¹Therefore, leaving the elementary principles of the teaching of Christ, let us go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,[#Heb 9:14]

²of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.[#Jn 3:25; #Ac 6:6; #Ac 17:31–32]

³This we will do if God permits.[#Ac 18:21; 1Co 16:7]

⁴For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit,[#Heb 10:32; #Eph 2:8; #Gal 3:2]

⁵and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,[#1Pe 2:3; #Heb 2:5]

⁶if they fall away, to be renewed once more to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and subject Him to public shame.[#1Jn 5:16; #Heb 10:29]

⁷For land that drinks in the rain that often falls upon it and bears a crop useful to those for whom it is cultivated receives a blessing from God.

⁸But land that bears thorns and thistles is rejected and near to being cursed. Its destiny is to be burned.[#Ge 3:17–18; Dt 29:28]

⁹But though we speak in this manner, we are persuaded of better things for you, things that accompany salvation,

¹⁰for God is not unjust so as to forget your work and labor of love that you have shown for His name, in that you have ministered to the saints and continue ministering.[#Pr 14:31; Mt 10:42; 1Th 1:3]

¹¹We desire that every one of you show the same diligence for the full assurance of hope to the end,[#Ro 5:2–5; Heb 3:6, 14]

¹²so that you may not be lazy, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.[#Heb 10:36; 13:7; Rev 13:10]

The Promise of God

¹³For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could vow by no one greater, He vowed by Himself,[#Lk 1:73]

¹⁴saying, “Surely I will bless you, and surely I will multiply you.”[#Ge 22:17; #6:14 Ge 22:17.]

¹⁵So after Abraham had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.[#Heb 6:12]

¹⁶For men indeed swear by a greater authority than themselves, and for them an oath of confirmation ends all dispute.[#Ex 22:11]

¹⁷So God, wanting to show more abundantly the immutability of His counsel to the heirs of promise, confirmed it by an oath.[#Pr 19:21; Heb 11:9]

¹⁸So that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.[#Nu 23:19; Titus 1:2; #Heb 12:1–2]

¹⁹We have this hope as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, which enters the inner sanctuary behind the veil.[#Lev 16:2; Heb 9:7]

²⁰This is where Jesus has entered for us as a forerunner, since He has become the everlasting High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.[#Heb 4:14; #Heb 5:6]