you have learnt as an agent of change that you would like to put into practice and teach others about.
  • Take time and worship Jesus with the attributes revealed about Christ.
  • Use the SPACEPETS model, to assist you in putting God’s word into practice. Look for:
    • Sin to confess
    • Promise to claim
    • Attitude to change
    • Command to keep
    • Error to change
    • Prayer to make
    • Example to copy
    • Truth to obey and
    • Something praiseworthy

Communicating

  • Identify one person you can connect with and share the valuable insights and lessons you gained from this session.
  • Reach out to a new believer—either in person or by phone—and pray with them to support them through their challenges, including any concerns about attending church.
  • Create a new group and guide others through this study to help them grow in their understanding.

Post Lesson Teaching Summary

Great job completing the study! Take a moment to listen to this summary to reinforce your group’s understanding of the text and ensure you’re all on the same page. We’re here to support your learning journey!

Three orders of priesthood were compared, and a warning to stagnated growth

Hebrews 5: 1-14

Hebrews 5:1-14

Context

  • Expanding on Jesus as great High Priest (4:14-16), chapter 5 details qualifications of high priests, contrasts Aaronic order with Melchizedek’s, and applies to Jesus; ends with a warning against spiritual immaturity.
  • God speaks through Word and Priest to usher believers into rest; dull hearing resists both, stunting growth.
  • Focus: Jesus perfectly fulfills and surpasses priesthood requirements, enabling eternal salvation.

Qualities of the High Priest and Jesus’ Superiority (Hebrews 5:1-14)

  • Aaronic High Priest Qualifications (vv. 1-4):
    • Chosen from among men by God (not self-appointed, as Aaron was called).
    • Represents people in dealings with God: offers gifts and sacrifices for sins.
    • Deals gently with ignorant and wayward because subject to same weaknesses.
    • Offers sacrifices for own sins first, then for the people’s.
    • Symbolic garments: onyx stones on shoulders (6 tribes each) and breastpiece (12 stones) carry people’s burdens before God.
  • Jesus Appointed to Melchizedek Order (vv. 5-10):
    • Did not honor Himself; chosen by God: “You are My Son” (Psalm 2:7); “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4).
    • Offered prayers, pleadings, loud cries, and tears to God who could save from death; heard because of reverent submission.
    • As Son, learned obedience through suffering; made perfect, became source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him.
    • Designated high priest in Melchizedek’s order—sinless, so sacrifices only for others.
  • Warning Against Spiritual Dullness (vv. 11-14):
    • Much more to say about Melchizedek, but hard to explain due to listeners’ dullness (slow to listen).
    • By now should be teachers; instead need re-teaching basic principles of God’s Word—like infants needing milk, not solid food.
    • Milk-drinkers unskilled in righteousness; solid food for mature who train senses to discern good and evil.
  • Purpose: Jesus’ divine appointment, sinless empathy, obedient suffering, and eternal priesthood qualify Him uniquely; reject immaturity to grasp deeper truths and enter rest.

Application

  • Embrace Jesus as chosen, empathetic, eternal High Priest; reject spiritual infancy—train on the Word to mature, discern, teach, and fully access salvation and rest.
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How to use these studies

These lessons are designed as short, 25-minute studies based on Bible truths, and meant for self-learning or small group study. The study sets systematically cover different books of the Bible. 

Each lesson follows a simple structure:

  • Introduction (Including the outline and objectives)
  • Step 1: Connecting
  • Step 2: Comprehending
  • Step 3: Committing
  • Step 4: Communicating

These sections include questions to help you reflect on the bible passage and how it applies to your life. 

Use these lessons to disciple others by journeying together over time and allowing God’s word to penetrate your heart and bring transforming change to your life. As a leader, pray for wisdom in leading and for modelling the truths in your own life.

