6:1 Therefore we must progress beyond the elementary instructions about Christ and move on to maturity, not laying this foundation again: repentance from dead works and faith in God, 6:2 teaching about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 6:3 And this is what we intend to do, if God permits.

Vv 1f. The writer lists here six rudiments of the faith, possible drawn from catechetical instruction, and which fall naturally into pairs:-

repentance, faith
baptisms, the laying on of hands
resurrection of the dead, eternal judgement

Ramsay Michaels (Cornerstone Biblical Commentary) suggests that:

‘These six “basic teachings” are clues to what the rest of Hebrews would have looked like if the author had treated his readers as new converts.’

This gives us ‘some insight into what was regarded as a suitable foundation of Christian teaching in a non-Pauline church, and one which had a Jewish basis.’ (Bruce) The same writer points out that there is little distinctively Christian in this list of elementary teachings. Each item could be found within the faith and practice of an orthodox Jewish community, although all acquire a new significance in a Christian context.

Not laying again the foundation – “Growth in the knowledge of Jesus Christ is not a growing away from the earliest lessons, or a leaving them behind, but a growing up to and into them.” (Alexander Maclaren)

Baptisms – ‘How unnatural are the attempts to explain this plural as referring to Christian Baptism.’ (Alexander Nairne, quoted by Bruce) Apart from the fact that the word is in the plural, the noun used is not baptisma, the word regularly used in the NT for Christian baptism and the baptism, but baptismos, which in its two other NT occurrences (Mk 7:4; Heb 9:10) refers to Jewish ceremonial washings.

Eternal judgment – This expression is of some relevance in the debate about the eternal punishment of the wicked.  It is not plausible to suppose that the author had in a mind a process of judging that goes on for ever.  What is ‘eternal’, then, would be the results of that judgment.  According to Christopher Date, most conditionalists agree that the punishment of the wicked is everlasting, in the following sense:

‘The final punishment of the wicked will not come to an end, to be followed by destruction; rather, their punishment is destruction, and it will last forever.’

6:4 For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 6:5 tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age, 6:6 and then have committed apostasy, to renew them again to repentance, since they are crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again and holding him up to contempt.

Vv 4-6. This is one of a number of warning passages in Hebrews. The others are: Heb 2:1-4; 3:7-4:11; 10:26-31; 12:14-17. Its interpretation has a considerable bearing on the doctrine of perseverance, for the question is raised here as to whether true believers can fall away so as to be irremediably lost.

There are three things here: (a) a class of people described; (b) a statement about these people; (c) a reason given for this statement.

The connection between this passage and the preceding three verses should not be missed; this is indicated by a conjunction (‘For’ in the AV) which is missing in the NIV The sense is that we must press on towards maturity, for it is pointless to go over the first principles of the gospel again, because it is impossible thereby to restore the once-enlightened apostates. John Brown paraphrases thus:

‘”Instead of again laying the foundation – instead of again teaching those who have already been taught, but have forgotten what they learned – “what be the first principles of the oracles of God,” I will proceed to some of the higher branches of Christian instruction; for there is little or no probability of any good result from such an attempt to re-teach those who have willingly unlearned all that has been taught them. They seem in the direct road to open apostasy; and that is a state from which I have no hope that anything I could say would reclaim them.’

Various attempts have been made to identify the sort of people being spoken of here.  It is best to regard them as temporary, or counterfeit, believers.  See longer note following.

It is impossible…to renew them again the repentance – It would be unwise to water down the force of this expression in view of its other uses in this Epistle: Heb 6:18; 10:4; 11:6. These are all absolutes:

‘The word impossible stands at the head of this passage with singular impressiveness. It is made to usher in the list of blessings before we are told to think of them as abandoned.’ (Loane)

They have abandoned ‘the only basis for salvation:

‘If the wavering Jewish believers forsake Christ for Judaism they forfeit all possibility of repentance unto life, since they abandon the only basis for salvation, which is Jesus Christ, the effectual high priest.’

