Note: In the body on this article the verses from Hebrews are in italics, the explanation of the verse/s follows in straight text with additional scriptures shown in bold italics.
Background to Chapter 6
Having chastised the Jews in Chapter 5 for their lack of spiritual maturity and their desire to leave the faith and return to the Law, In this chapter (6) the writer's focus is on them moving on from the basic foundations of Christianity (being babes in Christ) to spiritual maturity - the meat of the Word.
At the same time the chapter contains a warning to the Church about the peril of falling away from the Faith - abandoning Jesus and returning to live the way you did before you were saved, living a life of sin!
For more information on moving on to spiritual maturity in Chris Jesus, please read my Blog "From Milk to Meat: The Christian Path to Spiritual Maturity" on the below link.
https://rayskilton.blogspot.com/2021/04/from-milk-to-meat-christian-path-to.html
1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
In verses 1-3 the writer's instruction to the Jews and us today is to move on from the elementary doctrine of Christ (milk of the Word) into maturity (the meat of the Word, solid food) in order to grow to Spiritual maturity in Christ Jesus.
Let's remind ourselves of the last two verses in Chapter 5. We must move on to spiritual maturity in Christ Jesus. In other words when we, as born again Christians, have grasped the basic Christian foundations of repentance, faith in God alone (through Christ Jesus), instructions about water baptism, the knowledge of the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead and facing eternal judgement, we must then "walk on" to spiritual maturity in Christ Jesus by being filled with and led by the Holy Spirit as Jesus was!
Matthew 3:16-17; 4:1 (AMP)
16 After Jesus was baptized, He came up immediately out of the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he (John) saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him (Jesus), 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased and delighted!”
Matthew 4:1 (AMP)
Then Jesus was led by the [Holy] Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Hebrews 5:13-14 (AMP)
13 For everyone who lives on milk is [doctrinally inexperienced and] unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a spiritual infant. 14 But solid food is for the [spiritually] mature, whose senses are trained by practice to distinguish between what is morally good and what is evil.
John 16:13 (NIV)
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
Ephesians 5:18 (AMP)
Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him (be continually filled).
3 And this we will do if God permits.
Verse 3 is a short sentence that carries a mighty punch. "If God permits" does not mean that God does not want us to go further than the basics and into maturity, but rather it signifies that we should rely totally on God in everything, and have a spiritual desire to walk to maturity!
It is a statement that says that God won't lead us by His Spirit into spiritual maturity until we fully grasp the basics of Christianity and are well seasoned in applying them to ourselves and in our lives. Our Christian walk is a proactive one. If we don't grasp the basics and fully apply them to our lives then we remain spiritual "babies"!
The sad part of this that there are so many people that are born again but have not grasped the basics and fully applied them to their lives, thus we have Christians that have been born again for 10, 20, 30 ,40.....years, but are still "babies" in Christ.
Come on Church keep growing towards maturity - I'm speaking to myself as well!
James 1:22-25 (AMP)
22 But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth]. 23 For if anyone only listens to the word without obeying it, he is like a man who looks very carefully at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he immediately forgets what he looked like. 25 But he who looks carefully into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and faithfully abides by it, not having become a [careless] listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he will be blessed and favored by God in what he does [in his life of obedience].
2 Peter 3:17-18 (AMP)
17 Therefore, [let me warn you] beloved, knowing these things beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men [who distort doctrine] and fall from your own steadfastness [of mind, knowledge, truth, and faith], 18 but grow [spiritually mature] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory (honor, majesty, splendor), both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
In verse 4-6 the writer gives the Jews and us today a stern warning that we need to grasp and fully understand!
We must bear in mind that the writer is addressing Jews that have converted to Christianity (The Way) and thus they are now born again believers. He wrote this letter to warn them of losing their salvation as some of them, because of the persecution they were enduring, were considering returnin to Judaism - their old selves! God will never leave us - it is us that leave Him! We are new creations!
2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (AMP)
16 So from now on we regard no one from a human point of view [according to worldly standards and values]. Though we have known Christ from a human point of view, now we no longer know Him in this way. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].
This warning is still very relevant to the Church today. We cannot willfully turn our backs on Jesus and revert to the people we once were before our salvation and resume a life of willful sin - if we do this we cannot be restored again (verse 6) and verse 4 says it is impossible for us to be restored once we have been enlightened (saved), have received the Holy Spirit .
Let's examine the phrase "fallen away" in verse 6 so that we can better understand the seriousness of what the writer of Hebrews is telling or warning us of.
The phrase "fallen away" is a transliteration of the Greek word "parapiptó" (Pronounced: pah-rah-PEEP-to - Strong's 3895) and its full meaning is: to fall away from something you once believed, to apostasise, to deliberately deviate from the right path, to deviate from or abandon a truth you once believed in.
There is no second Calvary; hence deliberate rejection leaves no further means of grace, you cannot re-crucify Christ! We must remain in Christ and not willfully and deliberately reject His path!
John 15:5-6 (AMP)
5 I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken off] branch, and withers and dies; and they gather such branches and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.
In verses 7-8 the writer gives us a great practical example of the seriousness of falling away by using the ground on which we grow our food and the rain that is needed for the crop to grow!
When we are born again we become God's fallow ground and we, like the ground of the farmer, need the rain of the Holy Spirit to fall upon us so that we can, like the crops in the field that are water by physical rain, can grow to maturity and bear good fruit!
