Hebrews 6
The author urges the readers to move beyond the basics of Christ and focus on more advanced teachings, but notes that this will only be possible if God permits it. Those who have experienced the heavenly gift and the Holy Spirit, but have fallen away, cannot be renewed again to repentance, as they are essentially crucifying the Son of God again. The author expresses confidence that the readers will not fall into this category, but rather will continue to minister to the saints and display hope and patience, imitating those who have inherited the promises through faith. God's promises are guaranteed by his oath, which serves as an anchor of the soul, providing solace and hope for those who have fled to hold fast to it.
Therefore, interrupting an explanation of the basics of Christ, let us consider what is more advanced, not presenting again the fundamentals of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward Godof the doctrine of baptism, and also of the imposition of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgmentAnd we shall do this, if indeed God permits itFor it is impossible for those who were once illuminated, and have even tasted of the heavenly gift, and have become sharers in the Holy Spiritwho, despite having tasted the good Word of God and the virtues of the future age, have yet fallen awayto be renewed again to penance, since they are crucifying again in themselves the Son of God and are still maintaining pretensesFor the earth accepts a blessing from God, by drinking in the rain that often falls upon it, and by producing plants that are useful to those by whom it is cultivatedBut whatever brings forth thorns and briers is rejected, and is closest to what is accursed; their consummation is in combustionBut from you, most beloved, we are confident that there will be things better and closer to salvation; even though we speak in this wayFor God is not unjust, such that he would forget your work and the love that you have shown in his name. For you have ministered, and you continue to minister, to the saintsYet we desire that each one of you display the same solicitude toward the fulfillment of hope, even unto the endso that you may not be slow to act, but instead may be imitators of those who, through faith and patience, shall inherit the promisesFor God, in making promises to Abraham, swore by himself, (because he had no one greater by whom he might swear)saying: "Blessing, I shall bless you, and multiplying, I shall multiply you.And in this way, by enduring patiently, he secured the promiseFor men swear by what is greater than themselves, and an oath as confirmation is the end of all their controversyIn this matter, God, wanting to reveal more thoroughly the immutability of his counsel to the heirs of the promise, interposed an oathso that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have the strongest solace: we who have fled together so as to hold fast to the hope set before usThis we have as an anchor of the soul, safe and sound, which advances even to the interior of the veilto the place where the forerunner Jesus has entered on our behalf, so as to become the High Priest for eternity, according to the order of Melchizedek
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