警告离弃正道

所以,让我们从基督话语的基本原则出发[a],被神[b]带到那成熟的境界;而不用重新打基础,就如悔改那些致死的行为、对神的信仰、 各样的洗净礼、按手礼、死人复活、永远的惩罚等教导上。 神如果准许,我们就这么做。

原来,如果有人蒙过一次光照、尝过属天恩赐的滋味、曾经与圣灵有份、 尝过神美善的话语和将要来临之世代的权能, 却背弃了真理,就不可能再次更新以至于悔改了。因为他们亲自把神的儿子再次钉上十字架,公然羞辱他。 要知道,当一块田地吸收了常常降在它上面的雨水,并且为种地的人长出有用菜蔬时,它就享受从神而来的祝福; 但如果它长出荆棘和蒺藜,就没有用处了,很快就要被诅咒,它的结局就是被焚烧。

各位蒙爱的人哪,我们即使这样说,还是深信那关于你们的更好之事,并且是有关救恩的, 10 因为神不是不公正的,以致忘记你们的工作和你们为他的名所显出的爱,就是你们先前和如今服事圣徒时所显出的爱[c] 11 我们渴望你们每个人都显出同样的殷勤,使你们对所盼望的有完全的确信,一直到底; 12 这样,你们就不会变得懈怠,反而会效法那些藉着信仰和耐心去继承各样应许的人。

承受应许

13 神向亚伯拉罕应许的时候,因为没有比自己[d]更大的可以指着起誓,就指着自己起誓, 14 说:

“我必定大大赐福给你,
多多地增加你的子孙[e]。”[f]

15 这样,亚伯拉罕恒久忍耐,就获得了神所应许的。 16 人本来指着比自己[g]更大的起誓;对他们,所起的誓就是了结一切争执的确据; 17 为此,神想要对那些继承应许的人格外表明他的计划是不能更改的,就用所起的誓来保证。 18 藉着这两件不能更改的事——在这些事上,神不可能说谎——使我们这些逃往避难所、抓住那摆在前面盼望的人,可以得到极大的鼓励。 19 我们所拥有的这盼望,像灵魂[h]的锚,又可靠又坚固,并且进到幔子最里层的那至圣所[i] 20 耶稣已经为我们做先锋进入了那里,照着麦基洗德的等级[j]做大祭司,直到永远。

Footnotes

  1. 希伯来书 6:1 出发——原文直译“离开”。
  2. 希伯来书 6:1 神——辅助词语。
  3. 希伯来书 6:10 爱——有古抄本作“爱心的劳苦”。
  4. 希伯来书 6:13 比自己——辅助词语。
  5. 希伯来书 6:14 的子孙——辅助词语。
  6. 希伯来书 6:14 《创世记》22:17。
  7. 希伯来书 6:16 比自己——辅助词语。
  8. 希伯来书 6:19 灵魂——或译作“生命”。
  9. 希伯来书 6:19 那至圣所——辅助词语。
  10. 希伯来书 6:20 等级——或译作“体系”。

所以我們要離開有關基督的初級道理,努力邁向成熟,而不是再次打基礎:教導為致死的行為悔改、信靠上帝、 各種洗禮、按手禮、死人復活、永遠的審判等道理。 上帝若許可,我們會這樣做。

有些人曾蒙上帝光照,嚐過天賜恩典的滋味,有份於聖靈, 嚐過上帝之道的甘美,領悟到永世的權能, 卻背棄了真道,讓他們重新悔改是不可能的。因為他們等於把上帝的兒子重新釘在十字架上,使祂再度公開受辱。 一塊經常受到雨水滋潤的田地若為耕種的人長出莊稼來,就蒙上帝賜福; 若長出來的盡是荊棘和蒺藜,就毫無價值,它會面臨被咒詛的危險,最後必遭焚燒。

親愛的弟兄姊妹,雖然我們這樣說,卻深信你們的光景比這強,有得救的表現。 10 因為上帝並非不公義,以致忘記你們為祂所做的工作以及你們過去和現在服侍聖徒所表現的愛心。 11 願你們各人從始至終表現出同樣的殷勤,以便對所盼望的有完全的把握。 12 這樣,你們就不致懶散,可以效法那些憑信心和忍耐承受應許的人。

上帝的應許可靠

13 當初,上帝向亞伯拉罕許下諾言的時候,因為沒有比自己更大的可以憑著起誓,就憑自己起誓說: 14 「我必賜福給你,使你子孫眾多。」 15 亞伯拉罕經過耐心的等待,得到了上帝的應許。

