Hebrews 5:11-6:20

English Standard Version

Warning Against Apostasy

¹¹ About this we have much to say, and it is ^(A)hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. ¹² For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again ^(B)the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need ^(C)milk, not solid food, ¹³ for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is ^(D)a child. ¹⁴ But solid food is for ^(E)the mature, for those who have their powers ^(F)of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

6 Therefore ^(G)let us leave ^(H)the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance ^(I)from dead works and of faith toward God, ² and of ^(J)instruction about washings,^{[a] (K)}the laying on of hands, ^(L)the resurrection of the dead, and ^(M)eternal judgment. ³ And this we will do ^(N)if God permits. ⁴ For it is impossible, in the case of those ^(O)who have once been enlightened, who have tasted ^(P)the heavenly gift, and ^(Q)have shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and ^(R)have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶ and ^(S)then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since ^(T)they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. ⁷ For ^(U)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 ^(V)if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, ^(W)and its end is to be burned.

⁹ Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. ¹⁰ For ^(X)God is not unjust so as to overlook ^(Y)your work and the love that you have shown for his name in ^(Z)serving the saints, as you still do. ¹¹ And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance ^(AA)of hope until the end, ¹² so that you may not be sluggish, but ^(AB)imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

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, ^(AC)he swore by himself, ¹⁴ saying, ^(AD)“Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” ¹⁵ And thus Abraham,^{[b] (AE)}having patiently waited, obtained the promise. ¹⁶ For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes ^(AF)an oath is final for confirmation. ¹⁷ So when God desired to show more convincingly to ^(AG)the heirs of the promise ^(AH)the unchangeable character of his purpose, ^(AI)he guaranteed it with an oath, ¹⁸ so that by two unchangeable things, in which ^(AJ)it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope ^(AK)set before us. ¹⁹ We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into ^(AL)the inner place behind the curtain, ²⁰ where Jesus has gone ^(AM)as a forerunner on our behalf, ^(AN)having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.