The Danger of Not Going On To Maturity!
Hebrews 6:1-12
Warning! Never interpret scripture from your own fears or history! Context, context, context!!
Remember: Who is Hebrews written to? Jews who professed faith in Christ who were kicked out of their former comfort zone of temple worship & law observance!
What was the danger? They were tempted to forsake their profession and return to the Jewish fables and worship. The author is pressing them to make sure their profession is a true confession.
They were "dull of hearing"—they needed an ear to hear, a heart open to the Word of Righteousness, being exercised daily to discern both good and evil.
Hebrews is dealing with the transition experience of these people doctrinally just as Acts deals with the transition historically.
Remember #2: All New Testament authors speak out of the context of our Lord’s parable of the sower. (Matthew 13:1-23) The contemporary church has all but ignored our Lord’s crucial words. In every group of “gospel hearers”, there are four kinds of soil. Only one soil is good ground that receives the gospel seed unto fruit bearing. The stony ground and the thorny ground both send up a plant, but it never endures to fruit bearing. The New Testament writers weren’t quick to count hands and noses! They preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ, knowing that the Holy Spirit would do the sifting & separating. They knew that their words went out to a “mixed multitude!”
6:1-3 Leaving and going on:
1. These are the first (elementary) principles: Peters' "Jewish summary--Acts 2:22-36; 4:8-12; Stephens martyr sermon—7:1-60; 13:16-39; 20:25. Paul's "gentile summary" in I Corinthians 15:1-34. Hebrews 1-5 is an expansion on the first principles. This foundation is essential to his hearers, but it is time to grow up into maturity of focus and behavior.
2. The foundation of repentance from: (relates to the 6 things that follow.)
Dead works: The works of the law-Gal 2:16, Heb 10:1-4
Faith toward God: Israel's "national faith"—unlike the gentiles. They must move from faith toward God to faith IN Christ.!
Doctrine (teaching) of baptisms (washings): Heb 9:10 is same word. Ex 30:17-21,
Lev 16:4, Num 19-17-19.
Laying on of hands: Lev 16:21 the day of Atonement and the scape goat!
Resurrection of the dead: Matt 22:23-33, Acts 23:6-10. Far different from Rom 6!
Eternal judgement: Judgement without hope of a mediator.
Note: All of these items were integral to the Jewish religion, and therefore they all must be repented of (turned from) because all are fulfilled in Christ Jesus. This was "foundational" to former temple worshippers. I Corinthians 3:11
3. vs 3 Notice, that the writer had no other agenda than the will of God! "if God permits".
6:4-6 These people are close, but no salvation! Salvation is not a "taste test"! They merely "tasted' of these things. A lot of stony ground and thorny ground hearers fall into this category!
1. Notice the pronouns! Vs 4—"those", Vs 6—"they". Contrast with 5:11—"you" & the four "you's" of 5:12.
2. Enlightened: To be informed by teaching, receiving the description mentally.
This leads to tasting:
The heavenly gift: May refer to the Lord Jesus or the Holy Spirit, but actually, both are the same. The important thing is the "tasting" part. Remember Simon? Acts 8:9:24!!!!!!!
Partakers of the Holy Spirit: Like tasting, it does not say "filled with the Holy Spirit! These people were "wowed" by the Holy Spirit's working, like Simon, like today! The Holy Spirit's ministry isn't about "wowing" people. It is about convicting of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. (John 16:5-15)
The good word of God: Many fall into this category, for even the externals of the Word are good and lead to better behavior, although such "legal betterment" will eventually crash and burn!
Powers of the age to come: Perhaps is looking back to Heb 2:3-5
3. vs 6 "Crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame." By returning to the former things of the Old Covenant, they are saying His sacrifice is not sufficient for all their sins! That is the "greatest slap in the face" of the Son of God. He is not Who or What He said He was--He is not sufficient! They go searching for another!!!!!!!!
4. Vs 7-8 See Mark 4:1-7 & 13-19; Matthew 7:21-23
But: Vs 9-12 We will deal extensively with this in the next study, but for our comfort and encouragement, notice the switch back to "you" and "your".
"Things that accompany salvation"—Whatever he has mentioned in the previous verses do not necessarily give evidence of salvation. The next study will address the evidences that accompany salvation that give the writer hope as to the validity of his hearers faith.
