Hebrews 6

1 Therefore *[Phil. 3:12-14] let us leave *ch. 5:12the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance *ch. 9:14from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of *Acts 19:4,5instruction about washings,*6:2 Or baptisms (that is, cleansing rites)*Acts 8:17;19:6the laying on of hands, *Acts 17:31,32the resurrection of the dead, and *See Acts 10:42eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do *See 1 Cor. 16:7if God permits. 4 For it is impossible, in the case of those *ch. 10:32who have once been enlightened, who have tasted *[John 4:10;Eph. 2:8] the heavenly gift, and *ch. 2:4,5;Gal. 3:2,5have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and *Ps. 34:8have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and *[Matt. 19:26]; See 1 John 5:16then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since *[ch. 10:29]they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. 7 For *Ps. 65:10land 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. 8 But *Isa. 5:1-7;[Gen. 3:17,18;Deut. 29:22,23;Jer. 44:22;Luke 13:6-9] if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, *[Mal. 4:1;John 15:6]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 *Prov. 19:17;Matt. 10:42;25:40;Mark 9:41God is not unjust so as to overlook *1 Thess. 1:3your work and the love that you have shown for his name in *Rom. 15:31;2 Cor. 8:4;9:1,12;2 Tim. 1:18;Rev. 2:19serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance *Rom. 5:2-5of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but *ch. 13:7;[ch. 10:36]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 had no one greater by whom to swear, *Gen. 22:16he swore by himself, 14 saying, *Cited from Gen. 22:17"Surely I will bless you and multiply you." 15 And thus Abraham,*6:15 Greek he*ver. 12, 17;[ch. 7:6]; See Rom. 4:13having patiently waited, obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes *Ex. 22:11an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to *ch. 11:9the heirs of the promise *ver. 18;[Ps. 110:4;Prov. 19:21] the unchangeable character of his purpose, *[Gal. 3:20]he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which *See Titus 1:2it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope *ch. 12:1,2set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into *ch. 9:7;Lev. 16:15the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone *ch. 4:14;8:1;9:24as a forerunner on our behalf, *ch. 3:1;5:6,10;7:17,21having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.