HEBREWS 6 [†]Therefore i let us leave j the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance k from dead works and of faith toward God, 2and of l instruction about washings, m the laying on of hands, n the resurrection of the dead, and o eternal judgment. 3And this we will do p if God permits. 4[†]For it is impossible, in the case of those q who have once been enlightened, who have tasted r the heavenly gift, and s have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5[†]and t have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6[†]and u then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since v they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. 7[†]For w land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8But x if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, y and its end is to be burned.
9[†]Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 10[†]For z God is not unjust so as to overlook a your work and the love that you have shown for his name in b serving the saints, as you still do. 11[†]And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance c of hope until the end, 12so that you may not be sluggish, but d imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
13[†]For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, e he swore by himself, 14saying, f “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” 15[†]And thus Abraham, g having patiently waited, obtained the promise. 16[†]For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes h an oath is final for confirmation. 17[†]So when God desired to show more convincingly to i the heirs of the promise j the unchangeable character of his purpose, k he guaranteed it with an oath, 18so that by two unchangeable things, in which l it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope m set before us. 19[†]We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into n the inner place behind the curtain, 20where Jesus has gone o as a forerunner on our behalf, p having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 6:19–20 The Christian hope is in the person and saving work of Christ (pictured here as the high priest). Anchor was a common ancient metaphor for stability; hope provides security and stability for the soul. Clearly, even though the author warns the readers concerning apostasy (vv. 4–8), he believes they can have assurance of their salvation. The curtain (Gk. katapetasma) is the veil in the tabernacle or temple separating the inner place (i.e., “Most Holy Place,” 9:3) from the rest of the tabernacle/temple. On this veil, see Ex. 26:31; Num. 18:7; Matt. 27:51; Heb. 9:3; 10:20. forerunner. Jesus, who went beforehand and opened the veil, now permits others to draw near (9:3, 6–14; esp. cf. 9:8; 10:19–20). high priest. The author now returns to the subject of 5:5–10 (see 5:11).
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 6:5 tasted the goodness of the word of God. These people (see note on v. 4) have heard the truth explained and thus have also learned of God’s creative word (1:3; 11:3). This word will be fully exhibited in powers that bring about the world’s renewal in the age to come (2:5; 13:14), yet, through the present ministry of the Spirit, these powers are partially experienced now in the Christian community (cf. 2:4).
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 6:1–2 elementary doctrine of Christ. Cf. “basic principles” (5:12). Three paired examples of doctrine are given: (1) Christian conversion through repentance (i.e., turning away) from works that cannot save and through faith in God (on faith, see 6:12; 10:22, 38–39; 12:2; 13:7; and ch. 11; on dead works, see 9:14); (2) washings (plural of Gk. baptismos), where the plural may refer to teaching about the differences between Jewish purification rites and Christian baptism, and laying on of hands, which could refer to an initiatory rite at the time of baptism (cf. Acts 8:14–17; 9:12, 17–19; 19:5–6) or to other hand-laying practices during prayers for healing and during commissioning of individuals for ministry (see notes on Luke 4:40; Acts 6:6; 9:17; 13:3); and (3) the believers’ future hope of resurrection and the eternal judgment upon all people (see Heb. 9:27; 10:27; 11:19, 35).
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 6:4 For explains “if God permits” (v. 3); in some cases it is fruitless to expound the deeper truths of the faith (or even lay again a foundation of elementary doctrines, v. 1), since it is impossible to restore some people again to repentance (cf. 12:15–17). This likely refers to persons who in the past may have participated in acts of public repentance, which were common in early Christian worship. Here, however, they have apparently “fallen away” in such a decisive and irrevocable manner that “they are crucifying once again the Son of God … and holding him up to contempt” (6:6). Having committed such deliberate apostasy, it is impossible (at least from a human perspective) “to restore” such a person “again to repentance.” While Christians understand these verses differently, it is wise pastoral advice to encourage a person who worries that he may have committed such a deep sin, that the very desire to repent and to be restored in fellowship with the Christian community is evidence that he has not “fallen away” in the permanent, irrevocable way described in this verse (cf. note on “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” at Matt. 12:31–32). enlightened. Being listed first, this likely describes the initial entrance into Christian community through explanation of the Christian faith (cf. Heb. 10:32). Some have suggested that this may also have included baptism. Tasted the heavenly gift probably refers either (or both) to the Lord’s Supper or the general blessing that one encounters in the fellowship of the Christian community. have shared in (lit., “have become a partaker of”) the Holy Spirit. Some understand this as a reference to a person who has experienced the laying on of hands in the Christian community; others link it to the communal experience of the Spirit active in their midst producing fellowship and powerful wonders.
