The Letters · New Testament

Hebrews 6

Hebrews 6: the severest warning, and an oath sworn to Abraham

General context

The writer proposes to leave the first principles and go on to perfection, listing a foundation he will not lay again: repentance from dead works, faith toward God, the doctrine of baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. Then comes the hardest statement in the letter. For those once enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, been made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, it is impossible, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify the Son of God afresh to themselves and put him to open shame. Two pieces of ground make the point: land that drinks the rain and bears useful herbs receives blessing; land that bears thorns and briers is rejected, near to cursing, its end to be burned. The tone changes at once. The writer is persuaded of better things concerning the readers, and says God will not forget their work and labour of love in ministering to the saints. He asks them to show the same diligence to the end and to follow those who inherit the promises by faith and patience. Abraham is the example: God, having no greater to swear by, swore by himself, promising to bless and multiply, and Abraham obtained the promise after patient endurance. Men swear by someone greater and an oath ends strife, so God added an oath to his promise, two unchangeable things in which he cannot lie. That hope is called an anchor of the soul entering within the veil, where Jesus has entered as forerunner, made a high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Cited passages: Hebrews 6:1, Hebrews 6:2, Hebrews 6:3, Hebrews 6:4, Hebrews 6:5, Hebrews 6:6, Hebrews 6:7, Hebrews 6:8, Hebrews 6:9, Hebrews 6:10, Hebrews 6:11, Hebrews 6:12, Hebrews 6:13, Hebrews 6:14, Hebrews 6:15, Hebrews 6:16, Hebrews 6:18, Hebrews 6:19, Hebrews 6:20

Hebrews 6 (KJV)

¹Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

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

³And this will we do, if God permit.

⁴For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

⁵And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

⁶If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

⁷For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:

⁸But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

⁹But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

¹⁰For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

¹¹And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

¹²That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

¹³For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

¹⁴Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

¹⁵And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

¹⁶For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.

¹⁷Where in God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:

¹⁸That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

¹⁹Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

²⁰Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

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Historical context

The six items of the foundation are listed without explanation, and the letter does not say who taught them or when. The oath to Abraham is quoted in short form: "Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee", where Genesis 22:17 reads "That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven" and continues further. The letter drops the seed, the stars and the sand and keeps only the doubled verbs. It does not say where in Abraham's life the oath was sworn, and it says only that he obtained the promise after patient endurance. The readers are described by conduct rather than by name: they have ministered to the saints and still do. That is all the chapter establishes about them. The warning of verses 4 to 6 is stated without any named case, and the letter does not say that it has happened among these readers; verse 9 says the opposite is expected of them.

Cited passages: Hebrews 6:1, Hebrews 6:2, Hebrews 6:14, Genesis 22:17, Hebrews 6:15, Hebrews 6:10, Hebrews 6:9

Literary context

The chapter moves in three steps, and the joints are audible. A resolution to move on is followed by the warning, which stacks up clauses across verses 4 and 5 before the condition arrives, so the sentence describes everything the person has received before it names the falling away. The two fields answer each other exactly, same rain, opposite crop, blessing against burning. Then "But, beloved" turns the address, and the writer says outright that he speaks this way without expecting it of them. The last section argues from ordinary practice, since an oath settles a dispute among men, to God's oath to Abraham, and closes on an image that is also a location: the anchor entering "that within the veil". That phrase drops the reader inside the sanctuary, which is where chapters 8 and 9 go, and the last word of the chapter returns to Melchisedec, left unexplained since chapter 5.

Cited passages: Hebrews 6:1, Hebrews 6:4, Hebrews 6:6, Hebrews 6:7, Hebrews 6:8, Hebrews 6:9, Hebrews 6:16, Hebrews 6:19, Hebrews 6:20

Key moments

Leaving the first principles (Hebrews 6:1). The writer lists a foundation he does not intend to lay again.
It is impossible (Hebrews 6:4). The letter states that those who fall away cannot be renewed to repentance.
Two fields, one rain (Hebrews 6:8). Ground bearing thorns is rejected while fruitful ground is blessed.
But, beloved (Hebrews 6:9). The writer says he expects better things of the readers.
God swore by himself (Hebrews 6:13). Having no greater to swear by, God confirms the promise to Abraham.
An anchor within the veil (Hebrews 6:19). Hope is pictured as an anchor entering inside the veil.
The forerunner entered (Hebrews 6:20). Jesus is named as having gone in ahead as a priest for ever.

For reflection

The same chapter says renewal is impossible for those who fall away and that the writer expects better things of these readers. How should a reader hold a warning that is stated absolutely and applied cautiously?