Hebrews

A Call to Maturity

1Therefore 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,

2instruction about baptisms,the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

3And this we will do, if God permits.

4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,

5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age—

6and 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.

7For 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.

8But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless, and its curse is imminent. In the end it will be burned.

9Even though we speak like this, beloved, we are convinced of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation.

10For 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.

11We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.

12Then you will not be sluggish, but will imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

God’s Unchangeable Promise

13When God made His promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself,

14saying, “I will surely bless you and multiply your descendants.”

15And so Abraham, after waiting patiently, obtained the promise.

16Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and their oath serves as a confirmation to end all argument.

17So 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.

18Thus 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.

19We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,

20where Jesus our forerunner has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

1Therefore leaving the teaching of the first principles of Christ, let’s press on to perfection—not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith toward God,

2of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

3This will we do, if God permits.

4For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,

5and tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,

6and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify the Son of God for themselves again, and put him to open shame.

7For the land which has drunk the rain that comes often on it and produces a crop suitable for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receives blessing from God;

8but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is rejected and near being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

9But, beloved, we are persuaded of better things for you, and things that accompany salvation, even though we speak like this.

10For God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward his name, in that you served the saints, and still do serve them.

11We desire that each one of you may show the same diligence to the fullness of hope even to the end,

12that you won’t be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherited the promises.

13For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself,

14saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.”

15Thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

16For men indeed swear by a greater one, and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.

17In this way God, being determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath,

18that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us.

19This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil,

20where as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.