(Demarest, The Cross and Salvation, p 459)

F.F. Bruce comments:

‘Such people are by no means unknown.  The often become the worst opponents of the gospel, actively trying to dissuade others from accepting it; they are far more difficult to win than raw pagans, and it really does seem “impossible to renew them again unto repentance.”‘

(Answers to Questions, p121)

The four characteristics that follow all seem to describe a person who has undergone full Christian initiation. Note the ‘catalogue of privilege’ (Loane):

Those who have once been enlightened – A once-for all enlightenment is in mind here:

‘The light of the gospel has broken in upon these people’s darkness, and life can never be the same again; to give up the gospel would be to sin against the light, the one sin which by its very nature is incurable.’ (Bruce) There may well be an allusion to baptism here, as in Eph 5:14; 1 Pet 2:4. To be enlightened with regard to salvation, and not to ‘improve’ that light (as the puritans would say), is to be in peril. Balaam was one who exhibited the characteristics here outlined, Nu 24:3,15,16. But his was a counterfeit, and not a real, faith. The may be a convincing profession of faith where there is no vital possession of Christ. ‘It is impossible to say how far a man may go with Christ, and yet lack the New Birth; he may be so like a christian disciple that no eye save the eye of God can tell that he is not.’ (Loane)

Tasted the heavenly gift – Possibly an allusion to the Lord’s Supper. Cf. Heb 13:10. However, the expression may well refer to

‘the whole sum of spiritual blessings which are sacramentally sealed and signified in the Eucharist.’ (Bruce)

Commentators differ as to whether ‘tasted’ here indicates a complete or incomplete appropriation of the gift. The latter is favoured by Owen, Westcott, and others. At any rate, the word is one of experience: (cf. Ps 34:8; 1 Pet 2:3) these people have not only knowledge of the gospel, but have to some degree come under its gracious influences.  As Owen writes:

‘There is a goodness and excellency in this heavenly gift which may be tasted or experienced in some measure by such as never receive them in their life, power, and efficacy. They may taste, –

1. Of the word in its truth, not its power;

2. Of the worship of the church in its outward order, not in its inward beauty;

3. Of the gifts of the church, not its graces.’

Who have shared in the Holy Spirit – Grudem argues, by analogy with other NT passages, that the idea is that the persons concerned have been:

‘associated with’ the Holy Spirit, in the sense that their lives have been influenced by him, but not necessarily savingly so. (Systematic Theology, p798)

How can people who have ‘shared in the Holy Spirit’ then apostasize?  There is here a reminder of the common NT emphasis that the Spirit works through the whole community, and not just through certain individuals. Cf. Acts 2:17f; Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 12:7,11; 1 Jn 2:20. Shared in can mean anything from ‘associated with’ to ‘close participation with’. The Holy Spirit here stands for his miraculous gifts and gracious influences. Clearly, the people envisioned here have more than a nodding acquaintance with Christ and the gospel. It has been questioned whether it is possible for a person to have thus ‘shared in the Holy Spirit’ then to apostasise. Heb 10:29 suggests that it may be so; so does the example of Simon Magus, Acts 8:9ff; 18ff. Think also the example of Balaam, and Saul in the OT, and also of the words of our Lord in Mt 7:22f; and of those of Paul in 1 Cor 13:1f.

Calvin answers as follows:

‘How can it be that he who has once made such a progress should afterwards fall away? For God, it may be said, calls none effectually but the elect, and Paul testifies that they are really his sons who are led by his Spirit, (Rom 8:14) and he teaches us, that it is a sure pledge of adoption when Christ makes us partakers of his Spirit. The elect are also beyond the danger of finally falling away; for the Father who gave them to be preserved by Christ his Son is greater than all, and Christ promises to watch over them all so that none may perish. To all this I answer, That God indeed favours none but the elect alone with the Spirit of regeneration, and that by this they are distinguished from the reprobate; for they are renewed after his image and receive the earnest of the Spirit in hope of the future inheritance, and by the same Spirit the Gospel is sealed in their hearts. But I cannot admit that all this is any reason why he should not grant the reprobate also some taste of his grace, why he should not irradiate their minds with some sparks of his light, why he should not give them some perception of his goodness, and in some sort engrave his word on their hearts. Otherwise, where would be the temporal faith mentioned by Mk 4:17? There is therefore some knowledge even in the reprobate, which afterwards vanishes away, either because it did not strike roots sufficiently deep, or because it withers, being choked up.’

Who have tasted the goodness of the word of God – The expression probably refers here to the gospel, rather than to Scripture itself. Cf. Acts 4:31; 13:5; 1 Pet 1:23,25; 2 Cor 5:19; Acts 13:26; 1 Cor 1:18; 2 Tim 2:9 4:2. That word is ‘good’ because it is beautiful, and true, and life-giving.

