Chú giải Kinh Thánh

In this chapter the apostle proceeds to persuade the Hebrews to make a better proficiency in religion than they had done, as the best way to prevent apostasy, the dreadful nature and consequences of which sin he sets forth in a serious manner (Heb 6:1-8), and then expresses his good hopes concerning them, that they would persevere in faith and holiness, to which he exhorts them, and sets before them the great encouragement they had from God, both with respect to their duty and happiness, Heb 6:9-20.

Analysis Of The Chapter

In Hebrews 5:10-11, the apostle had said that the Lord Jesus was called to the office of high priest after the order of Melchizedek, and that there were many things to be said of him which were not easy to be understood. They had not, he says, advanced as far in the knowledge of the true religion as might have been reasonably expected, but had rather gone back; Hebrews 5:12-14. The design of this chapter seems to be to warn them against the danger of going back entirely, and to encourage them to make the highest attainments possible in the knowledge of Christianity, and in the divine life. The apostle would keep them from entire apostasy, and would excite them to make all the advances which they possibly could make, and particularly he designs to prepare them to receive what he had yet to say about the higher doctrines of the Christian religion. In doing this he presents the following considerations:

(1) An exhortation to leave the elements or rudiments of the Christian religion, and to go on to the contemplation of the higher doctrines. The elements were the doctrines of repentance, faith, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. These entered into the very nature of Christianity. They were its first principles, and were indispensable. The higher doctrines related to other matters, which the apostle called them now to contemplate; Hebrews 6:1-3.

(2) he warns them, in the most solemn manner, against apostasy. He assures them that if they should apostatize, it would be impossible to renew them again. They could not fall away from grace and again be renewed; they could not, after having been Christians and then apostatizing, be recovered. Their fall in that case would be final and irrecoverable, for there was no other way by which they could be saved; and by rejecting the Christian scheme, they would reject the only plan by which they could ever be brought to heaven. By this solemn consideration, therefore, he warns them of the danger of going back from their exalted hopes, or of neglecting the opportunities which they had to advance to the knowledge of the higher truths of religion; Hebrews 6:4-6.

(3) this sentiment is illustrated Hebrews 6:7-8 by a striking and beautiful figure drawn from agriculture. The sentiment was, that they who did not improve their advantage, and grow in the knowledge of the gospel, but who should go back and apostatize, would inevitably be destroyed. They could not be renewed and saved. It will be says the apostle, as it is with the earth. That which receives the rain that falls, and that bears its proper increase for the use of man, partakes of the divine blessing. That which does not - which bears only thorns and briers - is rejected, and is nigh to cursing, and will be burned with fire.

(4) yet the apostle says, he hoped better things of them. They had, indeed, receded from what they had been. They had not made the advances which he says they might have done. But still, there was reason to hope that they would not wholly apostatize, and be cast off by God. They had shown that they had true religion, and he believed that God would not forget the evidence which they had furnished that they loved him; Hebrews 6:9-10.

(5) he expresses his earnest wish that they all would show the same diligence until they attained the full assurance of hope; Hebrews 6:11-12.

(6) to encourage them in this, he refers them to the solemn oath which God had taken, and his sacred covenant with them confirmed by an oath, in order that they might have true consolation, and be sustained in the temptations and trials of life. That hope was theirs. It was sure and steadfast. It entered into that within the veil; it had been confirmed by him who had entered heaven as the great High Priest after the order of Melchizedek; Hebrews 6:13-20. By such considerations he would guard them from the danger of apostasy; he would encourage them to diligence in the divine life; and he would seek to prepare them to welcome the more high and difficult doctrines of the Christian religion.

We must proceed from the first principles of the doctrine of Christ unto perfection, and not lay the foundation a second time, Hebrews 6:1-3. Those who were once enlightened, and have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost and the various blessings of the Gospel, if they apostatize from Christ, and finally reject him as their Savior, cannot be renewed again to repentance, Hebrews 6:4-6. The double similitude of the ground blessed of God, and bearing fruit; and of that ground which is cursed of God, and bears briers and thorns, Hebrews 6:7, Hebrews 6:8. The apostle's confidence in them, and his exhortation to diligence and perseverance, Hebrews 6:9-12. God's promise and oath to Abraham, by which the immutability of his counsel is shown, in order to excite our hope, Hebrews 6:13-18. Hope is the anchor of the soul, and enters within the veil, Hebrews 6:19, Hebrews 6:20.

