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 —

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 teaching concerning baptisms and the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and a final judgment. (aiōnios g166)

[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 Yes and, with God’s help, we will.

[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 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,

[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].

5 and learned to appreciate the beauty of the Divine Message, and the new powers of the Coming Age — (aiōn g165)

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 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.

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 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;

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 regarded as worthless, it is in danger of being ‘cursed,’ and its end will be the fire.

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 about you, dear friends, even though we speak in this way, we are confident of better things — of things that point to your Salvation.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 When God gave his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater by whom he could swear, 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 His words were — ‘I will assuredly bless thee and increase thy numbers.’

He said [to Abraham], “I will certainly bless you [(sg)], and I will certainly increase [the number of] your [descendants] [SYN].”

15 And so, after patiently waiting, Abraham obtained the fulfilment of God’s promise.

As a result, after Abraham patiently waited [for God to do what he promised], he received what [God] promised him.

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.

[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 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.

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 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.

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 is a very anchor for our souls, secure and strong, and it ‘reaches into the Sanctuary that lies behind the Curtain,’

[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 Jesus, our Forerunner, has entered on our behalf, after being made for all time a High Priest of the order of Melchizedek. (aiōn g165)

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)