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 let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God,
2 teaching concerning baptisms and the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and a final judgment. (aiōnios g166)
instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. (aiōnios g166)
3 Yes and, with God’s help, we will.
And this we will do, if God permits.
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,
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,
5 and learned to appreciate the beauty of the Divine Message, and the new powers of the Coming Age — (aiōn g165)
who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age— (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.
and then have fallen away—to be restored to repentance, because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to 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 land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is tended receives the blessing of 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 land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless, and its curse is imminent. In the end it will 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.
Even though we speak like this, beloved, we are convinced of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation.
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 unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.
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.
We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.
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.
Then you will not be sluggish, but will imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
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 made His promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself,
14 His words were — ‘I will assuredly bless thee and increase thy numbers.’
saying, “I will surely bless you and multiply your descendants.”
15 And so, after patiently waiting, Abraham obtained the fulfilment of God’s promise.
And so Abraham, after waiting patiently, 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.
Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and their oath serves as a confirmation to end all argument.
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 make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with 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.
Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.
19 This hope is a very anchor for our souls, secure and strong, and it ‘reaches into the Sanctuary that lies behind the Curtain,’
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
