Old/New Testament

So Let Us Move Along Toward Maturity

6 Therefore, having left the message of the beginning^[a] concerning Christ, let us be carried-along to maturity— not again laying-down a foundation of repentance from dead works and faith toward God, ² of instruction about cleansings^[b] and laying-on of hands, and about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.

And We Will Do This As God Permits, For It Is Impossible For Us To Help Some

³ And this^[c] we will do if-indeed God permits. ⁴ For it is impossible to renew^[d] again to repentance the ones having once been enlightened^[e] and having tasted^[f] the heavenly gift, and having been made^[g] partakers^[h] of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and having tasted the good word of God and the powers^[i] of the coming age, ⁶ and having fallen-away— crucifying-again^[j] for themselves the Son of God, and publicly-disgracing Him. ⁷ For land having drunk the rain coming often upon it, and producing a plant useful to those for whose sake it is also farmed, receives a blessing from God. ⁸ But land bringing-forth thorns and thistles is disapproved^[k] and near a curse^[l], whose end^[m] is for burning.

But As For You, Beloved, Diligently Imitate The Inheritors of The Promises

⁹ But concerning you, beloved, we are convinced-of better things, and things having salvation— even though we are speaking in this manner. ¹⁰ For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you demonstrated for His name, having served^[n] the saints and [still] serving. ¹¹ But we desire that each of you be demonstrating the same diligence toward the full-assurance of hope until the end, ¹² in order that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of the ones inheriting the promises through faith and patience.

For Abraham Waited Patiently And Obtained The Promise

¹³ For God, having promised to Abraham, swore by Himself— since He had by no one greater to swear— ¹⁴ saying [in Gen 22:17]: “Surely while blessing I will bless you, and while multiplying I will multiply^[o] you”. ¹⁵ And so, having waited-patiently, he obtained the promise.

God Even Guaranteed His Promise To Encourage Those Waiting For It

¹⁶ For people swear by the greater one. And for them the oath for confirmation is the end^[p] of every dispute, ¹⁷ by which custom God, intending even more to show the unchangeableness of His intention^[q] to the heirs of the promise, guaranteed with an oath, ¹⁸ in order that by two^[r] unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we^[s]— the ones having fled to take-hold-of the hope being set-before us— may have strong encouragement^[t], ¹⁹ which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both secure and firm and entering into the inner side of the curtain, ²⁰ where a forerunner for us went in— Jesus— having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.