Hebrews 6

== Hebrews 6 ==
=== Hebrews 6:1 ===
1 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,
Going back to the statements at the end of chapter 5 (remember chapter breaks and verses are arbitrary, added later), where the writer talks about milk of the word verses strong meat and those who are able to discern good and evil (as mature Christians, he comes to the conclusion that the Christians should leave those first principles of the teachings of Christ. This doesn't mean throw them away, or that they are no longer valid. It means that you need to grow. Move on from just learning the basics and get into the tougher doctrines.
One of the examples the writer gives as a foundational or milk topic is repentance from dead works. Repentance means to change the mind or direction from one action to an opposite action or direction. Here, the basic doctrine is that of repentance from "dead works" which is a reference to sin. These are called dead works because sin brings death (Romans 6:23) and there is therefore no life in sin.
=== Hebrews 6:2 ===
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
The writer provides more foundational doctrines that they should build on, grow from, use to move into meatier topics.
Baptisms - this is not referring to different kinds of baptisms because at this point, there is only one remaining to the church (Ephesians 4:5), and that is water immersion (1 Peter 3:20-21; Ephesians 5:26) to wash away sins (Acts 22:16). It is plural here in reference to the number of people being baptized. Baptisms were happening all throughout the known world as people obeyed the gospel in faith. We know that it is one singular kind of baptism because "doctrine" is singular. It is not the doctrines of baptisms. If we were talking about different kinds of baptisms (fire, Holy Spirit, water). Immersion in the Holy Spirit isn't taking place any more and the immersion of fire that the Jews would soon undergo does not pertain to the church.
Laying on of hands - I don't believe this refers to the ability of the Apostles to lay their hands on people and pass on the gifts of the Holy Spirit such as we see in Acts 8 and 19. Rather, I believe this has to do with the fundamental idea of demonstrating fellowship with someone such as we see in 1 Timothy 5:22. By laying hands on someone in this fashion, you are saying that you accept their actions or their office. For example, when new elders are ordained in a congregation, the congregation may lay hands on them to demonstrate that they accept the authority of the new elder(s). Elders may lay hands on a new minister or evangelist to show that they approve of their work. The reason we know this is the case is that as we move further into the context, we see that there are some who had fallen away. They should not be approved or fellowshipped with as they are not in fellowship with Christ any longer, having left the light (1 John 1:7).
Resurrection of the dead - one of the most basic teachings of the Lord was that of the resurrection of the dead. His own bodily resurrection laid the foundation for our bodily resurrection at the end of time and it is one of the hopes that we look forward to, even though we may yet die. The Christians of the first century faced persecution and death at the hands of the Jews and later the Romans and others on through the centuries. We can face such knowing that our death is only temporary. Furthermore, the spiritual resurrection of the dead is also one of the fundamental doctrines tied directly with baptism (Romans 6) as stated earlier in this list.
Eternal judgment - this is one of those topics a lot of people don't like to talk about, but the writer here calls it basic, a milk topic. Such being the case, it is grounds for marking and disfellowship if someone is teaching erroneously on this topic and refuses to stop. Eternal judgment is both positive for the righteous and negative for the wicked. As Paul said in Acts 24:15, there shall be a resurrection of the just and the unjust. And then he says in Galatians 6:8 "he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Moreover, Christ spoke often of the judgment beginning with the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21-22; 12:36).
=== Hebrews 6:3 ===
3 And this will we do, if God permit.
Meaning that if God allows, the writer is going to move on from these topics to weightier topics within the letter. It is just a general acknowledgment that we do not know what the next second holds, but that we live each new second by God's allowance of time to continue and the staying of eternal judgment.
=== Hebrews 6:4-6 ===
4 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 have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world [age] to come, 6 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.
I will circle back to this word "impossible" at the end of this section. I want to first address who is being referred to here. This is referring to Christians who have apostatized, who had been saved and have since left the faith and are now damned. Let us examine the reasons to draw that conclusion. These people in question:
* were once enlightened - this is past tense meaning that before now, they had been given the gospel truth and understood it. Light is associated with knowledge and truth throughout scripture. To be enlightened is to be shown the truth.
