Hebrews 6 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 So let's not get stuck on the basic teachings about Christ, but let's progress to a more mature understanding. We don't need to go over again the ideas of repenting from what we used to do, about trusting in God—
1 Therefore leaving the teaching of the first principles of Christ, let’s press on to perfection—not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith toward God,
2 or teachings about baptism, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
2 of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3 So let's get on with it, as God gives us the opportunity!
3 This will we do, if God permits.
4 It's impossible for those who once understood and experienced God's heavenly gift—who shared in receiving the Holy Spirit,
4 For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
5 who had known God's good word and the power of the coming age—
5 and tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
6 and then completely abandon God, for them to be brought back to repentance once more. They themselves have crucified the Son of God all over again and publicly humiliated him.
6 and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify the Son of God for themselves again, and put him to open shame.
7 Land that has been watered by rain, and produces crops for those who farm it, has God's blessing.
7 For the land which has drunk the rain that comes often on it and produces a crop suitable for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receives blessing from God;
8 But land that only produces weeds and thorns is worthless, and is about to be condemned. In the end all that can be done is to burn it.
8 but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is rejected and near being cursed, whose end is to be burned.
9 But dear friends, we believe better of you and your salvation, even if we talk like this!
9 But, beloved, we are persuaded of better things for you, and things that accompany salvation, even though we speak like this.
10 God wouldn't be so unjust as to forget what you've done and the love you've shown for him by the care you've shown for fellow-believers—something you're still doing.
10 For God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward his name, in that you served the saints, and still do serve them.
11 We want each of you to show the same kind of commitment, confident in God's hope until it's fulfilled.
11 We desire that each one of you may show the same diligence to the fullness of hope even to the end,
12 Don't be spiritually lazy, but follow the example of those who through trusting in God and patience inherit what God has promised.
12 that you won’t be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherited the promises.
13 When God gave his promise to Abraham he could swear by no one greater so he took an oath on himself,
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself,
14 saying, “I will definitely bless you, and multiply your descendants.”
14 saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.”
15 And so, after patiently waiting, Abraham received the promise.
15 Thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
16 People swear on things that are greater than they are, and when they have some dispute the oath is taken as the final word on the matter.
16 For men indeed swear by a greater one, and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.
17 That's why God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to those who would inherit the promise that he would never ever change his mind.
17 In this way God, being determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath,
18 So by these two actions that can't be changed, and since it's impossible for God to lie, we can have total confidence, having run for safety to take hold of the hope God presented to us.
18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us.
19 This hope is our spiritual anchor—it's both certain and reliable, and it takes us past the curtain to the presence of God.
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil,
20 That's where Jesus went in on our behalf, because he had become a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
20 where as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Cross references (20)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Hebrews 5:12–14; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Hebrews 9:14; Hebrews 12:13; Acts 26:20
- 2 1 Corinthians 15:13–57; Romans 6:3–5; Acts 17:31–32; Acts 6:6; Acts 10:47
- 3 Acts 18:21; 1 Corinthians 16:7; 1 Corinthians 4:19; James 4:15; Romans 15:32
- 4 Hebrews 10:26–29; 2 Peter 2:20–22; Matthew 5:13; John 15:6; Matthew 7:21–22
- 5 1 Peter 2:3; Luke 8:13; Matthew 13:20–21; Mark 4:16–17; 2 Peter 2:20
- 6 2 Peter 2:21; Hebrews 10:29; Hebrews 6:4; 1 John 5:16; Isaiah 1:28
- 7 Hosea 10:12; Isaiah 44:3; Psalm 65:9–13; Isaiah 55:10–13; Joel 2:21–26
- 8 John 15:6; Genesis 3:17–18; Luke 13:7–9; Deuteronomy 29:28; Jeremiah 44:22
- 9 Hebrews 10:39; Hebrews 6:4–6; Matthew 5:3–12; Hebrews 2:3; 2 Corinthians 7:10
- 10 Hebrews 13:16; Matthew 10:42; Galatians 6:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; Colossians 3:17
- 11 2 Peter 1:5–8; Hebrews 3:6; Romans 5:2–5; Hebrews 3:14; 2 Peter 1:10
- 12 Hebrews 13:7; Hebrews 10:36; Romans 12:11; 1 John 2:25; Jeremiah 6:16
- 13 Genesis 22:15–18; Luke 1:73; Psalm 105:9–10; Micah 7:20; Isaiah 45:23
- 14 Genesis 22:17; Deuteronomy 1:10; Nehemiah 9:23; Exodus 32:13; Genesis 17:2
- 15 Genesis 12:2–3; Romans 4:17–25; Genesis 15:2–6; Hebrews 6:12; Genesis 21:2–7
- 16 Exodus 22:11; Hebrews 6:13; Genesis 21:30–31; Joshua 9:15–20; Genesis 31:53
- 17 Proverbs 19:21; Hebrews 6:18; Isaiah 55:11; Isaiah 14:24; Hebrews 11:9
- 18 Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2; 1 Samuel 15:29; 2 Timothy 2:13; Romans 3:4
- 19 Psalm 43:5; Romans 5:5–10; Romans 8:28–39; Hebrews 9:7; Leviticus 16:15
- 20 Hebrews 4:14; Hebrews 3:1; Hebrews 5:6; Hebrews 5:10; Romans 8:34
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
You have heard how much Paul found fault with the Hebrews for wishing to be always learning about the same things. And with good reason: "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the elements of the first principles of the oracles of God." ( c. v.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 14 (1889)
… us have regard to the completion; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of the baptismal font, and of the laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment." This is the copious supply of milk, without which even they cannot live, who have …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
For it is impossible, he saith, for those who were once enlightened, &c., to renew them again unto repentance: seeing they crucify to themselves the Christ afresh, and put Him to an open shame.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 9 (1899)
By Himself: for He hath no greater by whom to swear. By Himself He confirmeth His promises: by Himself He confirmeth His threats.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)