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Hebrews Chapter
Six
I.
Content of the Chapter
Let us Go
on to Perfection
A. Let us leave
the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ (v.1-8);
1. Let us not lay again the foundation (v.1-3);
2. Let us not fall away from the truth (v.4-8);
B. Let us hold fast the hope that lies before
us (v.9-20);
1. Let us manifest the faith, hope and love
with diligence
(v.9-12);
2. Let us hold fast the two immutable things of God (v.13-18);
3. Let us cast anchor to the High Priest who
has entered into
the Presence (v.19-20);
II.
Verse by Verse commentary
Heb. 6:1
“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let
us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead
works and of faith toward God,”
YLT: “Wherefore, having left the
word of the beginning of the Christ, unto the perfection we may advance, not
again a foundation laying of reformation from dead works, and of faith on God,”
Meaning of Words:
“repentance”: change of heart, reversal of decision,
compunction for guilt; “go
on to”: be brought into; “perfection”: growth;
Literal Meaning:
“therefore, leaving the discussion of the
elementary principles of Christ”, “leaving”, it is not “forsaking”, but
“keeping on going” instead of remaining in the original position. “The elementary
principles of Christ”: the elementary words of Christians’ belief, including
the six basic aspects of truth listed in the first two verse of this chapter;
“Let us go on to perfection”, “let us go
on to”, in the original, it carries a meaning of “let us be led to go ahead”,
that is, obeying the guidance of the Lord; “perfection” is the same word as “be
of full age” (see Heb. 5:14), which means reaching maturity. The whole sentence
means let us be led to maturity.
“Not laying the foundation”, “foundation”
shares the same meaning with “beginning”. “Not laying the foundation”: not
always linger in the preliminary stage of faith; the foundation had been early
laid and other foundation can no man lay.
“Of repentance from dead works”, “of”,
it is only one important example, not the whole; “repentance” refers to
compunction or the change of one’s heart; “dead works”: the works that make man
in dead conditions, which according to the Scriptures include: 1) works of sins
(Eph. 2:1); 2) works of the mind of the flesh (
“And of faith toward God”: the faith
toward and obedience to God;
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) He who does not “leave” cannot “go to…”.
Spiritual growth shall be started from leaving. And it is difficult for the one
who is unwilling to leave to go to perfection.
2) Believers of the Lord often take the
beginning as the destination, and stumble because of the preliminary grace.
3) Going ahead, as the only good way for believers
to be kept from returning back or stumbling, requires for the cooperation of
our determination and practice.
4) Believers’ immaturity is not because of the
foundation, but their lack of diligence of going on to perfection.
5) “Go on to”, it is “being brought to” in the
original. We can go on to perfection by the power of the Spirit.
6) The Lord will guide us ahead, and we shall
obey His guidance. This is our willing cooperation with His gracious work.
7) Going ahead does not rely on our effort, but
more the utter obedience to the power of God working in us. Once we obey, we
shall be brought ahead (see Eph. 3:20; Phil. 2:13).
8) In the experience of our spiritual life,
there are both the Lord’s works and our pursuit. Though the Lord will bring us
to maturity, we have to still cooperate with Him and go on to perfection.
9) In the life of Christians, there are several
aspects of truth which are changeless foundation. The foundation has laid
already, so it is needless for believers to lay foundations repeatedly. The
elementary principles of Christ include repentance, and faith, and baptism,
and lying on of hands, and resurrection and judgment.
10) The Hebrews at that time would lay the
foundation again when they had already got the foundation. They always circled
round the matter of foundation. And the condition of Christians at present is
that they have gone ahead when they are still unclear about the foundation.
Just like the building of house, if one lacks the foundation, he has to deal
with the problem and then build upon the foundation.
11) The first experience of a Christian after
his being saved is turning from himself to God and relying on the living God
instead of dead works.
12) True repentance must lead to true faith. And
true faith must bring true repentance. True repentance is begotten by true
faith, and true faith increases because of true repentance.
13) Works and faith are conditions for believers
in the beginning. Passively, we true away from dead works. Positively, we enter
into God by faith.
14) The chief thing for believers in daily life
is hourly reliance on God. The walking of Christians is not according to men’s
judgment, but God’s judgment.
Heb. 6:2 “of the doctrine of
baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal
judgment.”
YLT:
“of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on also of hands, of rising again also
of the dead, and of judgment age-during,”
Literal
Meaning: “the doctrine of baptisms”: the customs of
the baptism of the Hebrew believers and various washing (see Heb. 9:10; Mark.