Grudem argues that the word ‘tasted’ implies an incomplete experience:

‘Inherent in the idea of tasting is the fact that the tasting is temporary and one might or might not decide to accept the thing that is tasted. For example, the same Greek word (γεύομαι, G1174) is used in Matthew 27:34 to say that those crucifying Jesus “offered him wine to drink, mingled with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.” The word is also used in a figurative sense meaning “come to know something.” If we understand it in this figurative sense, as it must be understood here since the passage is not talking about tasting literal food, then it means that these people have come to understand the heavenly gift (which probably means here that they had experienced some of the power of the Holy Spirit at work) and to know something of the Word of God and the powers of the age to come. It does not necessarily mean that they had (or did not have) genuine saving faith, but may simply mean that they came to understand it and have some experience of spiritual power.’ (Systematic Theology, p797)

The powers – Presumably, miracles of various kinds are meant. Simon Magus had been deeply impressed both the the preaching of the word of God by Philip, and the demonstration of miracles that accompanied that preaching. The possibility that some may even be able to perform miracles in Jesus’ name and yet be finally rejected is taught in Mt 7:22f.

Regarding miracles, Stott draws attention to the ‘already/not yet’ character of the present age:

‘Is not the most helpful way to approach the gospel miracles to place them within the familiar and inescapable tension between the already and the not yet, kingdom come and kingdom coming, the new age inaugurated and the new age consummated? To the sceptical (who doubts all miracles) I want to say “but already we have tasted the powers of the age to come.” To the credulous (who think that healing miracles are an everyday occurrence) I want to say “but not yet have we been given resurrection bodies free from disease, pain, infirmity, handicap and death.” In this interim period between the beginning and the end we both look to the outburst of miracles in the ministry of Jesus and his apostles, and on to the final resurrection of both body and universe.’ (Stott, Authentic Christianity, 387f)

The coming age – See 1 Jn 2:8With the coming of Christ, the blessings of the future are manifested among God’s people in the present age:

‘The note of eschatological fulfilment already under way means that OT eschatology has become, in a measure, present reality for the NT. The ‘last days’ of the prophets have arrived: for Christ ‘was made manifest at the end of the times’; (1 Pet 1:20) God ‘in these last days… has spoken to us by a Son’; (Heb 1:2) Christians are those ‘upon whom the end of the ages has come’; (1 Cor 10:11) ‘it is the last hour’; (1 Jn 2:18) cf. also Acts 2:17; Heb 6:5.’ (NBD)

On the overlap between the present age and the age to come:

‘The NT makes a striking modification of the contemporary Jewish division of time into the present age and the age to come. There is still a point of transition in the future between ‘this time’ and ‘the world to come’, (Mk 10:30 Eph 1:21; Tit 2:12-13) but there is an anticipation of the consummation, because in Jesus God’s purpose has been decisively fulfilled. The gift of the Spirit is the mark of this anticipation, this tasting of the powers of the world to come (Eph 1:14; Heb 6:4-6; cf. Rom 8:18-23; Gal 1:4). Hence John consistently stresses that we now have eternal life, zoe aionios. (e.g. Jn 3:36) It is not simply that aionios has qualitative overtones; rather John is urging the fact that Christians now have the life into which they will fully enter by resurrection. (Jn 11:23-25) This ‘overlapping’ of the two ages is possibly what Paul has in mind in 1 Cor 10:11.’ (NBD)

F.F. Bruce, notes that the wilderness motif might still be in our author’s mind:

‘Just as the Hebrew spies who returned from their expedition carrying visible tokens of the goodland of Canaan nevertheless failed to enter the land because of their unbelief, so those who had come to know the blessings of the new covenant might nevertheless in a spiritual sense turn back in heart to Egypt and so forfeit the saints’ everlasting rest.’

The question arises whether this six-fold description of spiritual privilege can possibly refer to the unregenerate; that it is possible for people to come so close to the kingdom of God, and yet have no final home in it. The answer, from Scripture generally, must be ‘Yes’:

• The present Epistle repeatedly contrasts the example of the unbelieving Israelites (Heb 2:1f; 3:12ff; 4:1f, 11; 10:28ff; 12:25ff) with that of the faithful core (ch. 11).
• Paul admits that ‘they are not all Israel, which are of Israel’, (Rom 9:6) and the principle holds true in the Christian church also.
• Wheat and tares grow together until the final harvest. Some of the seed grow vigorously for a while, but fails to come to fruition, Mk 4:1-20.
• John tells of members of the Christian community who in fact turned out to be anti-christian, 1 Jn 2:19.
• Our Lord averred that in the last day some would claim to have prophesied, and to have cast out demons in his name, yet the judgement on them would be ‘I never knew you’ (Mt 7:21-23; 25:11f).

