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Hebrews 6-7
New International Version

6 Therefore let us move beyond(A) the elementary teachings(B) about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,[a](C) and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites,[b](D) the laying on of hands,(E) the resurrection of the dead,(F) and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting,(G) we will do so.

4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened,(H) who have tasted the heavenly gift,(I) who have shared in the Holy Spirit,(J) 5 who have tasted the goodness(K) of the word of God(L) and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen[c] away, to be brought back to repentance.(M) To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God(N) all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed.(O) In the end it will be burned.

9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends,(P) we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. 10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.(Q) 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope(R) for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate(S) those who through faith and patience(T) inherit what has been promised.(U)

The Certainty of God’s Promise

13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,(V) 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”[d](W) 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.(X)

16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.(Y) 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging(Z) nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised,(AA) he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie,(AB) we who have fled to take hold of the hope(AC) set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,(AD) 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.(AE) He has become a high priest(AF) forever, in the order of Melchizedek.(AG)

Melchizedek the Priest

7 This Melchizedek was king of Salem(AH) and priest of God Most High.(AI) He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,(AJ) 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” 3 Without father or mother, without genealogy,(AK) without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God,(AL) he remains a priest forever.

4 Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch(AM) Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!(AN) 5 Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people(AO)—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. 6 This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed(AP) him who had the promises.(AQ) 7 And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8 In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living.(AR) 9 One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10 because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.

Jesus Like Melchizedek

11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people(AS) established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come,(AT) one in the order of Melchizedek,(AU) not in the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. 13 He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe,(AV) and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar.(AW) 14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah,(AX) and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is declared:

“You are a priest forever,
    in the order of Melchizedek.”[e](AY)

18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless(AZ) 19 (for the law made nothing perfect),(BA) and a better hope(BB) is introduced, by which we draw near to God.(BC)

20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:

“The Lord has sworn
    and will not change his mind:(BD)
    ‘You are a priest forever.’”[f](BE)

22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.(BF)

23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.(BG) 25 Therefore he is able to save(BH) completely[g] those who come to God(BI) through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.(BJ)

26 Such a high priest(BK) truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners,(BL) exalted above the heavens.(BM) 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices(BN) day after day, first for his own sins,(BO) and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all(BP) when he offered himself.(BQ) 28 For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness;(BR) but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son,(BS) who has been made perfect(BT) forever.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 6:1 Or from useless rituals
  2. Hebrews 6:2 Or about baptisms
  3. Hebrews 6:6 Or age, 6 if they fall
  4. Hebrews 6:14 Gen. 22:17
  5. Hebrews 7:17 Psalm 110:4
  6. Hebrews 7:21 Psalm 110:4
  7. Hebrews 7:25 Or forever
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Hebrews 6-7
New English Translation

6 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, 2 teaching about ritual washings,[f] laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this is what we intend to do,[g] if God permits. 4 For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age, 6 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. 7 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. 8 But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is useless and about to be cursed;[l] its fate is to be burned. 9 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]

The Nature of Melchizedek’s Priesthood

7 Now this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, met Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him.[x] 2 To him[y] also Abraham apportioned a tithe[z] of everything.[aa] His name first means[ab] king of righteousness, then king of Salem,[ac] that is, king of peace. 3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, he has neither beginning of days nor end of life but is like the son of God, and he remains a priest for all time. 4 But see how great he must be, if[ad] Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe[ae] of his plunder. 5 And those of the sons of Levi who receive the priestly office[af] have authorization according to the law to collect a tithe from the people, that is, from their fellow countrymen,[ag] although they too are descendants of Abraham.[ah] 6 But Melchizedek[ai] who does not share their ancestry[aj] collected a tithe[ak] from Abraham and blessed[al] the one who possessed the promise. 7 Now without dispute the inferior is blessed by the superior, 8 and in one case tithes are received by mortal men, while in the other by him who is affirmed to be alive. 9 And it could be said that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid a tithe through Abraham. 10 For he was still in his ancestor Abraham’s loins[am] when Melchizedek met him.