This how we grow to maturity in Christ Jesus to bear much fruit to the Father's glory. If we are not bearing good fruit than we are worthless to God and close to being cursed and being sent to Hell - burned (see John 15:6 above)!
John 15:8 (AMP)
My Father is glorified and honored by this, when you bear much fruit, and prove yourselves to be My [true] disciples.
Galatians 5:22-23 (AMP)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.
It is from this position, when we are living a Spirit filled life in Christ Jesus, that the Holy Spirit leads us into the good works that the Father predestined us to do long ago to His glory, not to ours, it's all about Jesus! This is how we grow to Spiritual maturity and leave our "babyhood" behind!
9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation.
In verse 9 the writer softens the tone of the "seriousness of falling away" and encourages them to look to the "better things that belong to salvation", being eternal life in Christ Jesus!
Whenever we are facing times of trial and tribulation, our first move should be to look to Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith as in Him we can overcome all things. We live by faith! The book of James tells us to count our trials as joy!
Hebrews 12:1-2 (AMP)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of [a]witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, 2 [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, [b]disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].
Romans 8:37 (AMP)
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us].
James 1:2-4 (AMP)
2 Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. 3 Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.
10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.
Like the Jews who had newly converted to Christianity, we too can often become discouraged and feel sorry for ourselves and feel like God is no longer with us! But in verse 10 we are told that be because our God is just, He does not miss anything that we do, have done or will do for others especially when we serve Him in love.
11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end,
In verse 11 we get our first indication that the writer is not alone in His encouragement of the Jews but, as he uses the first person plural "we", indicating that he is also speaking as a representative of the other Church leaders of the time. The writing of the letter to the Hebrews has the backing of other leaders as well as his own! They all desire the Jews to continue in their faith steadfastly until the end, until their race is complete!
The Church's only hope and assurance of salvation and everlasting life is in Christ Jesus!
12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
If we continue steadfastly in our faith in Christ Jesus we will not become "sluggish" (dull, slow, discouraged, tired) and think of throwing in the towel and just giving up but by being faithful in imitating those that have brought them the gospel, we will inherit (not earn) all the promises of God!
2 Corinthians 1:20 (AMP)
For as many as are the promises of God, in Christ they are [all answered] “Yes.” So through Him we say our “Amen” to the glory of God.
The Certainty of God's Promise
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” 15 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.
In verses 13-15 the writer, because we was addressing a strictly Jewish audience at the time, refers them back to Abraham who most Jews of the time revered as a "founding father" of their nation, and reminds them that God's promises to Abraham (The Abrahamic Covenant) were fulfilled in every way and a son was born to Abraham and Sarah in their very old age!!
Genesis 12:1-3 (ESV)
Now the Lord said[a] to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 15:4 (ESV)
4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.”
Genesis 18:10-14 (ESV)
10 The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” 13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard[d] for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”
Genesis 21:1-2 (ESV)
The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. 2 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him.
16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath,
At the time this letter was written and for many years before, when people settled disputes or made significant promises to do something of significance they would swear on an oath as final confirmation of what they had promised to do, and this oath was sworn on something that was greater than themselves to prove to the person or persons they were promising that they were committed to doing what ever they were swearing to do!
In this case there was nobody or nothing greater than God to take an oath on so God swore on Himself to Abraham. This showed Abraham and all the heirs of the promise thereafter that God's has an unchangeable and all His promises are "Yes and Amen." Time and history has proved this! See 2 Corinthians 1:20 above.
18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
In verse 18 we are told that in two unchangeable things it is impossible for God to lie - his promises (all His promises are Yes and Amen!) and His oaths. These two things are the essence of who He is, all His Godly characteristics and His unbounding love for us! God cannot lie!
We who have fled for refuge, our refuge is in our salvation in Christ Jesus, we have fled from our sin and our now new creations in Christ Jesus - He is our refuge and strength.
Psalm 46:1 (ESV)
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,
In verse 19 the writer uses the analogy of a "sure and steadfast anchor" to show how strong our position is in Christ Jesus. In the times that this letter was written just about everybody would have been familiar with sailing ships and just how important the anchor was in stabilizing a ship in port especially in stormy weather.
The writer show Jesus in this analogy s our anchor of the soul. Jesus who keeps us steadfast in time of trouble and who is the one that stabilizes us in all things! And it is through Jesus that we can enter into God's presence behind the "curtain", in Jesus we can enter into the Holy of holies into God's presence.
Ephesians 2:18-22 (ESV)
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
In verse 20 the writer tells us that it is "behind the curtain" that Jesus has gone before us, which to me suggests that this is at the right hand of the Father. Jesus has gone to the father on our behalf. Jesus is our High Priest forever! This is how we can enter into God's through Jesus our Saviour!
Acts 7:55-56 (ESV)
55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
Romans 8:33-35 (ESV)
33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
Prayer
Dear Father in Heaven
Thank you for Jesus my Lord and Saviour. Thank you that it is by His name alone that I am saved, and it is only through Him that I receive your sonship and can share in your spiritual blessings that are for Your children only. Help me, Father by the power of your Holy Spirit to walk in a manner that is worthy of my salvation in Christ Jesus and keep me from developing a sinful, rebellious heart of unbelief and help me to come before you in humility. Help me Lord to immerse myself in your Word and wall on the path to spiritual maturity so that I can be a blessing to others and glorify the name of Jesus. Help me in my unbelief I pray!. Amen.
To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!
Jesus the Name above all names!
Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My word is flawed the Bible is not!