It is all too possible to honour God with the lips, when the heart is far from him, Mk 7:1-8. Those who call out, ‘Hosanna’ on one day may just a few days later cry, ‘Crucify him!’

And then have committed apostasy – NIV – ‘If they fall away’.  Allen (NAC) objects to the underlying word does (parapiptō) being translated ‘apostasy’, in the sense of a complete turning away from God.

The falling away that is envisaged here is much more than a falling into this or that particular sin, however grievous that sin might be. No: this falling away is a decisive renunciation of the faith which had once been embraced with enthusiasm.

What falling away is: (Heb 6:6)

1. It is not a falling into this or that actual sin
2. It is not a falling upon temptation or surprisal
3. It is not a relinquishment or renunciation of some, though very material, principles of Christian religion, by error or seduction, as the Corinthians fell in denying the resurrection of the dead, and the Galatians by denying justification by faith in Christ alone
4. It must consist in a total renunciation of all the constituent principles and doctrines of Christianity, whence it is denominated
5. For the completing of this falling away…it is required that this renunciation be avowed and professed This is the “falling away” intended by the apostle,-a voluntary resolved relinquishment of, and apostasy from, the gospel, the faith, rule, and obedience thereof; which cannot be without casting the highest reproach and contumely imaginable upon the person of Christ himself. (John Owen, Works, Vol 7, p.36)’

 

It is impossible…to be brought back to repentance – The repentance spoken of here may not be the repentance of a regenerate state (for they could not be restored to that which they never had in the first place) but a being restored to their previous state of mind.

‘The impossibility resides in the apostates themselves, for the complete repudiation of the doctrine which formerly they embraced means that a further preaching of the gospel would be entirely lost upon them.’ (Mt 7:6) (Geoffrey Wilson)

The parable of the sower (Mk 4:3ff and parallels) tells of the rocky-ground hearer, whose growth is vigorous for while, but fails to mature to fruitfulness. It was only when the time of testing came that the difference between this and the good-ground hearer became apparent.

Some commentators take the word in a popular, rather than a strict sense: i.e. making it equivalent to ‘very difficult. So Erasmus & Bengel. Others understand it to mean, ‘impossible for man, but not for God’. So (according to Hughes) Ambrose, Aquinas, Wordsworth, Spicq. Cf. Mk 10:27. Bruce tempers the force of this statement by saying, ‘We know, of course, that nothing of this sort is ultimately impossible for the grace of God, but as a matter of human experience the reclamation of such people is, practically speaking, impossible.’ The impossibility would therefore be from the human side (he is incapable of turning), and experience shows that ‘those who have shared the covenant privileges of the people of God, and then deliberately renounce them, are the mot difficult persons of all to reclaim for the faith…God has pledged himself to pardon all who truly repent, but Scripture and experience alike suggest that it is possible for human beings to arrive at a state of heart and life where they can no longer repent.’

We might well pose the question, ‘Impossible to whom?’ Some things are indeed impossible with God – that he should lie, or that he should clear the guilty. Other things; – many things – are impossible with man. It may be that the writer’s assertion here belongs to the latter category:

‘It is impossible, by any renewed course of elementary instruction, to bring back such apostates to the acknowledgement of the truth.’ (Brown)

For Ramsey Michaels, this is impossible for us, but not impossible for God (cf. Mk 10:27).

Because…they are crucifying the Son of God – Another way of reducing the force of this passage is to read this as, ‘while…they are crucifying the Son of God all over again’. So ARV But to say that they cannot be brought to repentance while they remain unrepentant would be a pointless truism.

This expression implies ‘present, active, continuous, persevering hostility to Christ.’ (Loane) This is not backsliding, be it as severe as that of David, or of Peter. It is determined enmity. It is to act as if they would slay the Son of God all over again. Cf. Heb 10:29.

Crucifying…all over again – Gk. anastauroo. The idea of re-crucifying may not be present in the expression, but rather the idea of crucifying to themselves – i.e., of involving themselves in the guilt that sent the Saviour to the cross. Having professed faith in Christ, they have now joined ranks with his bitterest enemies.

The language of the apostate is “We have known and tried these things, and declare their folly.” Now, no man living can attempt a higher dishonour against Jesus Christ, in his person or in any of his ways, than openly to profess that upon trial of them they find nothing in them for which they should be desired.

