Hebrews (The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the )
Hebrews, Chapter 6
Because of this, having left the discourse of the beginning of Christ, let us be borne on to full growth, not laying down again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
of [the] baptisms, of doctrine, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of dead ones, and of eternal judgment.
And this we will do, if indeed God permits.
For [it is] impossible for those being once enlightened, and having tasted of the heavenly gift, and becoming sharers of [the] Holy Spirit,
and tasting [the] good Word of God, and [the] works of power of a coming age,
then falling away, [it is impossible for them] again to renew to repentance, crucifying again for themselves the Son of God, and putting [Him] to open shame.
(For the earth drinking in the rain often coming upon it, and producing plants fit for those for whom it is also worked, receives blessing from God;
"but bearing thorns and thistles," [it is] deemed unfit and near a curse, of which the end [is] for burning.)
But, loved ones, even if we indeed speak so, we have been persuaded better things concerning you, even holding fast salvation.
For God [is] not unjust, to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed to His name, ministering to the saints, and [now are] ministering.
But we desire each of you to show the same eagerness, to the full assurance of the hope to [the] end;
that you not become dull, but imitators of those who through faith and longsuffering [are] inheriting the promises.
For God having made promise to Abraham, since He had no greater to swear by, "[He] swore by Himself,"
saying, "Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you."
And so, being long-suffering, he obtained the promise.
For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath to make things sure [is] to them the end of all gainsaying.
In which way, desiring to more fully declare to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His counsel, God interposed by an oath,
that through two unchangeable things, in which [it was] not possible [for] God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, those having fled to lay hold on the hope set before [us],
which we have as an anchor of the soul, both certain and sure, and entering into the inner [side] of the veil,
where Jesus entered as forerunner for us, having become a High Priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.
