Letter to the Hebrews 6

¹ Let us leave behind us then all the elementary teaching about Christ and concentrate on its completion, without going over the fundamental doctrines again: the turning away from dead actions and towards faith in God;

² the teaching about baptisms and the laying-on of hands; the teaching about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement.

³ This, God willing, is what we propose to do.

⁴ As for those people who were once brought into the light, and tasted the gift from heaven, and received a share of the Holy Spirit,

⁵ and appreciated the good message of God and the powers of the world to come

⁶ and yet in spite of this have fallen away – it is impossible for them to be renewed a second time. They cannot be repentant if they have wilfully crucified the Son of God and openly mocked him.

⁷ A field that has been well watered by frequent rain, and gives the crops that are wanted by the owners who grew them, is given God’s blessing;

⁸ but one that grows brambles and thistles is abandoned, and practically cursed. It will end by being burnt.

⁹ But you, my dear people – in spite of what we have just said, we are sure you are in a better state and on the way to salvation.

¹⁰ God would not be so unjust as to forget all you have done, the love that you have for his name or the services you have done, and are still doing, for the saints.[*a]

¹¹ Our one desire is that every one of you should go on showing the same earnestness to the end, to the perfect fulfilment of our hopes,

¹² never growing careless, but imitating those who have the faith and the perseverance to inherit the promises.

¹³ When God made the promise to Abraham, he swore by his own self, since it was impossible for him to swear by anyone greater:

¹⁴ I will shower blessings on you and give you many descendants.[*b]

¹⁵ Because of that, Abraham persevered and saw the promise fulfilled.

¹⁶ Men, of course, swear an oath by something greater than themselves, and between men, confirmation by an oath puts an end to all dispute.

¹⁷ In the same way, when God wanted to make the heirs to the promise thoroughly realise that his purpose was unalterable, he conveyed this by an oath;

¹⁸ so that there would be two unalterable things in which it was impossible for God to be lying, and so that we, now we have found safety, should have a strong encouragement to take a firm grip on the hope that is held out to us.

¹⁹ Here we have an anchor for our soul, as sure as it is firm, and reaching right through beyond the veil[*c]

²⁰ where Jesus has entered before us and on our behalf, to become a high priest of the order of Melchizedek, and for ever.