Hebrews 6
1 Therefore leaving the teaching of the first principles of Christ, let’s press on to perfection—not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith toward God,
So, we [(inc)] must not keep [discussing] the elementary principles about Christ. Instead, we must proceed [to the teaching that will make us spiritually] mature [MTY]. We must not [be people who always need someone to teach them] the elementary truths [about Christ that are like] [MET] a foundation. [I am referring to the teaching that people who do sinful] things must turn away from their sinful behavior, things that [those who are spiritually] [MET] dead do. [I am referring to the teaching] that people must believe in God.
2 of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of consummate (aiōnios g166) judgment.
[I am referring to the teaching about what] various [Jewish and Christian] rituals for purifying people [signify. I am referring to the teaching about how elders enable people to receive spiritual gifts by] laying hands [on them] [MTY]. [I am referring to the teaching that God will] ([cause] those who have died to live again/raise people from the dead). And [I am referring to the teaching that God] will judge [some people and punish them] eternally. (aiōnios g166)
3 This will we do, if God permits.
[Instead of continuing to discuss these elementary truths], we [(inc)] (OR, I) will [go on to give people mature teaching], if God allows it.
4 For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
[I will explain why it is important to do that. Some] people have at one time fully understood [the message about Christ] [MET]. They have experienced [a relationship with Jesus Christ] that God [EUP/MTY] gave [to them]. They have received the Holy Spirit the same as [others have].
They have experienced that God’s message is good. And by what they have experienced [now], they know how [God will work] powerfully in the future. If those people reject [the message about Christ], it will not be possible for anyone to persuade them to turn away from their sinful behavior again! (aiōn g165)
6 and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify the Son of God for themselves again, and put him to open shame.
What those [believers who later renounce the message about Christ do is as though] [MET] they themselves are nailing the Son of God to a cross again! They are causing others to publicly despise Christ.
7 For the land which has drunk the rain that comes often on it and produces a crop suitable for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receives blessing from God;
Think about this: It is land on which rain has frequently fallen [PRS] and on which plants grow [PRS] that is useful for the people who prepare the land that God has blessed. [Similarly, it is those believers who have received many good things from God and who do good deeds/things that please God, whom God will bless] [MET].
8 but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is rejected and near being cursed, whose end is to be burned.
But [what will happen to believers who do deeds/things that do not please God will be like what happens to land] on which [only] thorns and thistles grow [MET]. [Such land] is worthless. It has almost become land that God will curse, and eventually he will burn [its vegetation] [MTY].
9 But, beloved, we are persuaded of better things for you, and things that accompany salvation, even though we speak like this.
Although I am writing [to you] like this as a [warning], I am certain concerning you whom I love that [you are doing] better than that. Specifically, I am sure that [you are doing] the things that are appropriate [for those whom God] has saved.
10 For God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward his name, in that you served the saints, and still do serve them.
Since God always acts justly [LIT], he will not overlook all you have done [for him. He will also not overlook] [MTY] [your showing that you love] him by the way you helped your fellow believers and [by the way you still] help them. [Instead, God will reward you for doing good deeds].
11 We desire that each one of you may show the same diligence to the fullness of hope even to the end,
I very much want each of you to diligently continue to fully expect to receive [what God has provided for you], until you finally [receive everything that you have confidently expected to receive].
12 that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherited the promises.
I do not want you to be lazy. [Instead, I want] you to imitate those who, because they patiently continued to trust in [God], are receiving what he promised them.
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself,
When God promised to [do things for] Abraham, he said that he would punish himself [if he did not do that], because there was no one of greater importance to ask to punish him [if he did not do it].
14 saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.”
He said [to Abraham], “I will certainly bless you [(sg)], and I will certainly increase [the number of] your [descendants] [SYN].”
15 Thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
As a result, after Abraham patiently waited [for God to do what he promised], he received what [God] promised him.
16 For men indeed swear by a greater one, and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.
[Keep in mind that when people promise something], they ask a more important person to punish them if they do not do what they promise. Furthermore, when people ask God to punish them [if they do not tell the truth], that causes people who are disputing to stop disputing.
17 In this way God, being determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath,
So, when God wanted to demonstrate very clearly (to us/to those people) who would receive what he had promised that he would not change what he had purposed [to do], he solemnly guaranteed that he would declare himself guilty if he did not do what he promised.
18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us.
He did that to strongly encourage us as a result of our [knowing] that [God has done] two things that cannot change. [Namely, he promised to bless us, and he solemnly declared that he would declare himself guilty if he did not bless us]. We [know] that God, who did those things, cannot lie. We have fled [to him] in order that we might continue confidently to expect to receive what he promised us.
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil,
[Our confidently expecting] [SYN] [to receive what he has promised is like] an anchor [MET] that very firmly [DOU] [holds us fast. The one we confidently expect to help us] [SYN] [is Jesus, who] goes into [God’s very presence, just like the Supreme Priests went] behind the curtain into the innermost [part of the tent in the barren area] [MET].
20 where as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest for the age (aiōn g165) after the order of Melchizedek.
Jesus went [into God’s presence] ahead of us [(inc)] to [help] us when he became a Supreme Priest eternally in the way that Melchizedek was a Supreme Priest. (aiōn g165)