“They crucify him again;” they do it as much as in them lieth, and declare that they would actually do it if it were in their power. They call him anathema (1 Cor 12:3) to declare and avow that he was justly crucified as an accursed person, as a public pest. (John Owen, Works, Vol 7, p.49,51)

We are to warn all persons in danger of such apostasies that “if any one so draw back, God’s soul shall have no pleasure in him;” that “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God;” that he will harden such sinners, and “give them up to strong delusions, that they may be damned;” that he is not under the engagement of any promise to give them repentance, but hath rather given many severe threatenings to the contrary. He hath told us that such persons are as “trees twice dead, plucked up by the roots,” of which there is no hope; that “denying the Lord that bought them, they bring on themselves swift destruction,-whose damnation slumbereth not;” with the like declarations of severity against them innumerable. (John Owen, Works, Vol 7, p.45)

Subjecting him to public disgrace – ‘To fall is a sin; but to fall away is a greater sin. Apostates cast a disgrace upon religion. ‘The apostate,’ says Tertullian, ‘seems to put God and Satan in the balance; and having weighed both their services, prefers the devil’s, and proclaims him to be the best master.’ In which respect the apostate is said to put Christ to ‘open shame.’ Heb 6:6. This dyes a sin in grain, and makes it greater. It is a sin not to profess Christ, but it is a greater to deny him. Not to wear Christ’s colours is a sin, but to run from his colours is a greater sin. A pagan sins less than a baptised renegade.’ (Thomas Watson)

‘The humbled sinner who pleads guilty, and cries for mercy, can have no ground from this passage to be discouraged, whatever his conscience may accuse him of. Nor does it prove that any one who is made a new creature in Christ, ever becomes a final apostate from him. The apostle is not speaking of the falling away of mere professors, never convinced or influenced by the gospel. Such have nothing to fall away from, but an empty name, or hypocritical profession. Neither is he speaking of partial declinings or backslidings. Nor are such sins meant, as Christians fall into through the strength of temptations, or the power of some worldly or fleshly lust. But the falling away here mentioned, is an open and avowed renouncing of Christ, from enmity of heart against him, his cause, and people, by men approving in their minds the deeds of his murderers, and all this after they have received the knowledge of the truth, and tasted some of its comforts. Of these it is said, that it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance. Not because the blood of Christ is not sufficient to obtain pardon for this sin; but this sin, in its very nature, is opposite to repentance and every thing that leads to it.’ (MHCC)

6:7 For the ground that has soaked up the rain that frequently falls on it and yields useful vegetation for those who tend it receives a blessing from God. 6:8 But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is useless and about to be cursed; its fate is to be burned.

This is a striking reminder of the Parable of the Soils (aka the Parable of the Sower), Mt 13; Mk 4; Lk 8.

Grudem states:

‘In this agricultural metaphor, those who receive final judgment are compared to land that bears no vegetation or useful fruit, but rather bears thorns and thistles. When we recall the other metaphors in Scripture where good fruit is a sign of true spiritual life and fruitlessness is a sign of false believers (for example, Matt. 3:8–10; 7:15–20; 12:33–35), we already have an indication that the author is speaking of people whose most trustworthy evidence of their spiritual condition (the fruit they bear) is negative, suggesting that the author is talking about people who are not genuinely Christians.’ (Systematic Theology, p796)

6:9 But in your case, dear friends, even though we speak like this, we are convinced of better things relating to salvation. 6:10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints. 6:11 But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope until the end, 6:12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.

Following Wright’s lead, we can cite a number of everyday challenges: learning a new language, trying to lose weight, learning a musical instrument, getting through a long and difficult book.  Or, on a grander scale, starting a business, opening a shop or building a house.  Often, with such projects, there are several phases: initial enthusiasm, the seeping away of energy, and then the hard grind of completing the job.  We become easily distracted with lesser, easier tasks, and feel that the end result is remote and impossible to achieve.  It was a bit like that with these Hebrew Christians: having begun well, they were showing signs of flagging.  To persevere, they will need both to rely on God’s faithfulness and to make a determined effort themselves.  Pray as if everything depended on God; work as though everything depended on you (see also Phil 2:12f).

Comparing the previous warning with the reassurance now offered, Kent Hughes comments:

‘Such questioning can be healthy, but there is also the danger of losing one’s proper confidence in salvation.’

Our writer turns from warning to reassurance.  There is a place for both in pastoral ministry.  But it will not do to regard the earlier warning as merely ‘hypothetical’ (Harper’s Bible Commentary).

Indeed, the Hebrew Christians needed to heed the warning, because they had become sluggish in hearing (Heb 5:11) and had not moved on from the basics (Heb 5:120).  Nevertheless, the present passage shows that they displayed clear evidence that God was truly with them.