7:4). Note that the Hebrew believers at that time were different from the
Gentile believers who had been delivered from the customs in the Old Testament
(see Acts 15:10, 19, 28-29) and they still kept many ceremonies, e.g. the
ceremony of purification (Acts 21:23-26) etc.
“Laying on of hands”, many cases of laying on of hands are recorded in
the New Testament, including in the blessing (Matt. 19:13-15), in the
distribution of ministries in the church (Acts 6:6), in the baptism (Acts
8:16-17; 19:5-6), in healing and reception (Acts 9:12; 28:8), in the sending
out for works (Acts 13:3), in the delivery of gifts (1Tim. 4:14; 2Tim. 1:6)
etc. There are two meanings of laying on of hands: one is union and the other
is the transmission of blessings, both of which are fellowship. Concerning
fellowship, it on one hand unites the one who lays his hands and the one upon
whom the hands lay, and on the other it delivers the power of the one who lays
his hands into the one upon whom the hands lays. Therefore, the apostle Paul exhorted
Timothy not to lay hands quickly on any man nor partake in others’ sins (1Tim.
5:22).
“Resurrection of the dead”, all will rise in the end. Those that are
righteous, to resurrection of life, and they that are evil, unto the
resurrection of judgment (John 5:25-29; 11:25; 2Cor. 4:14; Rev. 20: 5-6);
“Eternal judgment”: the judgment in the future, including the judgment
on believers before the judgment-seat of Christ (2Cor. 5:10), and the judgment
on all sinners before the great white throne (Rev. 20:11-12).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The dead must be buried. If we are buried
with him in baptism, we have also been raised with Christ (
2) We have entered into the body of Christ by
laying on of hands so that we have entered into the fellowship with all the
members in the body of Christ and enjoy all the fullness of the Head.
3) We are united with Christ by baptism and
with all the children of God by lying on of hands. We shall have fellowship
with both Christ and all the children of God.
4) If the dead do not rise, let us eat and
drink, for death folds up all. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we
are most miserable of all men (1Cor. 15:19, 32). However, we do have the risen
hope. Therefore, let the word of the Lord abound today, forasmuch as we know
that labor is not in vain in the Lord (1Cor. 15:58).
5) The time is come that judgment must begin at
the house of God (1Pet. 4:17). We believers shall not ignore the judgment, but
fear and trouble more and serve God in fear and piety (Heb. 12:28).
6) No Christian can forget the last day, for we
have to meet God then. The views of men to oneself is insignificant, but the
view of God upon oneself is rather important.
7) The six aspects of truth in the beginning
can be divided into three pairs: the first is from externality to internality,
and the second is from what is old to what is new, and the third is from the
present to the future.
Heb. 6:3 “And this we will do if
God permits.”
YLT:
“and this we will do, if God may permit,”
Literal
Meaning: it is a common word among believers at that
time, which indicates the reliance on the will of God (see 1Cor. 16:7; James
3:15). Here, it shows that God is willing to bring us to go on to perfection
without laying again any foundation.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Only when God permits us, have we got the
chance. If God does not permit, it is useless even though we are diligent.
Especially in spiritual things, if God does not permit, man can do nothing (see
v.6).
2) Believers have to rely on God’s strength and
grace to go on to perfection. Only God can open man’s mind and make man grown
up in spirit.
3) “God permits”, it also suggests the stagnant
condition of Christian in spirit may be caused by his inner heart ---- which is
not accepted by God, so God prevents his growth.
Heb. 6:4 “For it is impossible for
those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have
become partakers of the Holy Spirit,”
YLT:
“for impossible for those once enlightened, having tasted also of the heavenly
gift, and partakers having became of the Holy Spirit,”
Meaning
of Words: “tasted”: eaten, experienced;
Literal
Meaning: “those who were once enlightened”,
“enlighten”: be enlightened by the true light of the gospel (2Cor. 4:4, 6);
“were once enlightened”, it in the original contains a meaning, that is, once
man is enlightened, he will always be kept in that light.
“And have tasted the heavenly gift”, it refers to all the spiritual
things when we repented to believe the Lord, e.g. remission, righteousness, the
life of God, peace and joy etc.
“And have become partakers of the Holy Spirit”, the Spirit is the Spirit
of promised given by God in His gospel (Gal. 3:14). All the divine nature of
God has become our enjoyment in Spirit. And all the works of God will be
fulfilled in us through the Spirit.
Controversial Clarification: the five verses from four to eight are hard
to explain. Bible scholars hold different opinions, which can be divided into
four types as below:
1) The view that salvation may be lost (see
Gal. 5:4); those who agree with this view think it is still possible of losing
salvation for a real believer. It is indeed that the nature of salvation is
eternal (Heb. 5:9), but only those who always “obey” can enjoy it to the end.
Just like salvation is prepared for all (1Tim. 2:4; 2Pet. 3:9), only those who
believe will be enabled to have part in it. There is no problem with God’s
salvation. The problem lies on man’s side. If man is disposed to surrender to
corruption, God will give them up. This is the principle of God’s works. Those
who hold this view actually lower the reliability of God’s salvation, holding
that salvation is determined by man’s attitude. Such roller coaster salvation
goes against the constant truth in the Scriptures, and is rejected by the
majority of the orthodox Bible scholars.
2) The view of supposition (see v.6 “if” in the
beginning of verse in Chinese Union Version): it does not aim at fact, but a
supposition. And since such supposition can never happen, men do not have to be
worried. They hold that this paragraph is merely a warning to the Hebrew
believers at that time that they shall not forsake the faith to come back to
the Judaism, lest they should cause terrible consequence. More than half of
those who keep this view agree with the biblical truth of “once saved, always
saved”, but they cannot explain the contradiction between this paragraph and
“eternal salvation”. Therefore, they only explain this paragraph as a
“supposition”. However, many apostates from Christianity appeared in the
history who had committed such sin in verse six. Moreover, the word “if” only
appears in Chinese Union Version, it is an added word in translation.
3) The view of unbelief (see 1John 2:19):
common traditional Bible exegetes agree with both this view as well as that of
“once saved, always saved”. The transgression of the word in this verse (v.4-8)
will be due to “the wicked heart of unbelief”. The transgressors will be
recognized as nominal Christians, whose apostasy proves that their faith is not
real. Besides, they also relate many failures in the Scriptures with
unbelievers, e.g. the foolish virgins and the servant who has one thousand
talents (Matt. 25:11-12, 30). Therefore, they explain verse four to five of
this chapter (“who
were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become
partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good
word of God and the powers of the age to come”) as a preliminary and superficial receiving
instead of a real one, and therefore they are not real believers. Those who hold
“the view of unbelief” can not give reasonable and plausible explanation of the
above-mentioned four and five verses nor verse six (“renew them again to repentance” see v.6). If these unbelievers have never
really repented, why do they “renew” them again to repentance?
4) The view of losing reward (Heb. 10:35-39):
supporters of this believe that all real Christians will be saved for ever, but
have different rewards before the judgment-seat of Christ (2Cor. 5:10) and the
differences of all believers lie in the rewards of the kingdom. I agree with
this view for the reasons as follows:
a) The receiver of this epistle is the Hebrew
believers (see v.9). No matter warnings, or exhortations or explanations, they
are all spoken to believers. The author shall in no wise “warn” unbelievers and
encourage “believers” at the same time.
b) The supporters of “the view of unbelief”
hold that all the five paragraphs of warning in this epistle aim at
unbelievers. And they even declare that it conforms to the principle of
“consistent hermeneutics”. However, in this five paragraphs of warning, the
author purposefully includes himself by the word “we” (Heb. 2:1, 3; 3:14; 4:11;
6:1, 3; 10:26, 30, 39; 12:25). Does he identify with unbelievers?
c) The supporters of “the view of unbelief” also
hold that the words appearing in this paragraph do not equal to being saved,
e.g. be enlightened, taste the heavenly gift, become the partakers of the
Spirit, taste the good word of God and the power of the age. There word can
also used to describe the experiences of unbelievers like Judas, Balaam, the
Pharisees, the magician Simon etc. If so, it can also be used to describe the
experience of Satan before the fall. How ridiculous!
d) The positive arguments which prove that this
paragraph is warning to believers are recounted in each verse.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) We were sitting in darkness and in shadow of
death. However, since the Lord shines upon us, He has guided our feet into way
of peace (Luke 1:79).
2) We can taste the heavenly gifts on the
earth. Heaven starts from the earth. Through the heavenly gifts, we are enabled
to lead a heavenly and superior life.
3) Our being saved cannot be separated from the
Spirit. Anyone who has not the inspiration or working of the Spirit or who
ignores the Spirit can in no wise be saved (see Matt. 12:31-32).
Heb. 6:5 “and have tasted the good
word of God and the powers of the age to come,”
YLT:
“and did taste the good saying of God, the powers also of the coming age,”
Meaning
of Words: “word”: rhema (the
transient word of God);
Literal
Meaning: “have tasted the good word of God”, “the good word of God”: the beginning of
Christ’s truth (see v.1), namely, the spiritual milk that the Hebrew had tasted
when they believed the Lord (2Pet. 2:2);
“And the powers of the age to come”, “the powers”: the divine powers; “taste the powers of the age to
come”, there are two aspects of meaning: 1)
experience the great powers of the Spirit; 2) know the 定命and reward of God to the age to come. In
fact, if a man is saved, it is the result driven by the powers of the age to
come.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The word of God is not only for us to
understand but also to eat and enjoy (Matt. 4:4; 1Pet. 2:2; Jer. 15:16).
Therefore, we shall read the word of God by understand as well as in
spirit.
2) The divine power that will establish the
kingdom will revive and renew all things (Matt. 19:28). When believers are born
again, they taste such divine power and are revived and renewed (Titus 3:5).
Heb. 6:6 “if they fall away, to
renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son
of God, and put Him to an open shame.”
YLT:
“and having fallen away, again to renew to reformation, having crucified again
to themselves the Son of God, and exposed to public shame.”
Meaning
of Words: “fall
away”:; “renew…again”:;
Literal
Meaning: “if they fall away, to renew them again to
repentance”, “fall away”: obey the heretics on purpose and forsake Christ
utterly; “renew them again to repentance”, it is unnecessary and impossible.
“Since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to
an open shame”, “crucify again”, if someone falls away from the faith and
forsakes the Lord, it shows that he thinks the Lord is worthy of death and
ought to be crucified. “Put Him to an open shame”: make the people despise
Christ and put him to a shame before all;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The foundation of believers are established
when they believe the Lord, including repentance and faith. If one falls away
from the Lord, whenever he turns back, he just stands up and goes ahead without
any other foundation (see v.1).
2) If believers have no good testimonies before
all, it is not only a shame to them but also to the Lord. Therefore, it is a
serious thing.
Heb. 6:7 “For the earth which
drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those
by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God;”
YLT:
“For earth, that is drinking in the rain many times coming upon it, and is
bringing forth herbs fit for those because of whom also it is dressed, doth
partake of blessing from God,”
Literal
Meaning: “for the earth”, “earth” can be regarded as
believers; we are God’s husbandry (2Cor. 3:9).
“Drinks in the rain that often comes upon
it”, “rain” refers to the five kinds of good things mentioned in verse four and
five, especially the good word of God (see Eph. 5:26).
“And bears herbs useful for those by whom it
is cultivated, receives blessing from God”, “herbs” include various crops and
fruit trees. “Bears herbs”, it indicates that believers go on to perfection
with diligence (see v.1). “Whom it is cultivated”: God; “blessing from God”:
every spiritual blessing in the heavens (Eph. 1:3)
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Believers are God’s husbandry for the
purpose of manifesting Christ (Phil. 1:20). The best way is to grow up by
receiving and enjoying the word of God.
2) One has to bear the fruit of life after he
has believed the Lord so as not to be worthy of God will (see John 15:1-2).
Heb. 6:8 “but if it bears thorns
and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be
burned.”
YLT:
“and that which is bearing thorns and briers disapproved of, and nigh to
cursing, whose end for burning;”
Meaning
of Words: “rejected”: cast away,
unapproved;
Literal
Meaning: “if it bears thorns and briers, it is
rejected”, “thorns and briers”: both of them are the consequences of God’s
curse because of man’s fall (Gen. 3:18). Therefore, “bearing thorns and briers”
shows that the condition of man is not approved by God. “It is rejected”: be counted
as useless;
“And near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned”, “near to being
cursed”: not approved by God; “burn”: the land can never be burned, but what is
produced on it will be burned. Believers are the husbandry of God and will
never be burned. However, if we do not walk according to the principles of God
and let wood and grass and straw grow, they will be burned (1Cor. 3:9, 12).
Once believers are saved, they will not be cursed. However, if we do not
go ahead but keep things that God does not please, it is near to be cursed and
we will be chastened by God (see Heb. 12:7-8). It is different from the eternal
perdition. The former is “near to being cursed”, and the latter is real
curse.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The same pouring out of the rain bear
different fruits: some herbs (see v.7) and some thorns and briers, manifesting
the difference of men’s heart.
2) Once man’s heart is not upright, no matter
how much rainwater there is, there only bears many thorns and briers, for this
is because God does not allow those who only rely on them instead of God to
grow up. Only the principle of faith makes believers obtain from God.
3) If we waste the grace of the Lord and live
in the flesh, what we bear must be production of curse ---- thorns and briers.
4) If someone has openly declared he is a
Christian, but he still remains as what he was and does not understand the
significance of his faith, his end is miserable (see v.1)
Heb. 6:9 “But, beloved, we are
confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany
salvation, though we speak in this manner.”