* have tasted of the heavenly gift - the gift is grace. To have tasted of this gift is to have partaken in its effect, which is salvation. If grace causes salvation, then to partake of the cause means to take part in the effect for the latter must necessarily follow from the former. These people have been saved.
* made partakers of the Holy Ghost - in this sense, they had not just seen and heard all that was being done with regard to the supernatural events going on around them, they had actually had the capacity to do the miracles themselves. The Holy Ghost had been in them in the personal, supernatural, immediate sense.
* tasted the good Word of God - again, the word taste here means to partake in, to take nourishment from, to participate in the effects of. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16) so to have partaken in the Word of God means not only have they heard it, but have lived it to such an extent that they have been saved.
* tasted of the powers of the age to come - the coming age was one that was post-Jewish, which is of particular focus here in this letter. To taste of the powers of that age was to partake in what would survive the coming judgment against the Jews, what would remain after the Jewish State was removed and the law of Moses utterly fulfilled.
So it is evident that we are talking about saved people here. To deny this is to be dishonest with the text.
These saved people could fall away. It is important to not, as we have noted in other places such as Galatians 5:4, that you cannot fall from what you are not in. That they can fall away (meaning fall away from Christ, the church, salvation) means that they were first in those things. The writer says if a Christian falls away, it is impossible to renew them to repentance. Repentance means to get them to once more turn from their sin towards God. You can't get them to turn back to God when they fall away. It's impossible, the writer says.
Does this mean that once you are saved and then turn away from God and become damned that that's it? You're done and you can't ever be saved again? No. If it did mean that, it would contradict James 5:19-20 which says that if a brother (Christian) turns to walk in darkness and you restore them, you've saved their soul from death. Therefore it is totally possible to restore an apostate Christian.
Why then does the writer speak of it being impossible here? It is because the person in question here is in an ongoing state of crucifying the Son of God to themselves and shaming Him in open fashion through their rebellion. They have turned from being one of the righteous, the saved, to being one of those in the mob shouting "crucify Him, crucify Him!" While they are still in this rebellion, you cannot get them to repent. You first have to get them out of the state of rebellion. That's what James means by "convert the sinner from the error of his ways". Convert them out of their rebellion then it is no longer impossible to renew them to repentance.
=== Hebrews 6:7-8 ===
7 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 that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
The writer makes another allusion to the coming judgment against the Jews. The word "earth" here is a reference to the land, specifically the Promised Land or the Land of Judaea and, as Isaiah 1:2,10 and other places show, we're talking about the people of the land, the Jews. Remember, the Hebrew writer is writing to Jewish Christians primarily. His focus then is going to be what affects them specifically. He harkens back to the parable of the sower and indicates two classes of Christians, those that are blessed because they yield worthy fruit for Christ, and those that are cursed and will be destroyed in the coming judgment for bearing evil fruit. These are Christians, those who remain faithful and spread the good news converting others versus those who are wicked, fearful, and reject Christ out of fear of persecution, peer pressure from their fellow countrymen, and selfishness.
It is important to understand that the phrase "nigh unto cursing" is indicating that this end is soon approaching, it is eminent from their perspective. It was about to happen.
=== Hebrews 6:9 ===
9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
The writer addresses his audience as beloved and states that he is persuaded that they are the fruitful, the faithful, the ones who endure and will be saved, despite what he has been saying here about the apostates. He gives warning, but is confident that they will remain faithful and not fall away.
=== Hebrews 6:10 ===
10 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.
God is not an unrighteous God. They have demonstrated their faith through love and good work in the name of Christ. They have served the the needs of their fellow Christians both physically and spiritually and continue to do so. Seeing this, God would be unjust to curse them and burn them in the coming judgment against the Jews. Some who fell away would have their lampstands removed (Revelation 2-3), but the faithful would endure.
=== Hebrews 6:11 ===
11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
The writer desires that all Christians to whom he is writing continue fully in this faithfulness towards one another. The reason being is that they should finish the course, their hope is assured if they remain faithful until the end of these things pertaining to the judgment against the Jewish State. If they are not lazy, but follow the examples of others who are faithful and patient in their hope, they in that lifetime would soon inherit the promises. The writer is encouraging them to remain steadfast because the coming fiery judgment against the Jews was about to happen and that dread enemy would be removed. On the other side of that is the new heavens and the new earth and all the blessings that pertain to that new system of things under Christ as King.
=== Hebrews 6:13 ===
13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, 14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
God swore by Himself to Abraham an oath because there was nothing greater than God for God to swear by. God's oaths are always kept without exception, though some might be conditional. This oath to Abraham was a blessing that through Abraham, all the nations of the world would be blessed and that his children would number as the stars of the heaven (Genesis 15:5) and the sand of the sea (Genesis 22:17). This came true, not only physically in the form of Israel (Deuteronomy 1:10), but spiritually in the church, we who are the children of Abraham by faith (Galatians 3:7).
=== Hebrews 6:15 ===
15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
How did Abraham obtain this promise to himself? Through enduring in faithfulness. At the cross, Abraham was added to the church, his sins forgiven, the account settled. Note that his faith allowed him to be counted as righteous. Yet he could not be saved without the blood of Christ, thus it was not until the Seed came (Galatians 3:16) and fulfilled that promise that Abraham was truly saved and his faith ultimately rewarded.
It is imperative to understand that the first century, not the end of time, is the culmination of God's promises to Abraham. Everything that the Hebrew writer points to regarding these promises being fulfilled are being fulfilled then in the first century. The coming of Christ, the blessing of all nations, the establishment of the church which is the city of God (Hebrews 12:22-23) that Abraham looked for (Hebrews 11:10).
=== Hebrews 6:16 ===
16 For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
Men also swear to things greater than themselves and ultimately can swear no higher than to God Himself. For those in conflict, to hear that someone swears to God that what the say is true, is to settle the matter at this time. Looking back and Leviticus and Deuteronomy, there is a seriousness to the swearing of an oath that, if taken lightly got you killed. Thus, to the Hebrew audience, referencing this idea of the oath means that it brings an end to the matter. There should be no questioning of it, especially if it is God and not man swearing the oath.
=== Hebrews 6:17 ===
17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
Christians are heirs of the promise by faith (Galatians 3:29). God abundantly shows the unchanging nature of His words to Abraham by confirming His promise to Abraham with this oath made on Himself (because there is no higher thing on which to make an oath).
=== Hebrews 6:18 ===
18 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:
The second immutable thing is that it is impossible for God to lie. It is not within His nature to do so. The first being the unchanging nature of His counsel. Because this is the nature of God and because He did swear this oath, Christians have a strong comfort in this period of persecution. They are having to flee Jerusalem, flee from the Jews who are persecuting them. Yet there is a hope that this persecution will end and the church will be fully established and the new age begun when the old is gone and the old things taken out of the way.
=== Hebrews 6:19 ===
19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
This hope for the new heavens and the new earth was an anchor for their soul there in the 1st century. The persecution would end and they, if they remained stedfast, would come to the other side and see the conclusion of the promises, the final establishment of the Lord's Kingdom (the church), the inheritance they had been promised. The veil here is reference to the Holy of Holies which Christ had entered and become King and High Priest and thus sat down at the right hand of God and now reigns for the rest of time.
=== Hebrews 6:20 ===
20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Christ has entered into the presence of the Father in Heaven, the High Priest of our faith, the Christian faith. He is our forerunner, the one who goes before, in that He has already been resurrected from the dead and is in the presence of the Father. We, too, if we remain faithful, will one day be in the direct presence of God for eternity. The writer goes back again to his statements in chapter 5 and will continue this thought in chapter 7, that Christ is the High Priest as an antitype of Melchisedec in that He blesses us, the heirs of Abraham in the way that Melchisedec blessed Abraham as God had sworn in Psalm 110:4.
In Truth and Love.
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