In this chapter, Paul continues to persuade the Hebrews to make more progress in the faith than they have been, so they do not fall into the danger of falling away, or the halt the process of falling away. He reminds them of the dreadful consequences of sin and encourages them to continue in God with respect, and duty, reminding them how much happiness there is in serving the Lord.
1 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,[Or from useless rituals] and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites,[Or about baptisms] the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so.
Paul continues his thought from the previous chapter, letting them know that it is not acceptable for them to remain infants in Christ. He encourages them not to go backwards into the old ways of rituals and rules, but to continue in the freedom they had been taught. He wanted them to grow, to build on the foundations he had already given them. He does no want them to lose what they have been taught, but to move forward, always building on the last instruction with the next one. Repentance of sin, baptism, and salvation are not things to be repeated over and over. They are not rituals, like those of the Old Testament, that must to repeated to be effective. They are instead to be built upon, living and breathing, growing principles that bring us closer and closer to God. Rituals are designed to maintain a status – growing is ever reaching for a new level.
4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen[Or if they fall] away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.
Paul warns them that it is possible for those who have gone very far in the faith, to fall backward. We are not talking about just sinning, we are talking about completely walking away from the salvation of Jesus and continuing in the rituals of the old faith. They crucify Jesus over and over for the repentance of their sins, which is a sin in and of itself. These cannot be restored, because they show that they approve of what the Jews did to Jesus, they approve of his crucifixion, the persecution of the Christians, and to do this is the greatness of the sin of apostasy. iI is not just denial, but a turning back to the old ways that were to have been replaced by Jesus. It is complete and total denial of Jesus as the Messiah, the son of God. Apostasy is the sin that will bring eternal damnation. Remember that this chapter is speaking directly to former Jews, this was a true and relevant danger to them.
9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. 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. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
Now, Paul tells them that although these things are possible, he believes they are capable of much more. He is convinced that they will continue to pursue holiness and the righteousness of God through Christ. He encourages them not to become lazy, or lax in the faith, to pursue the inheritance of heaven with all of their strength and might. He assures them that God will remember every thing they have done and all they have been through. He wants them to see the fullness of God’s promise fulfilled in them. Being lazy gets us nowhere. Anything worth having is worth the work it takes to receive it.
The Certainty of God’s Promise
13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”[Gen. 22:17] 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
He gives them a concrete reminder of the faithfulness of God. He shows them how, even though he waited a long time, Abraham received exactly what God had promised. Abraham is their forefather, a legend that they draw strength from. This is why Paul uses it to encourage them. He is showing them that even if some time passes, God never fails in what he has promised.
16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, 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 greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
Now, the promise that God made, he swore upon himself, since there is none greater than him. It proves God’s inability to lie, and the unchangeable nature of his promises. What he has sworn he will do has enormous power to it. It cannot be changed, not by God, not by anyone lesser than he. We can have this as a great assurance, a wonderful encouragement. We have this hope – this assurance – that we are heirs of the kingdom of God, we are the adopted children of God with an eternal inheritance and a blessing that transcends time and space. Jesus is our high priest, he has allowed us to enter the inner sanctuary and enjoy a relationship with our heavenly father as Adam once did. We have been restored to our rightful place in God. This is something that the hebrews needed to grasp and hold on to tightly. It was the very thing that was endangered by falling back into the rituals of their past. Paul spoke strongly on this subject, knowing that they were in a danger that the gentile converts could not relate to. If they fell, they could be restored, not so for the Hebrews.
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