Hebrews 5:11-6:12
Expanded Bible
Warning Against Falling Away
11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are so ·slow to understand [hard of hearing; C spiritually]. 12 By now you should be teachers, but you need someone to teach you again the ·first lessons [elementary truths; basic principles] of God’s ·message [revelation; oracles]. You still need ·the teaching that is like milk [L milk]. You are not ready for solid food. 13 [L For] Anyone who lives on milk is still a baby and ·knows nothing about [or is unskilled/inexperienced with] ·right teaching [or the message about righteousness]. 14 But solid food is for those who are ·grown up [mature]. ·They are mature enough […who through practice/exercise have trained their faculties/senses] to know the difference between good and evil.
6 ·So [Therefore] let us ·go on to grown-up teaching [L move forward to maturity/completeness]. Let us ·not go back over [L leave behind] the ·beginning [rudimentary; elementary] ·lessons [teaching; L word] we learned about ·Christ [or the Messiah; 5:5]. We should not again ·start teaching [L lay a foundation] about ·turning away [repentance] from ·those acts that lead to death [or useless works; L dead works] and about faith in God. 2 We should not return to the teaching about baptisms [C either Christian baptism or Jewish ceremonial washings], about laying on of hands [C a ritual of blessing and/or conferring of authority], about the raising of the dead and eternal judgment [C these may be Jewish practices or foundational Christian teaching]. 3 And we will ·go on to grown-up teaching [L do this] if God allows.
4 For it is impossible to ·bring back again to a changed life [L renew again to repentance] those who were once ·in God’s light [enlightened], and ·enjoyed [experienced; L tasted] ·heaven’s gift [or the heavenly gift; C perhaps the gift of salvation], and ·shared in [partook of] the Holy Spirit. 5 They ·found out [L tasted] how good God’s word is, and ·they received [L tasted] the ·powers [miracles] of ·his new world [the coming age/world]. 6 If they have ·fallen away [committed apostasy], it is impossible to ·bring them back to a changed life again [L renew them again to repentance], because they are nailing the Son of God to a cross again and are ·shaming him in front of others [making a public disgrace/exhibition of him].
7 ·Some people are like land that gets plenty of rain and [L Land that drinks in the abundance of rain] produces a ·good [useful] crop for those who ·work [farm] it. That land receives God’s blessings. 8 ·Other people are like land that [L But if it…] grows thorns and ·weeds [thistles] and is worthless. It is about to be cursed by God and ·will be destroyed by fire [L its end/fate is burning].
9 ·Dear friends [Loved ones; T Beloved], we are saying this to you, but we ·really expect [are convinced/confident of] better things from you that ·will lead to [or accompany; come with] your salvation. 10 [For] God is ·fair [L not unjust]; he will not forget the work you did and the love you showed ·for him [L in his name] by ·helping [serving] his ·people [holy people; T saints]. And he will remember that you are still ·helping [serving] them. 11 We ·want [desire for] each of you to ·go on with the same hard work [demonstrate the same zeal/diligence] ·all your lives [L until the end] ·so you will surely get what you hope for [or until your hope is fulfilled/attained]. 12 We do not want you to become ·lazy [sluggish; C in contrast to diligent; v. 11]. Be ·like [L imitators of] those who through faith and ·patience [endurance] will ·receive [inherit] what God has promised.
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