Hebrews 6
6
1Let us go forward, then, to mature teaching and leave behind us the first lessons of the Christian message. We should not lay again the foundation of turning away from useless works and believing in God; 2of the teaching about baptisms#6.2 baptisms; or purification ceremonies. and the laying on of hands; of the resurrection of the dead and the eternal judgement. 3Let us go forward! And this is what we will do, if God allows.
4For how can those who abandon their faith be brought back to repent again? They were once in God's light; they tasted heaven's gift and received their share of the Holy Spirit; 5they knew from experience that God's word is good, and they had felt the powers of the coming age. 6And then they abandoned their faith! It is impossible to bring them back to repent again, because they are again crucifying the Son of God and exposing him to public shame.
7God blesses the soil which drinks in the rain that often falls on it and which grows plants that are useful to those for whom it is cultivated. 8#Gen 3.17–18But if it grows thorns and weeds, it is worth nothing; it is in danger of being cursed by God and will be destroyed by fire.
9But even if we speak like this, dear friends, we feel sure about you. We know that you have the better blessings that belong to your salvation. 10God is not unfair. He will not forget the work you did or the love you showed for him in the help you gave and are still giving to your fellow-Christians. 11Our great desire is that each of you keep up your eagerness to the end, so that the things you hope for will come true. 12We do not want you to become lazy, but to be like those who believe and are patient, and so receive what God has promised.
God's Sure Promise
13When God made his promise to Abraham, he made a vow to do what he had promised. Since there was no one greater than himself, he used his own name when he made his vow. 14#Gen 22.16–17He said, “I promise you that I will bless you and give you many descendants.” 15Abraham was patient, and so he received what God had promised. 16When people make vows, they use the name of someone greater than themselves, and the vow settles all arguments. 17To those who were to receive what he promised, God wanted to make it very clear that he would never change his purpose; so he added his vow to the promise. 18There are these two things, then, that cannot change and about which God cannot lie. So we who have found safety with him are greatly encouraged to hold firmly to the hope placed before us. 19#Lev 16.2We have this hope as an anchor for our lives. It is safe and sure, and goes through the curtain of the heavenly temple into the inner sanctuary. 20#Ps 110.4On our behalf Jesus has gone in there before us, and has become a high priest for ever, in the priestly order of Melchizedek.#6.20; 7.11; 7.17 in… Melchizedek (see 5.6).
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Hebrews 6
6
Warning against Regression
1Therefore, leaving the elementary message about the Messiah, let us go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God, # Php 3:13; Heb 5:12; 9:14 2teaching about ritual washings, # Or about baptisms laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. # Jn 3:25; Ac 6:6; 17:31-32; 19:4-6 3And we will do this if God permits.
4For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, became companions with the Holy Spirit, # Gl 3:3; Eph 2:8; Heb 10:32 5tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age, 6and who have fallen away, because, # Or while to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding Him up to contempt. # Heb 10:29; 2Pt 2:21; 1Jn 5:16 7For ground that has drunk the rain that has often fallen on it and that produces vegetation useful to those it is cultivated for receives a blessing from God. 8But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and about to be cursed, and will be burned at the end. # Gn 3:17-18; Ps 65:10; Is 5:6
9Even though we are speaking this way, dear friends, in your case we are confident of the better things connected with salvation. 10For God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love # Other mss read labor of love you showed for His name when you served the saints — and you continue to serve them. # Pr 19:17; Mt 10:42; 25:40; 2Co 8:4; 1Th 1:3; 2Tm 1:18 11Now we want each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the final realization of your hope, 12so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance. # Heb 10:36; 13:7
Inheriting the Promise
13For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself:
14I will indeed bless you,
and I will greatly multiply you. # Gn 21:5; 22:16-17; Lk 1:73 # Gn 22:17
15And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham # Lit he obtained the promise. 16For men swear by something greater than themselves, and for them a confirming oath ends every dispute. 17Because God wanted to show His unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath, # Ex 22:11; Heb 11:9 18so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. # Ti 1:2; Heb 12:1 19We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. # Lv 16:2,15; Heb 9:7 20Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, # Heb 4:14; 8:1; 9:24 because He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. # Heb 5:6,10; 7:17
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