Jesus and the Priesthood of Melchizedek

11 So if perfection had in fact been possible through the Levitical priesthood—for on that basis[an] the people received the law—what further need would there have been for another priest to arise, said to be in the order of Melchizedek and not in Aaron’s order? 12 For when the priesthood changes, a change in the law must come[ao] as well. 13 Yet the one these things are spoken about belongs to[ap] a different tribe, and no one from that tribe[aq] has ever officiated at the altar. 14 For it is clear that our Lord is descended from Judah, yet Moses said nothing about priests in connection with that tribe. 15 And this is even clearer if another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest not by a legal regulation about physical descent[ar] but by the power of an indestructible life. 17 For here is the testimony about him:[as] “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”[at] 18 On the one hand a former command is set aside[au] because it is weak and useless,[av] 19 for the law made nothing perfect. On the other hand a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. 20 And since[aw] this was not done without a sworn affirmation—for the others have become priests without a sworn affirmation, 21 but Jesus[ax] did so[ay] with a sworn affirmation by the one who said to him, “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever’”[az]— 22 accordingly Jesus has become the guarantee[ba] of a better covenant. 23 And the others[bb] who became priests were numerous, because death prevented them[bc] from continuing in office,[bd] 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently since he lives forever. 25 So he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. 26 For it is indeed fitting for us to have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need to do every day what those priests do, to offer sacrifices first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people, since he did this in offering himself once for all. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men subject to weakness,[be] but the word of solemn affirmation that came after the law appoints a son made perfect forever.

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.
  24. Hebrews 7:1 sn A series of quotations from Gen 14:17-19.
  25. Hebrews 7:2 tn Grk “to whom,” continuing the description of Melchizedek. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  26. Hebrews 7:2 tn Or “a tenth part.”
  27. Hebrews 7:2 sn A quotation from Gen 14:20.
  28. Hebrews 7:2 tn Grk “first being interpreted,” describing Melchizedek.
  29. Hebrews 7:2 sn These words are repeated from the quotation of Gen 14:18 in the previous verse.
  30. Hebrews 7:4 tn Grk “to whom.”
  31. Hebrews 7:4 tn Or “a tenth part.”
  32. Hebrews 7:5 tn Or “the priesthood.”
  33. Hebrews 7:5 tn Grk “from their brothers.” See BDAG 18-19 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.b.
  34. Hebrews 7:5 tn Grk “have come from the loins of Abraham.”
  35. Hebrews 7:6 tn Grk “the one”; in the translation the referent (Melchizedek) has been specified for clarity.
  36. Hebrews 7:6 tn Grk “is not descended from them.”
  37. Hebrews 7:6 tn Or “a tenth part.”
  38. Hebrews 7:6 sn The verbs “collected…and blessed” emphasize the continuing effect of the past actions, i.e., Melchizedek’s importance.
  39. Hebrews 7:10 tn Grk “in the loins of his father” (a reference to Abraham). The name “Abraham” has been repeated in the translation at this point (cf. v. 9) in order to clarify the referent (i.e., what ancestor was in view).sn The point of the phrase still in his ancestor’s loins is that Levi was as yet unborn, still in his ancestor Abraham’s body. Thus Levi participated in Abraham’s action when Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek.
  40. Hebrews 7:11 tn Grk “based on it.”
  41. Hebrews 7:12 tn Grk “of necessity a change in the law comes to pass.”
  42. Hebrews 7:13 tn Grk “shares in.”
  43. Hebrews 7:13 tn Grk “from which no one.”
  44. Hebrews 7:16 tn Grk “a law of a fleshly command.”
  45. Hebrews 7:17 tn Grk “for he/it is witnessed that.”
  46. Hebrews 7:17 sn A quotation from Ps 110:4 (see Heb 5:6 and 6:20).
  47. Hebrews 7:18 tn Grk “the setting aside of a former command comes to pass.”
  48. Hebrews 7:18 tn Grk “because of its weakness and uselessness.”
  49. Hebrews 7:20 sn The Greek text contains an elaborate comparison between v. 20a and v. 22, with a parenthesis (vv. 20b-21) in between; the comparison is literally, “by as much as…by so much” or “to the degree that…to that same degree.”
  50. Hebrews 7:21 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  51. Hebrews 7:21 tn The words “did so” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
  52. Hebrews 7:21 sn A quotation from Ps 110:4 (see Heb 5:6; 6:20, and 7:17).
  53. Hebrews 7:22 tn Or “surety.”
  54. Hebrews 7:23 tn Grk “they on the one hand” in contrast with “he on the other hand” in v. 24.
  55. Hebrews 7:23 tn Grk “they were prevented by death.”
  56. Hebrews 7:23 tn Grk “from continuing” (the words “in office” are supplied for clarity).
  57. Hebrews 7:28 sn See Heb 5:2 where this concept was introduced.
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