INTRODUCTION TO Hebrews 6

In this chapter the apostle exhorts the believing Hebrews not to rest in the rudiments of the Christian religion they had learned; and much less to lay them again in the foundation after the Jewish manner, of which he instances in six particulars; but to seek after a perfect knowledge of evangelic truths, which, under a divine permission, was his determination to do, Hebrews 6:1 which was the best method to prevent apostasy, he dissuades from; by giving the characters of apostates, showing how far they may go in the knowledge of divine things, and yet fall away; by asserting the impossibility of their repentance and recovery, with the reason of it, taken from the blackness of their crimes, Hebrews 6:4 and the difference between them, and true believers, he illustrates by two sorts of earth, the one takes in the rain that comes down from heaven, and brings forth herbs for the use of its dresser, and is blessed of God: such are true believers in Christ, Hebrews 6:7 the other bears thorns and briers, and is rejected and cursed, and in the issue burned; and to such earth the above apostates may be compared, Hebrews 6:8 but lest the believing Hebrews, such as were truly gracious among them, should conclude that this was their case, and that it was desperate; and lest they should think the apostle had an ill opinion of them, he declares he was otherwise persuaded of them, and hoped and believed they were interested in the things of salvation, Hebrews 6:9 the reasons of which persuasion are taken from the work of grace, which was wrought in them; from their laborious love they showed to the name of God, and to his people, and which they continued to show: and from the righteousness of God in not forgetting all this, Hebrews 6:10. And then he proceeds to exhort them to diligence in the exercise of grace, and discharge of duty, that so they might arrive to a full assurance of hope, Hebrews 6:11 and not to indulge slothfulness, but to be followers of the saints that were gone before them; whose character is, that through faith, and patience, they had inherited the promises, things the apostle would have those believers imitate them in, Hebrews 6:12 and particularly instances in Abraham, the father of this people, and of all believers; who having a promise from God, to which an oath was annexed, patiently waited for it, and obtained it, Hebrews 6:13 and having made mention of an oath, the apostle takes notice of the nature and use of one among men, Hebrews 6:16 and of the design of God in making use of one himself, which was to confirm his promise, and show its immutability to the heirs of it; and that by observing these two immutable things, which could never fail, they might have solid and abiding comfort: even all such, who, under a sense of danger, flee to Christ for refuge, who is the ground of hope proposed to them in the Gospel, to lay hold upon, Hebrews 6:17 and because of the firmness of the grace of hope, as it is conversant with Christ, and is cast on him, the good ground of it, it is compared to an anchor; and is said to be sure and steadfast, and to enter within the vail, where Christ is gone as a forerunner; and which is an encouragement to that grace to enter in after him; who is further described by his name Jesus, by his office as an high priest, and by the order of which he is, that of Melchizedek, Hebrews 6:19 which is mentioned, to lead on to what the apostle had to say concerning him, in the next chapter.

Ch. 6. An exhortation to advance beyond elementary catechetical instructions (Hebrews 6:1-3). A solemn warning against the peril of Apostasy (Hebrews 6:4-8). A word of encouragement and hope (Hebrews 6:9-12) founded on the immutability of God’s promises (Hebrews 6:13-15), to which they are exhorted to hold fast (Hebrews 6:16-20)

CHAPTER 6

Hebrews 6:2. Instead of the Recepta διδαχῆς, Lachm. reads διδαχήν. But the accusative has the support only of B and the Latin translation in D (doctrinam), and is a mere transcriber’s error.

Hebrews 6:3. Elz.: ποιήσομεν, after B K L א, It. Vulg. Basm. Copt. Syr. utr. Ambrose. Retained by Lachm. Tisch. and Bloomfield. Defended also by Reiche. But as more original, on account of the symmetry with φερώμεθα, Hebrews 6:1, appears the conjunctive ποιήσωμεν, already commended to notice by Griesbach; approved by Bleek, Delitzsch, and Alford. It is attested by the strong authority of A C D E, 23, 31, 39, al. mult., Arm. Chrys. (codd.) Theodoret (comment.), Oecum. Damasc.

Hebrews 6:7. ἐπʼ αὐτῆς] B** 213, 219** al.: ἐπʼ αὐτήν. Alteration in favour of the more prevailing linguistic usage.

