Hebrews 6
1 Therefore, let us leave behind the elementary teaching about the Christ and press on to perfection, not always laying over again a foundation of repentance for a lifeless formality, of faith in God —
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2 teaching concerning baptisms and the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and a final judgment. (aiōnios g166)
Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. (aiōnios g166)
3 Yes and, with God’s help, we will.
And this will we do, if God permit.
4 For if those who were once for all brought into the Light, and learned to appreciate the gift from Heaven, and came to share in the Holy Spirit,
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 and learned to appreciate the beauty of the Divine Message, and the new powers of the Coming Age — (aiōn g165)
And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, (aiōn g165)
6 if those, I say, fell away, it would be impossible to bring them again to repentance; they would be crucifying the Son of God over again for themselves, and exposing him to open contempt.
If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
7 Ground that drinks in the showers that from time to time fall upon it, and produces vegetation useful to those for whom it is tilled, receives a blessing from God;
For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
8 but, if it ‘bears thorns and thistles,’ it is regarded as worthless, it is in danger of being ‘cursed,’ and its end will be the fire.
But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
9 But about you, dear friends, even though we speak in this way, we are confident of better things — of things that point to your Salvation.
But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
10 For God is not unjust; he will not forget the work that you did, and the love that you showed for his Name, in sending help to your fellow Christians — as you are still doing.
For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
11 But our great desire is that every one of you should be equally earnest to attain to a full conviction that our hope will be fulfilled, and that you should keep that hope to the end.
And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
12 Then you will not show yourselves slow to learn, but you will copy those who, through faith and patience, are now entering upon the enjoyment of God’s promises.
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
13 When God gave his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater by whom he could swear, he swore by himself.
For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
14 His words were — ‘I will assuredly bless thee and increase thy numbers.’
Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
15 And so, after patiently waiting, Abraham obtained the fulfilment of God’s promise.
And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
16 Men, of course, swear by what is greater than themselves, and with them an oath is accepted as putting a matter beyond all dispute.
For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
17 And therefore God, in his desire to show, with unmistakable plainness, to those who were to enter on the enjoyment of what he had promised, the unchangeableness of his purpose, bound himself with an oath.
Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
18 For he intended us to find great encouragement in these two unchangeable things, which make it impossible for God to prove false — we, I mean, who fled for safety where we might lay hold on the hope set before us.
That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
19 This hope is a very anchor for our souls, secure and strong, and it ‘reaches into the Sanctuary that lies behind the Curtain,’
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