YLT:
“and we are persuaded, concerning you, beloved, the things that are better, and
accompanying salvation, though even thus we speak,”
Meaning
of Words: “accompany”: with, following;
Literal
Meaning: “but we are confident of better things
concerning you”, “confident of”: judgment drawn from experience; “better”: it
is a comparison with verse eight;
“That accompany salvation”, “salvation” refers to the perfect salvation
of God (see Heb. 2:3). “That accompany salvation”, it can be seen from their
works that they have been saved.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) A preacher shall know how to give “warning”
and “exhortation” together rather than rebuke always or give praising words
only.
2) One is saved by grace, through faith, not
works (Eph. 2:8-9). However, after one is saved, he has to seek works out of
the new life (Eph. 2:10). True faith must produce works.
Heb. 6:10 “For God is not unjust to
forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in
that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”
YLT:
“for God is not unrighteous to forget your work, and the labour of the love,
that ye shewed to His name, having ministered to the saints and ministering;”
Meaning
of Words: “minister”: serve, be an
attendant;
Literal
Meaning: “for God is not unjust forget”, it suggests
that the righteous God will surely remember our works out of true faith.
“Your work and labor of love which you have
shown toward His name”, “your work”: all the works of God (Phil. 2:12-13);
“labor of love which you have shown toward His name”: the love of ministering
the saints;
“In that you have ministered to the saints”,
“have ministered to the saints”: supply the saints who are wanting in
materials, e.g. aiding the poor, show hospitality etc. “Have minister”: they
did in the past and do this till now.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The love of believers toward God should be
manifested in daily life, especially in works (see 1John 3:18).
2) He who has the love toward the Lord will
surely love men. If one desires to love men, he has to love the Lord first, for
the Lord is the wellspring of true love.
Heb. 6:11 “And we desire that each
one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,”
YLT:
“and we desire each one of you the same diligence to shew, unto the full
assurance of the hope unto the end,”
Meaning
of Words: “show”: manifest, indicate,
prove, and demonstrate; “full”: sufficient, abundant, sure; “hope”:
expectation; “until the end”: to the end (both temporally and spatially)
Literal
Meaning: “we desire that each one of you show the
same diligence”, “show”: the present tense shows that they shall continually
show such diligence. “The same diligence”: the same work of faith and service
of love mentioned in verse ten;
“To the full assurance of hope until the end”, this verse points that
our hope is being satisfied by constantly showing faith and labor of love and
then waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promise with long patience and
perseverance.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) It is indeed we are perfectly saved by free
grace, not our works at all (Eph. 2:8-9). However, the spiritual fulfillments
after we are saved are by no means reaped without sowing. Instead, we have to
pay the price and seek with diligence.
2) In spiritual things, diligence is the secret
of being blessed. We have to work with diligence while it is day so that we
shall be enabled to embrace the Lord’s second coming with joy.
3) God does not use a lazy man. A lazy man
avails God nothing.
4) “Diligence”, “hope”, “unto the end” ---- the
three elements are the important signs for Christians to establish the faith.
“Diligence” brings about full hope; “hope” makes us not lose heart and yet keep
unto the end; only will those who are diligent “unto the end” truly enjoy the
effect of faith.
Heb. 6:12 “that you do not become
sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the
promises.”
YLT:
“that ye may not become slothful, but followers of those who through faith and
patient endurance are inheriting the promises.”
Meaning
of Words: “sluggish”: insensitive, lazy,
dull, slothful; “patience”: long-suffering;
Literal
Meaning: “not become sluggish”, the original of
“sluggish” is the same with “become dull of hearing” (Heb. 5:11). It is that
let us not become dull of hearing the words in chapter five and let us not
become sluggish in doing the words.
“But imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises”,
“faith”: make sure that the promises of God are true and reliable; “patience”:
it is long-suffering in the original, which means that they seem to be unable
to inherit the promises according to the seeming circumstances, so they have to
wait with long-suffering; “those who inherit the promises”: in following text,
the author sets Abraham as an example;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) If believers are sluggish in hearing of the
words, they may become also sluggish in doing the words.
2) The greatest function of faith is “letting
us inherit the promises”. A true faith makes us not count on our own merits,
but count on grace ---- namely, the grace of receiving the promises of God by
faith.
3) We catch the promises of God by “faith”, and
obtain the results of faith by “patience”.
4) The biggest trial of faith is patience, for
the capacity and spirit of faith will be abundantly manifested in patience.
Heb. 6:13 “For when God made a
promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by
Himself,”
YLT:
“For to Abraham God, having made promise, seeing He was able to swear by no
greater, did swear by Himself,”
Literal
Meaning: “for when God made a promise to Abraham”, it
indicates that God promises to give Abraham many descendants (see Gen.
22:17-18).
“Because He could swear by no one greater”, “no one greater”, for God is
the only true God, King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16); “swear”, it is
to emphasize the promise is immutable (see v.18; Gen. 22:16).
“He swore by Himself”, swearing is often the product after man’s fall,
for man’s words trustless. God’s swearing is for the purpose of yielding to
man’s infirmity. The word of God is absolutely reliable, so God’s swearing
makes His word more reliable. The promises of God become firmer because of His
swearing. God regards Him as the third party, who serves as the mediator or
witness between Him and men.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) If man swears out of sincerity and does
according to the swearing, he is restricted by the external authority. God’s
swearing is certainly relying on the ultimate and perfect authority of Him. The
swearing of God is limited by His own authority. How trustworthy!
2) The more we know the perfect faithfulness
and blessing of God, the more patiently will our heart believe and wait for God
in our. The promise of God is our guarantee of our hope.
Heb. 6:14 “saying, "Surely
blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you."”
YLT:
“saying, `Blessing indeed I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply
thee;'”
Meaning
of Words: “multiply”: increase, grow;
Literal
Meaning: “surely blessing I will bless you”, the word
in this verse is quoted from the Book of
Genesis (Gen. 22:17). God promises to bless Abraham to make him and his
seed inherit the world (
“And multiplying I will multiply you”, God promises to multiply the seed
of Abraham like the stars in the heaven ---- which refer to the heavenly seeds
---- believers, and the sand which is upon the shore ---- which refer to the
earthly seeds ---- the people of Israel.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The greatest blessing of God to us is to let
us obtain Christ by faith and grant us all the heavenly and spiritual blessings
hidden in Christ (Eph. 1:3-6).
2) God desires best that man shall be fruitful
and multiply and fill the earth (Gen. 1:28). May all believers understand the
will of God and preach the gospel diligently and obtain more spiritual
children.
Heb. 6:15 “And so, after he had
patiently endured, he obtained the promise.”
YLT:
“and so, having patiently endured, he did obtain the promise;”
Meaning
of Words: “obtain”: gain, reach;
Literal
Meaning: “and so, after he had patiently endured”,
“patiently endured”: wait in affliction for long; it took at least twenty five
years of Abraham from his obtaining the promise to his begetting Isaac (Gen.
12:2-4; 21:5).
“He obtained the promise”, it relates that he begot his son Isaac (Gen.
17:19). Isaac typifies Christ (Gal. 3:16).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Promises can be obtained by faith as well as
patience, and long-suffering. Therefore, faith and patience are the secret for
us to taste the blessings of God’s promises.
2) Faith produces patience after trial, and let
endurance have perfect work that you may be perfect and entire, lacking in
nothing (James 1:3-4). Therefore, when we fall into various temptations, let us
count it all joy (James 1:2), for it will bring us true blessings (see Rom.
5:3-5).
Heb. 6:16 “For men indeed swear by
the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute.”
YLT:
“for men indeed do swear by the greater, and an end of all controversy to them
for confirmation the oath,”
Meaning
of Words: “end”: limitation,
extremity;
Literal
Meaning: “for men indeed swear by the greater”, we
can see here that swearing is common among men.
“And an oath for confirmation”, “confirmation” is a legal term, which
refers to a lawful proof.
“For them an end of all dispute”, the purpose of swearing is to put all
dispute an end and let those who vainly speak the oath is unreliable shut up.
Heb. 6:17 “Thus God, determining to
show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel,
confirmed it by an oath,”
YLT:
“in which God, more abundantly willing to shew to the heirs of the promise the
immutability of his counsel, did interpose by an oath,”
Meaning
of Words: “thus”: in which…;
“abundantly”: more; “confirm”: interpose, ratify;
Literal
Meaning: it points that man proves the reliability of
his words by swearing so as to make others believe and deal with all the
disputes perfectly (see v.16). Likewise, God indeed pleases to prove that His
promises are utterly reliable to us who shall inherit the promises, for they
are according to the immutable will of God. Therefore, He humbles Himself to
prove the credibility of His words by swearing like the common people do.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God gains the trust of us here by swearing
so that we shall obtain more definite proof and be confident of the word of
God. Oh! God really appreciates our faith. The normal relationship between God
and man is built upon man’s faith.
2) Faith gives the exact position to God. Faith
honors God. They that honor God, God will honor (see 1Sam. 2:30).
Heb. 6:18 “that by two immutable
things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong
consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.”
