Hebrews6
New American Standard
1Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
2of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
3And this we will do, if God permits.
4For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
5and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
7For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and produces vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;
8but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.
9But, beloved, we are convinced of better things regarding you, and things that accompany salvation, even though we are speaking in this way.
10For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, by having served and by still serving the saints.
11And we desire that each one of you demonstrate the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end,
12so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and endurance inherit the promises.
13For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear an oath by no one greater, He swore by Himself,
14saying, “indeed I will greatly bless you and I will greatly multiply you.”
15And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.
16For people swear an oath by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath serving as confirmation is an end of every dispute.
17In the same way God, desiring even more to demonstrate to the heirs of the promise the fact that His purpose is unchangeable, confirmed it with an oath,
18so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to hold firmly to the hope set before us.
19This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which enters within the veil,
20where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Hebrews 6.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The Hebrews are urged to go forward in the doctrine of Christ, and the consequences of apostacy, or turning back, are described. (1–8). The apostle expresses satisfaction, as to the most of them. (9, 10). And encourages them to persevere in faith and holiness. (11–20).
vv1-8
Every part of the truth and will of God should be set before all who profess the gospel, and be urged on their hearts and consciences. We should not be always speaking about outward things; these have their places and use, but often take up too much attention and time, which might be better employed. The humbled sinner who pleads guilty, and cries for mercy, can have no ground from this passage to be discouraged, whatever his conscience may accuse him of. Nor does it prove that any one who is made a new creature in Christ, ever becomes a final apostate from him. The apostle is not speaking of the falling away of mere professors, never convinced or influenced by the gospel. Such have nothing to fall away from, but an empty name, or hypocritical profession. Neither is he speaking of partial declinings or backslidings. Nor are such sins meant, as Christians fall into through the strength of temptations, or the power of some worldly or fleshly lust. But the falling away here mentioned, is an open and avowed renouncing of Christ, from enmity of heart against him, his cause, and people, by men approving in their minds the deeds of his murderers, and all this after they have received the knowledge of the truth, and tasted some of its comforts. Of these it is said, that it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance. Not because the blood of Christ is not sufficient to obtain pardon for this sin; but this sin, in its very nature, is opposite to repentance and every thing that leads to it. If those who through mistaken views of this passage, as well as of their own case, fear that there is no mercy for them, would attend to the account given of the nature of this sin, that it is a total and a willing renouncing of Christ, and his cause, and joining with his enemies, it would relieve them from wrong fears. We should ourselves beware, and caution others, of every approach near to a gulf so awful as apostacy; yet in doing this we should keep close to the word of God, and be careful not to wound and terrify the weak, or discourage the fallen and penitent. Believers not only taste of the word of God, but they drink it in. And this fruitful field or garden receives the blessing. But the merely nominal Christian, continuing unfruitful under the means of grace, or producing nothing but deceit and selfishness, was near the awful state above described; and everlasting misery was the end reserved for him. Let us watch with humble caution and prayer as to ourselves.
vv9-10
There are things that are never separated from salvation; things that show the person to be in a state of salvation, and which will end in eternal salvation. And the things that accompany salvation, are better things than ever any dissembler or apostate enjoyed. The works of love, done for the glory of Christ, or done to his saints for Christ's sake, from time to time, as God gives occasion, are evident marks of a man's salvation; and more sure tokens of saving grace given, than the enlightenings and tastings spoken of before. No love is to be reckoned as love, but working love; and no works are right works, which flow not from love to Christ.
vv11-20
The hope here meant, is a sure looking for good things promised, through those promises, with love, desire, and valuing of them. Hope has its degrees, as faith also. The promise of blessedness God has made to believers, is from God's eternal purpose, settled between the eternal Father, Son, and Spirit. These promises of God may safely be depended upon; for here we have two things which cannot change, the counsel and the oath of God, in which it is not possible for God to lie; it would be contrary to his nature as well as to his will. And as He cannot lie; the destruction of the unbeliever, and the salvation of the believer, are alike certain. Here observe, those to whom God has given full security of happiness, have a title to the promises by inheritance. The consolations of God are strong enough to support his people under their heaviest trials. Here is a refuge for all sinners who flee to the mercy of God, through the redemption of Christ, according to the covenant of grace, laying aside all other confidences. We are in this world as a ship at sea, tossed up and down, and in danger of being cast away. We need an anchor to keep us sure and steady. Gospel hope is our anchor in the storms of this world. It is sure and stedfast, or it could not keep us so. The free grace of God, the merits and mediation of Christ, and the powerful influences of his Spirit, are the grounds of this hope, and so it is a stedfast hope. Christ is the object and ground of the believer's hope. Let us therefore set our affections on things above, and wait patiently for his appearance, when we shall certainly appear with him in glory.
Key Words
διό (dió): through which thing, i.e. consequently
ἀφίημι (aphíēmi): an intensive form of , to go); to send forth, in various applications (as follow)
ἀρχή (archḗ): (properly abstract) a commencement, or (concretely) chief (in various applications of order, time, place, or rank)
λόγος (lógos): something said (including the thought); by implication, a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (i.e. Christ)
Χριστός (Christós): anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus
φέρω (phérō): to "bear" or carry (in a very wide application, literally and figuratively, as follows)
ἐπί (epí): properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.
τελειότης (teleiótēs): (the state) completeness (mentally or morally)
μή (mḗ): (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas G3756 (οὐ) expects an affirmative one)) whether
καταβάλλω (katabállō): to throw down
Cross References
Hebrews 6The historical account where God swore by Himself to bless Abraham, quoted in verses 13-14.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Directly precedes this chapter, defining the 'first principles' and 'babes' contrasted with going on to maturity.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The major parallel warning in Hebrews concerning the impossibility of recovery for deliberate apostasy.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
The foundational messianic oath of Melchizedek's priesthood, fulfilling God's unchangeable counsel.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Asserts the absolute truthfulness of God, matching the declaration that it is impossible for God to lie.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin
The high priest entering behind the physical veil, typifying Jesus entering the heavenly holy of holies.
Supported by JFB
Uses the same Greek word for 'illuminated' or 'enlightened' to describe their initial reception of truth.
Supported by JFB
Echoes the language of the primeval curse of thorns and briers on unproductive ground.
Supported by JFB
Christ identifying Himself with the saints whom the readers have ministered to and served.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB