Hebrews 6

Before we go into Hebrews 6 we need to review the end of Hebrews 5

Hebrews 5:8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Jesus learned obedience If he was God why would he have to learn anything and who was teaching him?

Verse 9 I think they should just put the Greek in. Michael Lewis suggested to me and I am in complete agreement.

http://biblehub.com/interlinear/hebrews/5-9.htm

Now this is from the Aramaic

9 Thus matured, He became unto all who obey Him, The Cause of Eternal Life,

Here is the Amplified:
 9 And having been made perfect [uniquely equipped and prepared as Savior and retaining His integrity amid opposition], He became the source of eternal salvation [an eternal inheritance] to all those who obey Him,

Verse 10 I like from the NASB

New American Standard Bible

being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Doesn’t sound like he is God because he was designated by God.

11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to expound in saying it, seeing you have become dull of hearing. 12 For indeed, being morally obligated to be teachers due to the length of time you have been taught, instead, you need someone to teach you again the rudiments of the beginning of the words of God. Indeed, you have become ones who need milk, not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes of milk is inexperienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, even those who through repeated use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

I like the NIV

11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand.

They were not even trying to understand. You will run into this allot that people refuse to listen to what is best.

12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!

You will see this. People who have been hanging around for 40 years and they are in the same place they were 35 or 40 years ago. No spiritual growth they are still the central figure in all that they do not what will move the word of God. Make no mistake we have been given an assignment by God himself and it is clearly set forth in 2 Corinthians 5 from the ESV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

We have been given the ministry of reconciliation. We need to do whatever it takes to reconcile, (bringing back together that which is separated) men to God. Our desires will have to take second place to what is necessary to be done so we can bring men back to God. You can make silly arguments about your freedom but your freedom never paid the price for you being brought back to God, so we are ambassadors for God as the KJV says we are not here to promote our freedom but that Jesus Christ has paid the price for all men. That has to be our main message God sent his son to die for us so we could believe Romans 10:9-11.

The meat is living for God and doing all you can to do is exactly that. Here is a great example let’s say you live in a very conservative community. You have long hair and wear mostly all flashy clothing. Now at times that is a good thing, but let’s say God says tone down the clothing you wear. You ignore him and he sends someone to you with the suggestion to tone down your clothing because it is turning people off to you so they won’t hear as easily. Do you tone down your clothing or do you argue you stand approved to God only and you will not change for anyone. Well haven’t you just told God to go take a hike what you want is more important than moving God’s word? We have to have a new mindset where we are not the central figure in everything but doing what God needs us to do.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

This is a lesson it takes all of us a long time to learn and get into practice in our lives. In fact you will probably be working on that for the rest of your life.

Hebrews Chapter 6 

1 Therefore, leaving the teaching of the fundamentals of Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of trust in God, 2 of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of judgment in the Age to come. 3 And this will we do, if God permits.

In Verse one.

“fundamentals.” Technically, “beginnings,” as per Heb. 5:12, but since the beginnings of Christ might seem like his conception and birth instead of the beginning principles, we have gone with “fundamentals.” Why would we leave the fundamentals of Christ? The answer is in the verse, “to press on to maturity.” This is not saying that we forget the fundamentals, or that they are not important. But the Jews were famous for arguing to the point of exhaustion over the most simple of truths. The Rabbis debated for hours over words and the meanings of words that at some point we have to leave behind and press toward maturity in the faith, so that we know the things of God, can be warriors in the spiritual battle, and help others master the fundamentals of the faith. Everyone who reads the scholarly commentaries on the Bible knows how sometimes they can miss the most obvious of truths, and then argue about them, all of which keeps people stuck in the fundamentals, not able to move on to maturity.

REV Commentary

I think the NLT makes clear

So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don't need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.

This is not being addressed to the new or not yet saved but to those who need to grow up in Christ. This could be cherry picked and made to say something that God never meant that is why all verses need to be seen in there context to be fully understood.

In verse 2 the word teachings can and should be translated doctrines. In Greek the two words are interchangeable the same holds true for English my preference just leans to doctrine as a translation.

Then verse 3 sets it who is in charge

3 And this will we do, if God permits.

It is always God’s call. If you feel bound in the spirit then ask for guidance and see what God has to say on the matter.

The NIV i think gets it correctly

3 And God permitting, we will do so.

ESV 3 And this we will do if God permits.

4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of holy spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to renew them again to repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Here is the Aramaic translation of the first 6 verses of Hebrews:

1 Because of this, leave the beginning of the matters of Meshikha {The Anointed One}, and come unto maturity, or why again place another foundation of repentance from the works of death, and Faith that is in Alaha {God},

2 and the teaching of Immersion, and laying on of the hand, and the resurrection from the abode of the dead, and of the eternal judgment?

3 If MarYa {The Lord-YHWH} allows it, make this happen!

4 But, it isn't possible that they who at one time had descended into Baptism, and have tasted The Gift from the Shmaya {The Heavens}, and have received The Rukha d'Qudsha {The Spirit of Holiness},

5  and have tasted The Good Word of Alaha {God}, and The Power of the age that is destined to be,6 who would again sin, to again restore them unto repentance, and again should crucify the Son of Alaha {God}, whom they would despise.

6 who would again sin, to again restore them unto repentance, and again should crucify the Son of Alaha {God}, whom they would despise.

Commentary for: Hebrews 6:6

“and then have fallen away it is impossible to renew them again to repentance.” This verse reflects the permanence of salvation that is spoken of in so many other places in the Epistles [see Appendix 1: “The Permanence of Christian Salvation”]. This verse is not about losing salvation and not being able to regain it, although that is what many people think. If this verse were about losing one’s salvation, then we need to be clear about what it is saying, because it would be saying that if a saved person sins and loses his salvation, he cannot be forgiven and be saved again because that is “impossible.”

Could this one verse in Hebrews contradict all of the other verses in the Epistles that indicate the New Birth is permanent? A principle of interpretation is that the many clear verses on a subject outweigh what a contradictory verse seems to be saying. Also, can it really be true that the Bible says if a saved person sins and falls away from the faith it is “impossible” for him to get forgiveness and be saved again? Even in the Old Testament God implored the people of Israel to forsake evil and return to Him. Could it be that in the Old Testament a person could turn away from God but be accepted back with open arms if he would just ask God for forgiveness, but in the Christian Church if a person sins and falls away it is “impossible” for him to come back? That makes no sense.

A study of the Scripture shows us that people who sinned were welcomed back into the Christian community. For example, in 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 the Apostle Paul asked the Church to welcome back a person who had sinned. In Galatians 6:1 people who sin are to be “restored.” The Church Epistles are filled with exhortations for Christians to stop sinning and obey God. The invitation of God always is for people to stop sinning and come back to Him. That fact in itself tells us there is a different way to understand Hebrews 6:6 than believing it is saying a saved person cannot repent after sinning.

We also see God’s forgiveness and restoration daily in our churches. Our churches have many people who were strong in the faith at one time, then leave the faith for a while, then repent of their sin and return to church and the Christian lifestyle. Is there anyone who will say that all those people, who are now valuable members of the church, are actually not saved because it was “impossible” to renew them to the faith once they left the faith? We hope not.

If this verse does not mean that it is “impossible” for someone who left the faith to be forgiven and return to God, then what does it mean? It means that it is “impossible” to renew a sinner to repentance because once a Christian repents and gets saved that salvation is permanent. It is “impossible” for the Christian to lose his salvation, so it is “impossible” for him to repent and get saved again. Every Christian can and does sin, but the sin, even egregious sin, does not cause a person to lose his salvation. Since the person’s salvation was never lost, the person cannot “renew” himself to “repentance.” Everyone can only repent and be saved one time. After that, when we sin, we can repent of our sin and be forgiven, but we do not get saved again because we never lost our salvation. Salvation is by the New Birth, and it is permanent.

What happens when a Christian sins and asks for forgiveness is clear from 1 John 1:8-9: “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” These verses in 1 John assume that Christians will sin. In fact, 1 John 1:8 says that if we think we do not sin, we are deceiving ourselves. However, neither 1 John nor any other book of the New Testament has a warning such as, “Be careful! We all sin, but if you sin so horribly you fall away, you will not be able to be saved again.” No! Instead are the comforting words that if we confess our sin, God will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Scholars who have studied this section of Scripture do not know why God addressed the permanence of our salvation by telling us it was impossible to be renewed to repentance. However, there are a couple possibilities we should consider. One is that there are many other places God plainly indicates that it is impossible to lose salvation. He calls it “birth,” and birth is permanent. He says our salvation is “guaranteed” (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:14). Furthermore, He says we are already in heaven (Eph. 2:6). Saying it is impossible to renew our repentance would be just one more way that God would tell us that our salvation is permanent.

It is also possible that given the prevailing Jewish mindset of salvation by works, the idea of a permanent salvation was very upsetting to those determined to cling to their Jewish heritage. Thus Hebrews, rather than saying anything about someone losing his salvation, states the message in the opposite terms of it being impossible to repent again. If it were possible to renew oneself to repentance, then that would be saying that the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ was not sufficient to cover a person’s sins once and for all, which is not the case. The one time sacrifice of Christ, and his substitution for the sinner, made that sinner righteous for all time, not just until he sinned the next time.

There is another good reason to believe that Hebrews 6:6 is about the permanence of salvation and not about a person falling away and then it being “impossible” for him to get saved again. There is no instruction in the New Testament about exactly what a Christian would have to do to fall away so completely that it would then be impossible for him to be saved again. Everyone sins, and the Word of the Lord is that to be forgiven we just confess our sin to God. If there was a sin that was so horrible that it made regaining salvation “impossible,” it surely seems that our loving Father would let us know what that was. Our earthly fathers sternly warn us about dangers, and so it certainly seems that if there was a sin from which we could not repent, our Heavenly Father would certainly warn us of it. But there is no such warning. Nowhere in the Church Epistles is a warning saying, “Do not do such and such, because if you do it will be impossible for you to regain your salvation.” That fact alone is very good evidence that this verse is not about a person losing his salvation and not being able to regain it. There is the verse about not being forgiven for blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, but this verse in Hebrews does not seem to be about that specific sin. Furthermore, Hebrews is written to people in the Grace Administration, when salvation is permanent, whereas Jesus was talking to people who lived before the Grace Administration started (see commentary on Ephesians 3:2).

Having given good evidence that this verse is about the permanence of salvation, there is one more thing that we have to consider as to why God has worded this verse the way He did, which seems very harsh, and that has to do with the overall context of this section. The whole section is written in a harsh way, with serious warnings for people to be faithful. For example, Heb. 6:7-8 speak of land that is blessed if it bears good fruit, but cursed if it does not. Orthodox Christian doctrine about heaven and hell has done a great disservice to Christians in that it has not given clear reasons to excel as a Christian. Many preachers teach about heaven as if “just getting in” is what matters. While it is true that there is no greater blessing anyone can have than having everlasting life, there is a lot more to consider. For one thing, we will not spend eternity in “heaven,” but on earth, and we will be subjects in the Kingdom of Christ on earth [see Appendix 3: “Christ’s Future Kingdom on Earth”]. Our “jobs” in the Kingdom will be assigned in relation to how we have lived our life on earth. If we have not been faithful, we will be there, but as Corinthians says, with nothing, just as someone who has survived a fire (cp. 1 Cor. 3:15; see commentary on 2 Corinthians 5:10). It is quite possible that a person living in the Kingdom with nothing, as if he had barely escaped a fire, is much worse than Christians generally imagine.

In verse 4 it is speaking of the gift of holy spirit.

Verse 6 says exactly the opposite of what many try and say. It doesn't mean you can lose your salvation but you can not go back to a state where you need to be redeemed. Because you can only be redeemed once. Also many places tell us to just ask for forgiveness to be restored to a state of fellowship.

1 John 2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

7 For the land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it and produces vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is tilled, receives a blessing from God, 8 but if it bears thorns and thistles it is rejected and close to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

“whose end is to be burned.” Land that was blessed by God with rain but produces thorns and thistles was burned so the weeds would have less chance of reproducing. This is a statement of fact not a way of saying believers can end up in the fire.

Look at the NIV

10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized.