YLT:
“that through two immutable things, in which impossible for God to lie, a
strong comfort we may have who did flee for refuge to lay hold on the hope set
before ,”
Meaning
of Words: “refuge”: refuge city; “lay hold of”: seize; “consolation”:
encouragement, comfort;
The Background: in the ancient times, if one thing shall be
“legalized”, there should be two witnesses to confirm.
Literal
Meaning: “that by two immutable things, in which it
is impossible for God to lie”, “two immutable things” refer to the promises and
oaths of God (see v.17). The promises of God are absolutely trustworthy, and
His swearing more guarantees that promises. God Himself is the One who promises
as well as the One who guarantees. Such dual bases have sufficiently proved the
immutability.
“Who have fled for refuge”, “have fled for refuge”: escape to the place
for refuge (see Acts. 14:6); “refuge”, it mentions in verse twenty that the
Lord Jesus has ascended into the heavens, that is, the holiest behind the veil.
In Him, there is the heavenly harbor as our refuge, and we now enter it by the
Spirit (see Heb. 10:19).
“We might have strong consolation … to lay hold of the hope for us”,
“have strong consolation”, Abraham can only expect the promises, and yet we
have seen the fulfillment of these promises (Heb. 11:13; John 8:56).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God swears and promises for our consolation
that we shall set our hope without movement.
2) Christ is the refuge of believers. Only in
Christ can we escape from the entanglement of sins and the world and Satan.
Heb. 6:19 “This hope we have as an
anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind
the veil,”
YLT:
“which we have, as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and entering
into that within the vail,”
Meaning
of Words: “sure”: certain, safe; “steadfast”: stable, firm, of force;
The Background: “the anchor of the soul”, at that time, there was
a habit among the inhabitants of the sea. Sometime, when a ship drove into a
harbor, it could not enter into the harbor safely because of the low tide or
other reasons. Then, those who were in the ship would cast the anchor over the
sand and into the safe harbor. Thus, the ship would bear the striking of the
waves. After a time, as the tides rose up, the ship would be able to drive into
the harbor and unloaded the goods and completed its task.
Literal
Meaning: “this hope we have as an anchor of the soul,
both sure and steadfast”, “anchor” shows that if we have no anchor of hope when
sailing in the stormy sea, the ship would be broken (1Tim. 1:19). Anchor is the
symbol of stability and safety. The hope of Christians is as reliable as the anchor,
for it is from the holiest in the heaven. Our hope in Christ keeps our safety,
just like the anchor fixes the ship in a safe position. Anchor is the sign of
hope. Meanwhile, we can see the meaning of “believe” and “seize”. To believe
that He has entered into the depth (the holiest) is to hold Him closely. Beyond
all doubt, this anchor means that the Lord Jesus is High Priest according to
the order of Melchizedek (see v.20)
“And which enters the Presence behind the veil”, “veil”: the heavens
that the Lord Jesus has passed through, namely, the holiest behind the veil
today; our hope enters into the veil, like the anchor which is safe and
steadfast. Today, we are able to enter into the veil in spirit (see Heb.
10:19-20). The veil is a layer of veil between the hold and the holiest of all
in the tent of meeting. “Enters the Presence behind the veil”, enter into the
holiest of all and come to the presence of God; God is the foundation of
believers’ hope. The anchor of the ship reaches into the bottom of the sea, but
the anchor of Christians goes into the true holy place in the heaven and ties
us to God.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) We are men of hope. However, our hope is not
out of ourselves, but of the Lord.
2) “The hope is as an anchor of the soul” ---- when we Christians fall into the
stormy circumstance, our hope will keep the safety of our soul.
3) The hope of Christians is not a kind of vain
dream ---- it is sure and steady no matter in trouble or adversity, for it is
based upon God’s promises.
4) We may often be faced with temptations or
troubles in the world. However, we have an anchor entering into the veil to
obtain the safety and rest of God’s presence.
5) The seaman in the world casts the anchor
into the water and seizes the land. And the heavenly seaman casts the anchor
into the heaven and holds the heaven. The hope of Christians is not on the
earth, but in the heaven.
6) Christ exists forever as the anchor. He is
always before the Presence of God and sits upon the throne so that our faith
and hope are firmly steadfast.
7) The anchor is not cast into the ship, but
into the water so that the ship will not be floated away. Likewise, faith does
not mean we believe us, but believe the Lord. The more we see us, the more will
we be discouraged. However, if we cast the anchor of our faith to the Lord, we
will have peace.
Heb. 6:20 “where the forerunner has
entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.”
YLT:
“whither a forerunner for us did enter -- Jesus, after the order of Melchisedek
chief priest having become -- to the age.”