Sharing offline

  • Mobile Friendly PDF
  • Print Friendly PDF
  • Full Study PDF

Each lesson has three buttons allowing you to download a easily saveable and shareable PDF version of the study. You can choose either a Mobile-friendly PDF version, and Print-friendly PDF version, or a print version of the Full Study PDF (for example all the lessons in the current book of the Bible).

These are free and can be easily copied and shared from one person to another!

Gathering a Small Group

Start small to build a safe space for sharing and growth.

  • Pray first: Ask God to show you 3-6 people who need encouragement in faith, like family, neighbors, or fellow believers facing hardship.
  • Invite personally: Meet one-on-one, explain how the lessons are designed to help people grow in their faith and knowledge of God and his Word.
  • Keep it simple: Meet in a home or quiet spot; no need for fancy setup – just willing hearts.
  • Aim for consistency: Suggest weekly meetings, but be flexible for busy lives or safety concerns in persecuted areas.

Trust helps everyone open up, reflect, and apply truths without fear.

  • Start with sharing: In the first meeting, share simple stories of your own faith struggles to show vulnerability.
  • Set ground rules: Agree to listen without judging, keep stories private, and focus on encouraging each other.
  • Build bonds: Begin each session with a short prayer or song inviting God to be present with you.
  • Be patient: Trust grows over time – encourage quiet members gently, and celebrate small steps of honesty.

Good preparation makes the lesson flow and helps discipleship.

  • Read ahead: Study the lesson before; pray over the Bible passage and think how it fits your group’s challenges.
  • Adapt for the group: Use simple words; if literacy is low, read aloud slowly and explain questions or stories.
  • Gather basics: Have a Bible (in your language) and paper for notes.
  • Reflect personally: Ask yourself the study questions first – lead from your own growth and experience.
  • Pray: Pray for your group members.

Guide the group through the lesson structure to encourage discovery and commitment.

  • Step 1 – Connecting: Start the group meeting by praying together. Thank God for his Word and ask for open hearts to receive it. Read the Bible passage together (Read it aloud twice; ask someone to repeat in their words.)
  • Step 2: Comprehending: Use the provided questions to help you grapple with the truth of the Bible passage.
  • Step 3 – Committing: Consider how the passage might apply to your lives and what simple steps of obedience you can commit to. The goal of these studies if life-change! Not just knowledge!
  • Step 4 – Communicating:  Think of who you can share the truths you have learned with.
  • Close with Prayer: Let group members pray short prayers of thanks or commitment. Pray for one another.

For many of the lessons, there is a short summary teaching voice-note at the end of the lesson (together with a text summary). This is designed to be a recap and reminder of the key lessons you should have learned through the lesson. 

As a leader, you might like to use these summary teaching resources to help you in preparation for leading your group, though ideally not before you have spent time prayerfully reflecting on the passage.

This is an ongoing discipleship journey aiming to transform lives and help people to live victorious Christian lives. Focus on growth, not just finishing lessons.

  • Meet regularly: Join together at least once a week. Review past actions at each start to build accountability.
  • Encourage reflection: Between meetings, urge personal time with the lesson – read, pray, and try complete commitments made.
  • Support one another: If your group members are facing challenges, use lessons to pray together and share burdens; become “agents of change” by helping others in your community.
  • Multiply groups: As trust grows, encourage members to start their own small groups with family or friends.
  • Keep it short: Stick to 15 – 25 minutes per lesson to fit busy, challenging lives.
  • Handle challenges: If fear or hardship arise, encourage members by always pointing back to God’s love. 
  • Stay safe: In persecuted areas, meet discreetly; focus on heart change over big displays.
  • Celebrate progress: Note how people have grown in faith; allow time for sharing testimonies of what God has done. Take note of what you pray for, and give thanks when God answers prayer.

Final encouragement

Leading these lessons is serving like Jesus – humble, loving, and truthful. As you journey together, God will build growing faith into each person’s life. Pray often, and watch lives transform!

If you would like to share stories of faith from your own communities, please get in touch with us!