Dear friends – ‘Beloved’.  This is the only place in this letter where addresses them in this way.  It shows us that the warning he has just uttered has been issued out of loving concern, not impatient irritation.  ‘I have spoken to you like this because I love you.’  ‘Faithful are the wounds of a friends.’

Do we love our Christian brothers and sisters enough to ask them hard questions about their walk with God?  As John Piper says:

‘This is very risky and very hard to do. You know that your actions could so easily be misinterpreted. They could accuse you of nosiness, butting in where you don’t belong. They could accuse you of judgmentalism, pointing a finger toward the imperfections in your own life. They could accuse you of distrust, assuming the worst instead of hoping for the best. And so on. The possibilities of misunderstanding and false accusation are many.’

We are convinced – The writer may be using a editorial ‘we’.  But Gundry thinks that he is attempting to include his audience, so that they may be encouraged to share his estimation of their spiritual standing.  His confidence can be theirs too.  A changed life is one of a handful of bases for such confidence:

‘Our subjective confidence (i.e., our human assessment) of our final salvation is based on three things: the Word of God, the inner witness of the Spirit, and a changed life. The author here highlights the third: he wants “each one” of his readers to persevere so as to “have the full assurance of hope until the end” (v. 11). This is not salvation by works but is perseverance in service and love that demonstrates that the readers “through faith and patience inherit the promises” of God (v. 12).’ (Gospel Transformation Bible)

Betting things relating to salvation – ‘Better’, that is, than the apostates, Heb 6:4-8.  Their lives are producing better fruit that the ‘thorns and thistles’ of v7.  The ‘Del Monte man says “Yes”!’

Wiersbe remarks that:

‘Not every believer bears the same amount of fruit (“some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty,” Matt. 13:23); but every believer bears the same kind of fruit as proof that he is a child of God (Matt. 7:15–20). This is the fruit of Christian character and conduct (Gal. 5:22–26) produced by the Spirit as we mature in Christ.’

Jesus also taught that the tares (unfruitful weeds) should not be pulled up prematurely, lest some of the wheat be pulled out too  (Mt 13:28-30).

‘Salvation’, writes George Guthrie, has a strong eschatological orientation in Hebrews (as in Heb 1:14; 5:9; 9:28).  Genuine followers of Christ are on a path that will lead them to eternal life.

The writer is confident of a good outcome because he knows about the continuing service to God and to the people of God.  And God, who is just, will not forget this.

God is not unjust so as to forget… – A litotes, meaning: ‘God, being altogether just, will certainly remember.’

If God is fair and just in not overlook spiritual apostasy, then he is also fair and just in not forgetting service rendered to him and to his people.

We might suppose that the writer would appeal to God’s mercy, rather than to his justice.

God’s justice here does not amount to a quid pro quo: ‘Because you have done such-and-such, I will reward you proportionately.  It is not God giving us what we deserve.  It is not beginning with grace, but continuing with works.  It is, rather, God being himself.  It is God acting ‘in character’ as it were; it is God acting according to his ‘name’.  See:

Psa 143:11 O LORD, for the sake of your reputation, revive me!
Because of your justice, rescue me from trouble!

They have a ‘proven track record of Christian service’ (O’Brien).  God knows the fruitfulness of their lives and the sincerity of heart from which this comes.  These themes will be elaborated in Heb 10:32-34 (which the writer probably has in mind at the present time).

Lane comments:

‘When v 10a is read in the light of Heb 10:32–34, the “work” that God will not forget must have reference to their boldness before their persecutors, their practical concern for those abused or imprisoned, and the cheerful acceptance of the seizure of their property.’

Others may forget, or not even notice.  There may be little recognition, acclaim or reward from those around us.  But God will not forget.

God knows about their fruitfulness, and our writer, as a wise and discerning pastor, knows too.

What does God think of your fruitfulness as a Christian?  What would your fellow believers say about you, if they were being honest?

Barton (Life Application Bible Commentary) comments:

‘While we do not need to work for our salvation, our salvation ought to [better: will] change our lives so that we naturally want to serve God, do good works, and advance his kingdom.’

On God’s justice/righteousness, Donald Guthrie remarks that our author:

‘can quote approvingly from Deut 4:24 that God is a consuming fire (Heb 12:29), but he does not regard him as a tyrant who pays no attention to justice. In Heb 1:9 he quotes the Psalmist’s parallel ascription to God of the love of righteousness and the hatred of lawlessness. God’s word is a word of righteousness (Heb 5:13) and God’s discipline is said to produce the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Heb 12:11).’

