The Epistle to the Hebrews

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

- Chapter 6 -

Therefore, interrupting an explanation of the basics of Christ, let us consider what is more advanced, not presenting again the fundamentals of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,(a)

of the doctrine of baptism, and also of the imposition of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

And we shall do this, if indeed God permits it.

For it is impossible for those who were once illuminated, and have even tasted of the heavenly gift, and have become sharers in the Holy Spirit,(b)

who, despite having tasted the good Word of God and the virtues of the future age, have yet fallen away,

to be renewed again to penance, since they are crucifying again in themselves the Son of God and are still maintaining pretenses.

For the earth accepts a blessing from God, by drinking in the rain that often falls upon it, and by producing plants that are useful to those by whom it is cultivated.

But whatever brings forth thorns and briers is rejected, and is closest to what is accursed; their consummation is in combustion.

But from you, most beloved, we are confident that there will be things better and closer to salvation; even though we speak in this way.

For God is not unjust, such that he would forget your work and the love that you have shown in his name. For you have ministered, and you continue to minister, to the saints.

Yet we desire that each one of you display the same solicitude toward the fulfillment of hope, even unto the end,

so that you may not be slow to act, but instead may be imitators of those who, through faith and patience, shall inherit the promises.

God’s Unchangeable Promise

For God, in making promises to Abraham, swore by himself, (because he had no one greater by whom he might swear),

saying: “Blessing, I shall bless you, and multiplying, I shall multiply you.”(c)

And in this way, by enduring patiently, he secured the promise.

For men swear by what is greater than themselves, and an oath as confirmation is the end of all their controversy.

In this matter, God, wanting to reveal more thoroughly the immutability of his counsel to the heirs of the promise, interposed an oath,

so that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have the strongest solace: we who have fled together so as to hold fast to the hope set before us.

This we have as an anchor of the soul, safe and sound, which advances even to the interior of the veil,

to the place where the forerunner Jesus has entered on our behalf, so as to become the High Priest for eternity, according to the order of Melchizedek.

Footnotes

(a)6:1 The word of the beginning:The first rudiments of the Christian doctrine.(Challoner)

(b)6:4 It is impossible, etc:The meaning is, that it is impossible for such as have fallen after baptism, to be again baptized; and very hard for such as have apostatized from the faith, after having received many graces, to return again to the happy state from which they fell.(Challoner)

(c)6:14 The word ‘nisi,’ which usually means ‘except’ or ‘unless’ (or, literally, ‘if not’), in this context indicates an oath or a swearing to something. It is like saying, “If I do not do this thing that I swear to do (or, “Unless I do this thing that I swear to do”), then may that bad thing happen to me.” However, the latter part of stating the bad thing is left off, in this case because God cannot fail to accomplish what He has sworn, and because nothing bad can happen to God.(Conte)