To the Recepta πολλάκις ἐρχόμενον, Lachm. Bleek, Tisch. Delitzsch, Alford have preferred the order ἐρχόμενον πολλάκις. The external accrediting is for both substantially equal. The Recepta is attested by A C K L, Vulg.; Lachmann’s reading by B D E א, 37, 116, al., It. Syr. utr. Copt. al. But in favour of the originality of the latter pleads the greater euphony, for which the author is wont to show a predilection.

Hebrews 6:9. The mode of writing κρεισσονα, followed by Bengel, Lachm. Bleek, Tisch. Alford, al., after the precedent given by the Edd. Complut. and Plantin., instead of the Recepta κρείττονα, is here required by A B C D*** (E?) L א, al. Otherwise, Hebrews 1:4, Hebrews 7:7, and frequently.

Hebrews 6:10. καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης] Elz. Matthaei: καὶ τοῦ κόπου τῆς ἀγάπης. But τοῦ κόπου is wanting in A B C D* E* א, 6, 31, 47, al., Syr. utr. Erp. Basm. Aeth. Arm. Vulg. Clar. Germ., with Chrys. (twice) Antioch. Theoph. Jerome. Already condemned by Beza, Mill, Bengel, al. Rightly deleted by Griesb. Knapp, Lachm. Scholz, Tisch. Alford, Reiche, and others. Gloss from 1 Thessalonians 1:3.

Hebrews 6:14. Elz. Griesb. Matthaei, Scholz, Tisch. 2, Bloomfield, Reiche: ἦ μήν. Instead thereof, Lachm. Tisch. 1, 7, and 8, and Alford have εἰ μήν. The latter, approved also by Bleek and others, is, on account of the weighty authority of A B (C L**: εἰ μή) D (D corr.: εἰ μή) E א. 17, 23, al., Didym. Damasc. Vulg. It. Ambrose. Bede (: nisi), to be looked upon as the original reading. ἦ μήν is a later conversion of the non-Greek expression of the LXX. into Greek.

Hebrews 6:16. ἄνθρωποι μὲν γάρ] So Elz. Griesb. Matthaei, Scholz, Tisch. 2 and 7, Bloomfield, and Alford. But μέν is wanting in A B D* א, 47, 52, Cyril. Rightly rejected by Lachm. Bleek, Tisch. 1 and 8.

Hebrews 6:18. θεόν] Bleek and Tisch. 8, after A C א*, 17, 52, Cyril, Didym. Chrys. al.; τὸν θεόν.

Hebrews 6:19. Instead of the Recepta ἀσφαλῆ, which is confirmed also by the Codex Sinaiticus, Lachm., in the stereotype edition, writes, after A C D*: ἀσφαλῆν (so also Tisch. 7), in the larger edition: ἀσφαλήν. But the form is hardly to be justified. Yet comp. Winer’s Gramm. 7 Aufl. p. 64.

Heb 6:1-14.

WARNING AGAINST RETROGRADING, WHICH SOON LEADS TO APOSTASY; ENCOURAGEMENT TO STEADFASTNESS FROM GOD'S FAITHFULNESS TO HIS WORD AND OATH.

1. Therefore--Wherefore: seeing that ye ought not now to be still "babes"

(Heb 5:11-14).

leaving--getting further forward than the elementary "principles." "As in building a house one must never leave the foundation: yet to be always laboring in 'laying the foundation' would be ridiculous" [CALVIN].

the principles of the doctrine--Greek, "the word of the beginning," that is, the discussion of the "first principles of Christianity

(Heb 5:12).

let us go on--Greek, "let us be borne forward," or "bear ourselves forward"; implying active exertion: press on. Paul, in teaching, here classifies himself with the Hebrew readers, or (as they ought to be) learners, and says, Let us together press forward.

perfection--the matured knowledge of those who are "of full age"

(Heb 5:14)

in Christian attainments.

foundation of--that is, consisting in "repentance."

repentance from dead works--namely, not springing from the vital principle of faith and love toward God, and so counted, like their doer, dead before God. This repentance from dead works is therefore paired with "faith toward God." The three pairs of truths enumerated are designedly such as JEWISH believers might in some degree have known from the Old Testament, but had been taught more clearly when they became Christians. This accounts for the omission of distinct specification of some essential first principle of Christian truth. Hence, too, he mentions "faith toward God," and not explicitly faith toward Christ (though of course included). Repentance and faith were the first principles taught under the Gospel.