As O’Brien says, their ultimate source of confidence is not in their Christian service itself, but in the justice and faithfulness of the God for whose sake that service is performed.

Hagner puts it like this:

‘This verse should not be taken to imply salvation by works. The point is not that God is obligated or that the readers have some claim upon him for their past performance, but simply that God looks upon them favorably and is eagerly willing to sustain them in their time of need.’

Following Brown (BST) we may say a number of things about their Christian service:

1. It was practical.  Their love issued not in warm feelings, or cheap words (cf. James 2:15f), but in costly action.  See Heb 10.
2. It was persistent, v11f.  They had not merely begun well, but then become discouraged.  They had remained steady and reliable up to the present time.
3. It was God-glorifying.  It was done for his sake, cf. Mt 5:16.  ‘Teach my, my God and King.’
4. It would be rewarded.  God would not forget it.  They were storing up ‘treasures in heaven’.

Note the relationship between verse 10 and verse 11 – ‘As you have in the past (v10), so continue to the end (v11).’

Your work and the love you have demonstrated for [God’s] name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints – Here, the writer specifies some of the fruit that accompanies salvation.

‘Saints’, of course, designates their fellow-believers generally, not some particularly exalted sub-set.

Luke Timothy Johnson observes that, whereas the NT speaks often of God’s love for us, and our love for one another, is less frequently refers to our love for God (but see Rom 8:28; 1 Cor 2:9; 8:3; 2 Tim 4:8; Jas 1:12; 1 Pet 1:8).

It is clear, then, that ‘God regards deeds of kindness done to his people as done to himself’ (Donald Guthrie).  See Mt 25:35; Rom 12:6–18; 1 Jn 4:19–21.

Donald Guthrie continues:

‘Service based on love is wholly different from service which is performed to accrue merit.’

And as George Guthrie says:

‘Ministry to the saints, therefore, represents a hallmark of real Christianity.’

Stott writes:

‘All Christians without exception are called to ministry, indeed to spend their lives in ministry. Ministry is not the privilege of a small elite, but of all the disciples of Jesus. You will have noticed that I did not say that all Christians are called to the ministry, but to ministry, diakonia, service. We do a great disservice to the Christian cause whenever we refer to the pastorate as “the ministry.” For by our use of the definite article we give the impression that the pastorate is the only ministry there is, much as medieval churchmen regarded the priesthood as the only (or at least the most “spiritual”) vocation there is.’ (The Contemporary Christian)

As our author looks back on their past lifestyle, he is, perhaps, thinking of the help they gave to one another in the early days of their Christian profession.  As Gundry remarks:

‘It will come out in Heb 10:32–34 that the audience have suffered persecution in the form of public ridicule, imprisonment, and loss of property. Serving the saints, then, consisted in exposing themselves to public ridicule by taking food to fellow Christians in prison (within which food wasn’t provided) and giving board and room to fellow Christians who’d had their property taken from them. Such acts of service put their love for God’s name on exhibit for all the world to see as well as for him to see (compare Heb 13:1–3).’

It is clear that this mutual help has continued right up until the present time (‘continuing to serve the saints’).

Kent Hughes is, or course, correct when he says that the ‘things that accompany salvation’ include aspects of the inner life, such as a sense of the Fatherhood of God, an inner peace, and an appreciation of forgiveness.  But these things, important as they are, are not the focus of this passage.  Rather it is the outward aspects of salvation that are emphasised.

We demonstrate love for God by serving his people.  Too often, devotion to God and humanitarian effort are separated and polarised.  As John Piper puts it, let us not put asunder what God has joined together:

‘worship and witness; hallowing God’s name and helping God’s people; savoring God’s glory and serving the saints.’

Love for God is not equivalent to love for God’s people.  But it is true that love for God finds its expression in service to the saints.  In this connection, see Mt 10:42 and 1 Pet 4:11.

This is a great encouragement to continue to be faithful in our love of God and in the service of his saints in small things as well as great.  John Piper:

‘The point is to encourage us that when we serve and keep on serving, even in the small and seemingly unnoticed ways, God will never forget. Every note you write, every call you make, every visit, every gift, every late night conversation, every turning the other cheek, every unrequited kindness, every service out of love for his name God sees and he will not forget them to all eternity.’

