Hebrews 6
CHAPTER 6
Therefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on to completion. Not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, faith toward God, 2 the teaching of baptisms and of laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment. 3 And if God permits, this will we do.
The need for endurance
4 For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 who tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 but then fell away- it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. 7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is rejected and in danger of being cursed, whose end is to be burned. 9 But beloved, though we speak in this manner, we are confident of better things for you; things that accompany salvation. 10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work, and the love which you have shown toward His Name, in that you serve the saints and still do. 11 And we desire that each one of you may show the same zeal to have the full assurance of hope until the end. 12 Do not be lazy, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
The certainty of God’s promise
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He could swear by none greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying: Surely blessing I will bless you and multiplying I will multiply you. 15 And thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 16 For men swear by something greater, and in every dispute of theirs, the oath is final for confirmation. 17 Therefore God, determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of His purpose, confirmed with an oath; 18 so 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 lay hold on the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast and passing into the presence beyond the veil; 20 into which as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Commentary
6:5 The miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit which were experienced in the first century are the same gifts which will be used in “the age to come”, the Kingdom. These gifts will be poured out again when Christ returns to establish the Kingdom on earth. Therefore they are not possessed at this moment.
6:6 This seems to be specifically talking about those in the first century who possessed the miraculous Holy Spirit gifts; in our time, we can always repent and be assured of forgiveness and acceptance by God.
6:18 Fled for refuge- An allusion to the way in which under the Law of Moses, if you accidentally killed someone [thereby committing a sin worthy of death, but not willingly], you could flee to a city of refuge, and remain there until the death of the High Priest; you would be safe in that city, and pronounced free when the High Priest died (Num. 35:24-32). We are in such a situation; the city of refuge and High Priest we have is Christ.
