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, and of instruction about
washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and
eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. 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, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the
powers of the age to come, 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. 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. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is
worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.
Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel
sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 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. And we
desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the
full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be
sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience
inherit the promises.
For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one
greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I
will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having
patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by
something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an
oath is final for confirmation. 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, 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. We have this as a sure and
steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner
place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on
our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of
Melchizedek.