Meaning
of Words: “forerunner”: precursor;
The Background: “has enter for us”, the high priest in the Old
Testament brought the blood of the sacrifice once a year on the Atonement Day
and went through the veil between the holy temple and the holiest of all and
entered into the holiest of all (where God was there) to make atonement for the
people (Lev. 16).
Literal
Meaning: “the forerunner…Jesus”, Jesus is the High
Priest who first enters into the holiest of all in the heaven and sits at the
right hand of God. He is the forerunner who opens the way for us.
“Having
become High Priest forever according to the
order of Melchizedek”, “the order of Melchizedek”, it indicates that the order of the Lord
Jesus as the High Priest is different from “that of Aaron”. According to
chapter seven of this epistle, there are at least seven differences between the
two orders. For details, please see the commentary of chapter seven (7:11).
“Become High
Priest”, it means that his
priesthood is not hindered by death (see 7:23), for he is ever living (see
7:24-25).
“Has entered for us”, the mercy-seat where God sits is behind the veil
of the holy temple which only the high priest is permitted to enter into.
However, Christ leads us into the holiest of all so that we can enjoy our
possessions there ---- through whom we are enabled to have perfect fellowship
with God.
As the forerunner, the Lord Jesus had early
gone across the stormy sea and entered the heavenly harbor refuge and became
High Priest for us according to the order of Melchizedek. Such a forerunner is
the creator of our salvation. As the forerunner, he opened the way to glory.
And as the creator, he has already entered into glory (Heb. 2:10).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The way that we are treading on is the way
that the Lord has walked through. He deeply knows all the conditions on the
way. As long as we ask for Him, He shall be our seasonable help.
2) Since Christ is a “forerunner”, He opens the
way for us so that we will also enter as Him (see Heb. 7:19; 10:19).
3) Our hope is not on any system, or group, or
possession or lifestyle. Christ is our sole hope. Once we have Christ, we have
hope. Without Christ, we have no hope at all.
4) Our hope is built upon Jesus Christ, the
eternal High Priest, who removes all the hindrances between God and men.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
The Elementary Principles of Christ
A. The internal transformation of faith ----
repentance from dead works and faith of God (v.1);
B. The external witness of faith ---- the
doctrine of baptisms and laying on of hands (v
C. The eternal end of faith ---- resurrection
of the dead and eternal judgment (v.2b);
The Foundation of Christians’ Life ---- From
Passive Conditions to Positive Conditions
A. Repentance from dead works ---- turn away
from dead works; faith of God ---- enter into God Himself (v.1);
B. The doctrine of baptisms ---- deal with and
end all the passive things; laying on of hands ---- be untied with and have
fellowship with divine things (v
C. Resurrection of the dead ---- from death;
eternal judgment ---- enter into the eternal doom (v.2b);
Growth
A. The essentials of growth (v.1-3);
1. Not stay in the elementary principles;
2. Not overthrow the original foundation;
3. Go on into perfection with diligence to the
present foundation;
B. The necessity of growth (v.4-8);
1. Growth is the natural phenomenon;
2. If there is no growth, there will be dire
consequences.
C. The encouragement of growth;
1. We have the hope of growth (v.9-12);
2. God puts the hope before us by promises
(v.13-20);
Three “Not”s and Three “Shall”s of Christian
A. Three “not”s:
1. “Not” lay again the foundation (v.1);
2. If one is fallen away, he can “not” him
again to repentance (v.6);
3. If one has received blessing from God, he
will “not” bear bad fruit (v.7-8);
B. Three “shall”s:
1. One shall manifest the diligence in good
works (v.9
2. One shall imitate those who through faith
and patience inherit the promises (v
3. One shall keep the hope lying before us him
(v.18-19).
Five Spiritual Experiences
A. Be enlightened (v
B. Taste the heavenly gift (v.4b);
C. Become partakers of the Holy Spirit (v
D. Taste the good word of God (v
E. Taste the powers of the age to come (v.b);
Three Kinds of Converse Conditions v. 7-8
A. Bear herbs or bear thrones briers;
B. Be useful for those by whom it is
cultivated;
C. Receive blessing from God or be cursed;
Signs of True Spiritual Life and Secrets of
Growth
A. Love shown because of the name of God
(v.10b);
B. Minister the saints with diligence (v
C. The full assurance of hope until the end (v.11);
D. Wait for the fulfillment of God’s promises
and be full of faith and patience till that day (v.12);
Three Things that Believers Have to Pay
Attention to
A. Show the labor of “love” (v.10
B. Have the full assurance of “hope” (v.11b);
C. Imitate the examples of “faith” (v.12);
Three Firm Safeguards
A. Refuge (v.18);
B. The anchor of soul (v.19);
C. Jesus as the forerunner (v.20);
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou