Press on to perfect maturity
- Therefore, having left the elementary teaching of the Anointed, we should press on to perfect maturity, not again laying a foundation of repentance from dead works and faith in God,
- or instruction about baptisms, and the laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead, and the judgement of ages.
- And we will do this if God allows.
- For it’s impossible for the men who were once enlightened – who tasted both the heavenly gift and became partakers of the Holy Spirit,
- and tasted both God’s good word and the powers of the coming age
- and then fell away – it’s impossible to restore them to repentance again since they’re again crucifying the Son of God for themselves and publicly shaming Him.
- For the land which drank the rain often coming upon it and producing forage useful for the benefit of those men for whom it’s also tilled partakes of a blessing from God.
- But the land bearing thorns and thistles is worthless and near a curse, the end of which leads into burning.
- But beloved, we are *convinced of better things concerning you, and of you having salvation, even though we speak like this.
- For God isn’t unjust, so as to overlook your work and the ^love that you showed toward His name, having served the saints and still serving them.
- Now we yearn for each of you to show the same diligent zeal toward the full assurance of the hope until the end,
- so you might not become dull, but imitators of the men inheriting the promises through faith and patience.
God promises are sure
- For having made the promise to Abraham – since God had no one greater to swear by – He swore by Himself,
- saying: “I will surely bless you exceedingly and I will multiply you exceedingly.”
- And having patiently endured in this way, he obtained the promise.
- For men swear an oath by one who’s greater, and confirmation of the oath brings every dispute of theirs to an end.
- In this way – being abundantly determined to prove the unchangeableness of His plan to the heirs of the promise – God guaranteed it with an oath,
- so that through two unchangeable matters in which it’s impossible for God to lie, we – the men who fled to Him for refuge – might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us,
- which we have like an anchor of the soul; both firm and steadfast, even entering into the inner veil,
- where our forerunner – Jesus – entered for our sake, having become a high priest through the age according to the order of Melchizedek.