提要
麥基法德是何許人？除了希伯來書之外，另外只有兩處經文提到此人（創世記14：18；詩篇110：4）。按照創世記的記載、事件，他出現當時正逢九個王之間的爭戰和衝突（四王對五王）。戰爭的地點是所多瑪和蛾摩拉。以攔王基大老瑪爭戰得勝之後，擄掠了所多瑪和蛾摩拉所有的財物和糧食，連亞伯拉罕的姪兒羅得全家也被擄去。亞伯拉罕聽見這消息，立即率領精練的壯丁三百一十八人追趕基大老瑪。他一直追趕以攔王直到加利利地區的北邊上面一帶，在但的區域將他擊敗。亞伯拉罕在回程的時候，遇到撒冷王麥基洗德。麥基洗德為亞伯拉罕祝福，亞伯拉罕則把他從敵人手中所得的戰利品中的十分之一奉上作為回應。詩篇中的參考經文乃由大衛所寫，他前瞻性地看見彌賽亞國度的統治、掌權，預言說：「您照著麥基洗德的等次，永遠為祭司。」
希伯來書中有關麥基洗德與耶穌之間的關聯性，讓我們試著循本書作者的思想路線來尋找答案。我的意思是指我們能作的事有限，要完全理解他人的思想是不容易的事。
作者指出麥基洗德是「無父、無母、無族譜、無生之始，無命之終……。」（7：3）他要告訴我們什麼事？如果他意圖要我們按字面意思來看，那就是說──麥基洗德是上帝（因為唯有上帝無父母、無族譜，無始無終）。我們可以斷然地拒絕接受這種解釋。還有唯一的選擇──麥基洗德是個奧祕，因為沒有關於他的歷史、背景的任何現存記錄、檔案。如果把他當作奧祕，他就成為歷史上最偉大之奧祕的最佳形像、影像或典範、榜樣：耶穌基督是神而人，又是君王而祭司。
由於本書的讀者對象為希伯來基督徒，現在作者試著幫助他們超越一項很大的障礙和困難──事實上，新的祭司職位不是出自利未這支祭司專屬支派，而是出自猶大支派。在第六章時，早已複習過上帝賜給亞伯拉罕的應許或立約。論及上帝的誓言：是講上帝指著自己起誓，上帝親自用祂聖潔的名來簽這份立約書。至於兩件永不更改的事（上帝的應許和上帝的誓言）乃指望的根基，我們有這指望如同靈魂的錨（6：18~20）。耶穌又是先鋒又是這指望的具體形象──耶穌「通入幔內」且「照著麥基洗德的等次，成了永遠的大祭司。」
作者別具用心地運用麥基洗德為實例教材。按希伯來人的傳統，惟獨利未支派蒙召，擁有得祭司職位的特權。但是先祖亞伯拉罕爭取十分之一上等之物給麥基洗德之時，他奉獻的對象是「不與利未子孫同譜」（7：6）。他怎麼能如此行呢？利未還未出生哩！作者接著指出，事實上利未已經在他先祖亞伯拉罕的身中（7：10）。這未免延伸得太多了些，為何扯這麼遠呢？因為按希伯來人的宗教慣例，若要因信心獲取任何「完全」的話，都必須「藉祭司的職位才能得完全」（7：11a）。如果經由別條得以完全的路徑、方式都被視為「仿冒品」，也就是說，耶穌是介入此體系的第三者。 作者陳明並非如此，耶穌如果照著麥基洗德的等次就不能如此看待祂。甚至連利未都取十分之一獻給麥基洗德（雖然此乃間接意義──7：10）使麥基洗德不同的原因何在？祂伺候祭壇不是照屬肉體（譜系）的條例，乃是照無窮之生命的大能（7：16b）。在復活的真理亮光之中，耶穌永不滅亡、長遠活著。既然那些其餘的祭司會死亡，耶穌又永遠長存，祂祭司的職位、就長久不更換（7：23，24）。因為祂能拯救人到底（7：25a）。既然先前的條例，因軟弱無益，所以廢掉了；律法原來一無所成（7：18，19）。
靠著耶穌，我們引進了更美的指望，耶穌作了更美之約的中保（7：22）。祂是最傑出的祭司──因為祂是長遠活著，替我們祈求（7：25b）。
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Overview
Who was Melchizedek? There are only two references to him outside of the book of Hebrews (Gen.14:18; Ps.110:4). In the Genesis account, he appears in the context of a conflict between nine kings (four against five). The area of battle was Sodom and Gomorrah. The winners, under King Chedorlaomer of Elam, carried off the spoil of Sodom and Gomorrah, including Abram's nephew Lot and his family. When Abram heard about it, he set out after Chedorlaomer with an army of 318 trained men. He pursued the king to the upper Galilee region and defeated him in the area of Dan. On the way back, Abram met the King of Salem, Melchizedek. Melchizedek blessed Abram, and Abram responded by giving him a tithe of all he had gained in defeating Chedorlaomer. In the Psalms reference, David, looking ahead to the rule of Messiah, sees him as "a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek".
Now, let's attempt to trace the writer's thinking in Hebrews about Melchizedek as he relates to Jesus. I use the verb "trace" because that's something we can do, whereas understanding his thinking may be something else.
The writer speaks of Melchizedek as "without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life..." (v.3). What is he telling us here? If he intends us to take it at face value, he's telling us that Melchizedek is God (for only God has no parents, no genealogy, no beginning or ending). We can reject that interpretation outright. The only alternative is that Melchizedek is a mystery because there are no extant records of his history. And, as a mystery, he becomes an excellent figure or "type" of the greatest mystery of history: Jesus Christ, the God/Man/King/Priest.
Because he's writing to Hebrew believers, the author now attempts to help them over a major hurdle — the fact that this new "Priest" is not of the priestly tribe of Levi but of the tribe of Judah. In chapter six, he has already reviewed the promise (or covenant) God made to Abraham. He speaks of God's oath, where He "swore by Himself", that is, God "signed" the contract with His own Holy Name. These "two unchangeable things" (God's promise, and God's oath) are the basis for the hope which "anchors" the soul (vv.18-20). Jesus has become both the mediator and the personification of that hope — He has "entered the inner sanctuary behind the curtain" and "has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek".
The writer uses the typology of Melchizedek purposely. In Hebrew tradition, only those of the tribe of Levi had the calling and right of priesthood. But, when Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek, he was giving it to someone "who did not trace his descent from Levi" (7:6). Well, how could he? Levi hadn't been born yet! That may be true, says the writer, but Levi was there in Abraham's seed (v.10). That seems to be stretching it a bit; why go to such lengths? Only because in Hebrew religion any "perfection" that could be gained by the faithful had to be "attained through the Levitical priesthood" (v.lla). So any other route to perfection (as "if perfection could have been attained" — lla) was seen as bogus, which meant that Jesus was an interloper.
Not so, says the writer, not if Jesus was like Melchizedek. Even Levi gave a tithe to Melchizedek (albeit rather indirectly — v.10). And what made Melchizedek special? He was someone whose right to minister was based not in genealogy but on the "power of an indestructible life" (v.!6b). In the light of the resurrection, Jesus' in-destructability is forever established. Whereas other priests die, Jesus "lives forever" and "has a permanent priesthood" (vv.23,24). "Therefore He is able to save completely" (v.25a), whereas "the former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect)" (v.18,19).
In Jesus we have a better hope and a better covenant (v.22). He's the best of priests — for "He always lives to intercede" for us (v.25b).
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