Reminds me of

1 Corinthians 3:10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

9 But, beloved, we are persuaded of better things about you, even things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. 10 For God is not so unrighteous as to forget your work and the love that you showed toward his name by having ministered to the holy ones, and in your continuing to minister. 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to have the full assurance of the hope until the end, 12 so that you will not become sluggish, but will be imitators of those who through trust and longsuffering inherit the promises.

God doesn’t forget what you do for him. You will be rewarded for what you did for God. Paul and God want us to persevere till the end so we can be rewarded.

13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, Surely I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply you abundantly.a 15 And thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

God swore by his own name to old Abe that he would be the father of many nations and that the promised seed would come through Isaac. The interesting thing was that God’s promise was not about genealogy as the church leaders thought but was having faith for that was what was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. These people who this is written to, who probably could trace their genealogy back to Abraham, were give a warning:

Heb 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

We have to rightly divide the word as is talked about in 2 Timothy 2:15. These were Hebrews who were steeped in traditions that the elders decided where the word of God sometimes right sometimes wrong.

We have to endure just don’t give up I tried that for 10 years it doesn’t work and it almost cost me my life but God was gracious and forgiving and I’m still here and not going to make that mistake again.

16 For people swear by that which is greater than themselves, and for them an oath given for confirmation is an end of every dispute. 17 In the same way, God, intending to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his purpose, guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in each of which it is impossible for God to lie, we have strong encouragement, we who have found refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, both sure and steadfast, and extending into the inner part of the veil, 20 where, as a forerunner, Jesus entered on our behalf, having become a high priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.

Okay verse 16.

This is a difficult verse to translate because of the various phrases in the Greek that can be placed in different positions. This accounts for the differences in the English translations, which all seem to say the same thing in slightly different ways. A strictly literal rendition of the Greek is so awkward that it is hard to understand. The point of the verse is that people swear by things greater than themselves, and when an oath is given for confirmation, (such as “I swear by God”) that brings an end to the dispute. The Greek, not in the order of the Greek text, could be structured as follows:

καὶ αὐτοῖς ὁ ὅρκος εἰς βεβαίωσιν πέρας πάσης ἀντιλογίας

and for them the oath [given] for confirmation [is] an end of every dispute

REV

Verse 17

In the same way, God, intending to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his purpose, guaranteed it with an oath,

“more convincingly.” The Greek is more literally, “more abundantly,” but in the context of convincing people of His intentions, “more convincingly” is a good translation (cp. ESV; Sterns, Complete Jewish Bible).

“guaranteed it.” The Greek word is mesiteuō (#3315 μεσιτεύω), and means to act as a mediator, or peacemaker, or to guarantee (BDAG).
REV Commentary

Here is how the NLT handles this verse

God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind.

So that means that God does change his mind? Just something to ponder and work from the scriptures.

We make oaths so haphazardly :

“I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” Tuesday comes and you can’t find Whimmpie anyplace. Do you know what God says about vowing a vow?

I could show you more but you get the idea I am sure. As a side note the above are all from biblehub which we all use around here. It is an excellent tool with many useful items.

In verse 18 there are different ways the translation can be done as I have mentioned before translation is not an exact science.

So that by two unchangeable things, in each of which it is impossible for God to lie, we have strong encouragement, we who have found refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us.

This is a part of the commentary from the REV

Compare the ESV, “we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope,” with the NASB, “we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us.” The NASB and similar versions have us fleeing for refuge in the hope, while the ESV has us fleeing for refuge, but leave open the questions, “Flee from what,” and “what is the refuge?” We feel that these questions are answered in the context if the verse is translated in the natural word order of the Greek text, as the NASB and REV has done. We flee for refuge (which can also be translated, “found refuge,” (Lenski; BDAG lexicon) in our hope.

I like the KJV of 19 probably because I was raised on KJV

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

The anchor is a sure and steady thing always holding in place the ship on the water extending to the veil or the holy of holies. This would instantly be understood by those who Hebrews was written to for it was a part of their daily life,

In verse 20 Jesus Christ is our high priest remember this being written to the Hebrew Christians they grew up with this. The priests serving in the temple was something they understood as well as the high priest.

Always bear in mind this book was written to the Hebrew Christians but there is a vast amount we can learn from in this book.