A Call to Maturity

1Therefore, having left the beginning teaching of the Christ, we should go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works,a and faith in God, 2instruction about baptisms,b and of laying on of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3And this we will do, if God permits.

4For it is impossible for those once having been enlightened, and having tasted of the heavenly gift, and having become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5and having tasted the goodness of God’s word and the power of the coming age— 6and then having fallen away—to restore them again to repentance, crucifying in themselves the Son of God and subjecting Him to open shame.

7For land having drunk in the rain coming often upon it and producing vegetation useful for those for the sake of whom also it is tilled, partakes of blessing from God. 8But that bringing forth thorns and thistles is worthless and near to a curse, of which the end is unto burning.

9But even if we speak like this, beloved, we are persuaded of better things concerning you, and things accompanying salvation. 10For God is not unjust to forget your work and the love that you have shown toward His name, having ministered to the saints, and still ministering.

11And we desire each of you to show the same earnestness, toward the full assurance of the hope unto the end, 12so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those inheriting the promises through faith and patience.

God's Unchangeable Promise

13For God, having made His promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, swore by Himself, 14saying, “Surely if blessing, I will bless you; and multiplying, I will multiply you.”c 15And thus having waited patiently, he obtained the promise.

16For men swear by one greater, and an end of all their disputes, for confirmation, is the oath, 17in which God, desiring to show more abundantly the unchangeableness of His purpose to the heirs of the promise, guaranteed it by an oath, 18so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, having fled for refuge, to take hold of the hope being set before us, 19which we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and unshakable and entering into that within the veil, 20where Jesus, the forerunner for us, has entered, having become a high priest to the age, according to the order of Melchizedek.