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 6:4–8 This passage has been subject to substantially different interpretations. The central debate concerns whether the descriptions of vv. 4–5 (e.g., “enlightened,” “tasted the heavenly gift,” “shared in the Holy Spirit,” “tasted of the goodness of the word of God”) depict people who were once true Christians. (1) Some argue these phrases do describe true Christians, implying that Christians can “fall away” and lose their salvation (cf. note on 3:14, however, indicating a fundamental difficulty with this view). Nonetheless, most who advocate this view hold that some who backslide can still return to Christian faith, thus limiting 6:4–6 to hardened cases of apostasy in which it is “impossible … to restore them again to repentance” (vv. 4, 6). (2) Most argue, however, that although these people may have participated fully in the Christian covenantal community (where they experienced enlightened instruction in the Word of God, where they saw public repentance occur, and where the Holy Spirit was at work in powerful ways), when such people do “fall away” it is clear that they are not true Christians because they have not made a true, saving response to the gospel, resulting in genuine faith, love, and perseverance (vv. 9–12). Significantly, they are like land that received much rain but bore no good fruit, only “thorns and thistles” (v. 8). They may have participated outwardly in the Christian community and they even may have shared in the blessings of Christian fellowship; but, like the seed that fell on rocky ground in the parable of the sower, “they have no root” (Mark 4:17) and they “fall away” when faced with persecution. (3) Another view is that the warnings are addressed to true believers, and though they will never completely fall away, the warnings are still the means that God uses to challenge them to persevere in their faith and so to preserve those whom the Lord has chosen. (4) A fourth view is that the “falling away” described in Heb. 6:6 has to do with loss of heavenly rewards. In any case, though the author recognizes that there may be a few in the congregation who fit the description of vv. 4–8, in general he does not think it to be true as a whole of the congregation to which he is writing, for he says, “yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation” (v. 9).
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 6:10 Evidence is given for the author’s confidence in the salvation of his readers (v. 9; cf. 10:32–34), including the good fruit of their service (work) and the love of the saints (see 3:1; 13:24).
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 6:15 having patiently waited. Abraham waited 25 years for the birth of Isaac (cf. Gen. 12:4 with Gen. 21:5), and he did not witness the fulfilled promise of innumerable offspring in his lifetime (see note on Heb. 11:13). His patience in faithful waiting is to be imitated (6:12; cf. 11:8–19). In his lifetime, Abraham obtained the promise through seeing Isaac born, and through the ram offered on Isaac’s behalf (Genesis 22). But now there is even greater fulfillment for Abraham, through the fact that Abraham’s descendants are indeed too many to count.
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 6:16 Oaths were common legal devices in ancient times as in the modern world (disputes implies a legal context). Oaths usually required appeal to some greater authority (often a deity; see v. 13).
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 6:17–18 The two unchangeable things are God’s promise/purpose and his oath. The character of God is holy, and he does not lie. Thus his announcement of his promise is sure, and doubly sure when combined with his oath. This encourages one to hold fast (see 4:14) to the hope (3:6; 6:11; 7:19; 10:23) of God’s promises.
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 6:7–8 land that has drunk the rain. Drawing on a common agricultural metaphor used in the OT and NT alike (see esv cross-references on v. 7; also Matt. 13:24–30, 36–43; Luke 3:17), the author warns that those who fall away are like land that does not bear a crop that is useful, but only bears thorns and thistles. In a picture of impending final judgment and condemnation, the author says that such land is near to being cursed and its end is to be burned.
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 6:6 Fallen away involves a sustained, committed rejection of Christ and a departure from the Christian community. To restore them again to repentance means to bring them once again to repent of their sins. This wording alone does not specify whether the earlier repentance was merely outward (cf. Luke 17:4), or whether it was a genuine, heartfelt repentance that accompanied true saving faith (see note on Heb. 6:4–8). The author is speaking in terms of what can be known from observing a person’s behavior. Crucifying once again graphically portrays rejection of Jesus. Holding … up to contempt (Gk. paradeigmatizō) conveys the idea of a public, shameful display. The warning of vv. 4–8 is substantial: such a falling away treats God’s own Son with such serious rejection that it is as if the person wanted again to put Christ on a cross; after such a departure there can be no return (though see note on v. 4).
HEBREWS—NOTE ON 6:11–12 The purpose of the warning (vv. 4–8), indeed of the whole letter, is to encourage earnest perseverance until the end. This demands hope, which is closely allied with faith (see 11:1; cf. 10:22), and enduring patience (cf. 6:15). For sluggish, see note on 5:11. imitators of those who … inherit the promises. Abraham is the immediate example in 6:13–15; other examples are found in ch. 11 (OT saints) and in 13:7 (church leaders).