Hebrews 6:1-12
Warning! Never interpret scripture from your own fears or history! Context, context, context!!
Remember: Who is Hebrews written to? Jews who professed faith in Christ who were kicked out of their former comfort zone of temple worship & law observance!
What was the danger? They were tempted to forsake their profession and return to the Jewish fables and worship. The author is pressing them to make sure their profession is a true confession.
They were "dull of hearing"—they needed an ear to hear, a heart open to the Word of Righteousness, being exercised daily to discern both good and evil.
Hebrews is dealing with the transition experience of these people doctrinally just as Acts deals with the transition historically.
Remember #2: All New Testament authors speak out of the context of our Lord’s parable of the sower. (Matthew 13:1-23) The contemporary church has all but ignored our Lord’s crucial words. In every group of “gospel hearers”, there are four kinds of soil. Only one soil is good ground that receives the gospel seed unto fruit bearing. The stony ground and the thorny ground both send up a plant, but it never endures to fruit bearing. The New Testament writers weren’t quick to count hands and noses! They preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ, knowing that the Holy Spirit would do the sifting & separating. They knew that their words went out to a “mixed multitude!”
6:1-3 Leaving and going on:
1. These are the first (elementary) principles: Peters' "Jewish summary--Acts 2:22-36; 4:8-12; Stephens martyr sermon—7:1-60; 13:16-39; 20:25. Paul's "gentile summary" in I Corinthians 15:1-34. Hebrews 1-5 is an expansion on the first principles. This foundation is essential to his hearers, but it is time to grow up into maturity of focus and behavior.
2. The foundation of repentance from: (relates to the 6 things that follow.)
Dead works: The works of the law-Gal 2:16, Heb 10:1-4
Faith toward God: Israel's "national faith"—unlike the gentiles. They must move from faith toward God to faith IN Christ.!
Doctrine (teaching) of baptisms (washings): Heb 9:10 is same word. Ex 30:17-21,
Lev 16:4, Num 19-17-19.
Laying on of hands: Lev 16:21 the day of Atonement and the scape goat!
Resurrection of the dead: Matt 22:23-33, Acts 23:6-10. Far different from Rom 6!
Eternal judgement: Judgement without hope of a mediator.
Note: All of these items were integral to the Jewish religion, and therefore they all must be repented of (turned from) because all are fulfilled in Christ Jesus. This was "foundational" to former temple worshippers. I Corinthians 3:11
3. vs 3 Notice, that the writer had no other agenda than the will of God! "if God permits".
6:4-6 These people are close, but no salvation! Salvation is not a "taste test"! They merely "tasted' of these things. A lot of stony ground and thorny ground hearers fall into this category!
1. Notice the pronouns! Vs 4—"those", Vs 6—"they". Contrast with 5:11—"you" & the four "you's" of 5:12.
2. Enlightened: To be informed by teaching, receiving the description mentally.
This leads to tasting:
The heavenly gift: May refer to the Lord Jesus or the Holy Spirit, but actually, both are the same. The important thing is the "tasting" part. Remember Simon? Acts 8:9:24!!!!!!!
Partakers of the Holy Spirit: Like tasting, it does not say "filled with the Holy Spirit! These people were "wowed" by the Holy Spirit's working, like Simon, like today! The Holy Spirit's ministry isn't about "wowing" people. It is about convicting of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. (John 16:5-15)
The good word of God: Many fall into this category, for even the externals of the Word are good and lead to better behavior, although such "legal betterment" will eventually crash and burn!
Powers of the age to come: Perhaps is looking back to Heb 2:3-5
3. vs 6 "Crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame." By returning to the former things of the Old Covenant, they are saying His sacrifice is not sufficient for all their sins! That is the "greatest slap in the face" of the Son of God. He is not Who or What He said He was--He is not sufficient! They go searching for another!!!!!!!!
4. Vs 7-8 See Mark 4:1-7 & 13-19; Matthew 7:21-23
But: Vs 9-12 We will deal extensively with this in the next study, but for our comfort and encouragement, notice the switch back to "you" and "your".
"Things that accompany salvation"—Whatever he has mentioned in the previous verses do not necessarily give evidence of salvation. The next study will address the evidences that accompany salvation that give the writer hope as to the validity of his hearers faith.