Heb. 5:8. yet by His sufferings He learned obedience,
He became accustomed, he says, to obeying God the Father, having learned this through sufferings. What is said here seems simply incredible. For how did He learn obedience through sufferings, He Who before His sufferings was so obedient to the Father that He accepted the sufferings themselves as a result of obedience? For, he says, He "became obedient even unto death" (Phil. 2:8). So understand that, since they, being fainthearted, proved disobedient, he speaks in a lowly manner about the Son of God, so that by this condition of His he might persuade them to submit and show obedience to the will of God, and so that they would not lose heart in misfortunes, but would await help from above. For, he says, the Son too, having endured suffering out of obedience, was heard by the Father, and His soul was delivered from death. And from that time He continually learned to obey God, since obedience has great power. Therefore, if He benefited from sufferings, how much more can you benefit. Do you see how the Apostle Paul, for the benefit of his listeners, went so far as to say what might seem something unfitting? But listen further.
Heb. 5:9. Being made perfect,
So, perfection is achieved through sufferings. Why then should you be indignant at the misfortunes which perfect you?
Heb. 5:9. He became the author of eternal salvation for all who obey Him,
That is, He not only saved Himself, but also brought salvation to others: and not temporary salvation, such as in wars, but eternal. For whom? – "to those who obey Him." How then are you disobedient and in danger of losing salvation? Do you see that the apostle gave this entire discourse such a form because of the faintheartedness of his listeners? Moreover, observe here also something lofty. For, he says, He became the author of salvation, which is proper to God. For there is no other author of such salvation besides God.
Heb. 5:10. Being named by God a High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. (Cf. Ps. 109:4)
Since, he says, He suffered, having offered Himself as a sacrifice, for this reason He was also "called... High Priest." Moreover, although He offered blood as a sacrifice, it was not according to the order of the Jewish high priests, but according to the order of Melchizedek. For just as that one was not anointed by man, so also Christ was not — but by God, through the Spirit consubstantial with Him. Just as that king did not offer the sacrifices required by the law, so also this One did not — and in countless other ways.
Heb. 5:11. Of this we have much to say; but it is hard to explain, because you have become dull of hearing.
Intending to speak about the superiority of Christ's priesthood, he rebukes his listeners in advance, pointing out that because of their infancy he spoke such lowly things about Christ and occupied himself with teaching about the flesh of Christ. For if they had not been weak, he would long ago have reminded them of loftier things. Because of your weakness, he says, the teaching about how Christ is a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek is hard to explain to you; and since you do not understand, I therefore cannot fully explain it to you. Thus, to the Corinthians he says that he cannot speak with them about spiritual things, since there are quarrels and disagreements among them (1 Cor. 3:3), which is why he calls them carnal. But since with these people the ignorance arose from afflictions, he calls them not carnal but weak. By saying "you have become," he shows that they were once healthy, but afterwards became such.
Heb. 5:12. For when by this time you ought to be teachers;
He joins rebuke with praise, saying that you ought to be teachers for others as well. Here he shows that they had believed long ago and had heard about the mysteries. Both things are worthy of praise, if only they had not been negligent. Time, he says, makes one stronger, but you, having been delivered, have wasted it in vain.
Heb. 5:12. But you again need to be taught the first principles of the word of God,
He calls "beginnings" the teaching about the humanity of Christ. For just as in secular sciences one must first learn the letters, so also here in the word of God one must first learn the teaching about the humanity of Christ and become familiar with the teaching about His humbled state; and then one must proceed to the teaching about His Divinity, which requires a more perfect mind. Behold, you have understood quite clearly from Paul himself for what reason he occupies himself with discourses about the humbled state, and speaks rarely about anything exalted: by this he makes a concession to the weakness of his listeners. Behold, this epistle too is filled with thoughts about the humbled state. And if there is exalted teaching in it, it is brief.
Heb. 5:12. And for you there is need of milk, and not solid food.
He did not say that you "have need," but "you have become" such, that is, you yourselves brought yourselves to such a condition, having voluntarily become such. By "milk" he means simplified teaching both here and in the Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 3:2), while by "solid food" he means more perfect and lofty teaching. Therefore, he says, now one ought not to introduce what was under the law, nor ought one to compare the incomparable Christ with those priests; or: both in the respect that He is High Priest, and in that He offered sacrifice, and in that He prayed with crying and kneeling—nevertheless, since you are nourished by this, I offer this as well. Note that what is now difficult for us to receive nourished them at that time, and that the word of God is true food. For "I will send upon the earth," He says, "a famine of hearing the words of the Lord" (Amos 8:11).
Heb. 5:13. For everyone who partakes of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, because he is an infant;
By "righteousness" here he means either a manner of life that is entirely upright, speaking as if to say that the "unskilled" person is not experienced in heavenly wisdom and cannot lead a higher life; Christ also demanded this, saying: "unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees" (Matt. 5:20). Or, by righteousness he means Christ Himself, speaking thus: the one who partakes of their debased teaching concerning the flesh does not accept the exalted and worthy teaching of Christ, since he is an "infant" and is unable to receive it.
Heb. 5:14. But solid food belongs to the perfect,
That is, the lofty dogmas concerning the Divinity of Christ. Do you see that there is another infancy—that of mind—which even the elderly possess; and there is a perfection which nothing prevents even the young from having.
Heb. 5:14. Of those who by practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
By "habit" he means the perfection and firmness of the disposition of the moral life. He who is firm in disposition and in life also has the senses of the soul trained through exercise in the Divine Scriptures for discernment—on the one hand, of lofty and lowly teachings, and on the other, of sound and perverted ones. He is not speaking here about life, for everyone distinguishes that and knows that evil is bad and virtue is good. Do you see that training, exercise, and experience in the Scriptures are necessary if we intend to distinguish what is heretical and what is not, rather than simply lending an ear to everything? For the palate tastes food, but the soul examines teachings (cf. Job 12:11).