16 人總是指著比自己更大的起誓,並用誓言作保證,了結各樣的爭論。 17 同樣,上帝為要向承受應許的人顯明祂的旨意絕不更改,就用誓言向他們保證。 18 上帝絕不說謊,祂將永不改變的應許和誓言給了我們,使我們這些尋找避難所、持定擺在前面之盼望的人可以大得鼓勵。 19 我們有這盼望作我們靈魂的錨,既安穩又可靠,一直通往聖幕裡面的至聖所。 20 耶穌照麥基洗德的模式成了永遠的大祭司,祂替我們先進入了聖幕內。

Therefore we must progress beyond[a] the elementary[b] instructions about Christ[c] and move on[d] to maturity, not laying this foundation again: repentance from dead works[e] and faith in God, teaching about ritual washings,[f] laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this is what we intend to do,[g] if God permits. For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age, and then have committed apostasy,[h] to renew them again to repentance, since[i] they are crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again[j] and holding him up to contempt. For the ground that has soaked up the rain that frequently falls on[k] it and yields useful vegetation for those who tend it receives a blessing from God. But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is useless and about to be cursed;[l] its fate is to be burned. But in your case, dear friends, even though we speak like this, we are convinced of better things relating to salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints. 11 But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish,[m] but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.

13 Now when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you greatly and multiply your descendants abundantly.”[n] 15 And so by persevering, Abraham[o] inherited the promise. 16 For people[p] swear by something greater than themselves,[q] and the oath serves as a confirmation to end all dispute.[r] 17 In the same way[s] God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise that his purpose was unchangeable,[t] and so he intervened with an oath, 18 so that we who have found refuge in him[u] may find strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us through two unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast, which reaches inside behind the curtain,[v] 20 where Jesus our forerunner entered on our behalf, since he became a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.[w]

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 6:1 tn Grk “Therefore leaving behind.” The implication is not of abandoning this elementary information, but of building on it.
  2. Hebrews 6:1 tn Or “basic.”
  3. Hebrews 6:1 tn Grk “the message of the beginning of Christ.”
  4. Hebrews 6:1 tn Grk “leaving behind…let us move on.”
  5. Hebrews 6:1 sn It is clear from the context that the phrase “dead works” are works that need to be repented from and thus are sins. The same phrase occurs in Heb 9:14 in which the author of Hebrews states that our consciences need to be purified from them. As Bruce states, they are works “that belong to the way of death and not the way of life” (F. F. Bruce, Hebrews [NICNT], 138).
  6. Hebrews 6:2 sn See Hebrews 9:10 and Mark 7:4 for other references to the Jewish practice of ritual washings.
  7. Hebrews 6:3 tn Grk “and we will do this.”
  8. Hebrews 6:6 tn Or “have fallen away.”
  9. Hebrews 6:6 tn Or “while”; Grk “crucifying…and holding.” The Greek participles here (“crucifying…and holding”) can be understood as either causal (“since”) or temporal (“while”).
  10. Hebrews 6:6 tn Grk “recrucifying the son of God for themselves.”
  11. Hebrews 6:7 tn Grk “comes upon.”
  12. Hebrews 6:8 tn Grk “near to a curse.”
  13. Hebrews 6:12 tn Or “dull.”
  14. Hebrews 6:14 tn Grk “in blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply you,” the Greek form of a Hebrew idiom showing intensity.sn A quotation from Gen 22:17.
  15. Hebrews 6:15 tn Grk “he”; in the translation the referent (Abraham) has been specified for clarity.
  16. Hebrews 6:16 tn The plural Greek term ἄνθρωποι (anthrōpoi) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, and is thus translated “people.”
  17. Hebrews 6:16 tn Grk “by something greater”; the rest of the comparison (“than themselves”) is implied.
  18. Hebrews 6:16 tn Grk “the oath for confirmation is an end of all dispute.”
  19. Hebrews 6:17 tn Grk “in which.”
  20. Hebrews 6:17 tn Or “immutable” (here and in v. 18); Grk “the unchangeableness of his purpose.”
  21. Hebrews 6:18 tn Grk “have taken refuge”; the basis of that refuge is implied in the preceding verse.
  22. Hebrews 6:19 sn The curtain refers to the veil or drape in the temple that separated the holy place from the holy of holies.
  23. Hebrews 6:20 sn A quotation from Ps 110:4, picked up again from Heb 5:6, 10.