We passionately want each of you – Although biblical teaching often emphasises the corporate aspects of faith, concern for individuals is not neglected.  ‘The author doesn’t want to see a single apostate down the road.’ (Gundry)

This is a theme to which our author regularly returns:

‘On the negative side, he has already told them of his desire that not one of them should have a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God (Heb 3:12), or be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness (v. 13). He is concerned that none of them will fall short of entering God’s rest (Heb 4:1) or perish by following the wilderness generation’s example of disobedience (v. 11). Here he affirms in positive terms that he desires each one of them to show the same earnestness that they had in the past.’ (O’Brien)

Demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfilment of your hope – NIV ‘in order to make your hope sure’.  ESV ‘the full assurance of hope’.  O’Brien thinks that the word translated ‘fulfilment’ conveys the idea of ‘assurance’, ‘full conviction’.  It would seem that they did not enjoy this full assurance at the time, due to the pull of their former Judaism.

The object of this ‘hope’ is elsewhere described as ‘entering into God’s rest’.

They can be confident their status before God only so far as they continue to manifest the outward and practical signs of discipleship.

Such perseverance is highlighted in Mt 10:22; 24:12, 13; Mk 13:13; Rev 2:26.

The famous trilogy of faith, hope and love occurs in vv1-12. (See also 1 Cor 13:13; Gal 5:5–6; Eph 4:2–5; 1 Thess 1:3; 5:8; 1 Pet 1:21–22).  Let us not forget the vital importance of hope:

Until the end – ‘All the way to the end’ (Johnson)

We serve not only from humanitarian principles, but also because of our convictions about our future hope.  If we think that our house is soon to be demolished, we will not bother to do much housework!  But if we know that it is to be renovated, then we will cherish it.

“It is required of us that we give all diligence unto the increase of grace, (2 Pet 1:5-7) and that we abound therein, (2 Cor 8:7) and not only so, but that we ‘show the same diligence unto the end’.” (Heb 6:11) (Owen, III:405)

So that you may not be sluggish – So ESV, RSV, NRSV.  NIV, GNB ‘lazy’.

How do we avoid sluggishness?  Note the word ‘so’.  It is by ‘demonstrat[ing] the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope until the end.’  As Piper puts it:

‘If you want not to be sluggish—if you want to imitate the patient and faithful saints, if you want to inherit the promises—then earnestly fight to maintain the assurance of hope.’

In Heb 5:11, they had become ‘sluggish in hearing’.  Here, writes Gundry,

‘sluggishness would mean slacking off from charitable service to persecuted fellow Christians, perhaps in part to avoid exposing themselves to persecution.’

‘As Christ-followers we are challenged to reject lives of lazy mediocrity, in which neither we nor others can witness the powerful ministry of God’s Spirit in and through us. Lazy Christians who display paralyzing passivity in regard to ministry have treated the wine of the gospel, given to bring joy and fullness of life to ourselves and others, as if it were water. Insipid, ineffectual Christians bear witness to little and are those about whom little can be borne witness. Let us, therefore, show diligence “to the very end,” giving ourselves and others a source for encouragement and living in a joyful awareness of heaven’s applause.’ (George Guthrie)

Kent Hughes writes:

‘Spiritual sluggishness is a danger that looms over all of us if we do not work against it, for just as surely as friction will stop a train unless there is a consistent source of power, or as surely as a pendulum will settle to an inert hanging position unless the mainspring urges it on moment by moment, so will each of us wind down without an assertion of the will!’

Hughes quotes Henry Fairlie, who observes that (some);

‘Children are too idle to obey. Parents are too sluggish to command. Pupils are too lazy to work. Teachers are too indolent to teach. Priests are too slack to believe. Prophets are too morbid to inspire. Men are too indifferent to be men. Women are too heedless to be women. Doctors are too careless to care well. Shoemakers are too slipshod to make good shoes. Writers are too inert to write well. Street cleaners are too bored to clean streets. Shop clerks are too uninterested to be courteous. Painters are too feckless to make pictures. Poets are too lazy to be exact. Philosophers are too fainthearted to make philosophies. Believers are too dejected to bear witness.…’

Not for nothing is laziness linked with wickedness in Jesus’ parable of the Talents (Mt 25:26).

Be…imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises – This anticipates the argument of Heb 11:1-12:13.

Gundry notes that the pairing of ‘patience’ (perseverance) with ‘faith’:

‘gives faith the sense of faithfulness, belief that doesn’t collapse when tested.’

Preachers are often urged not to exploit Bible characters for moral ‘lessons’; but there are valid and important ways of reflecting on the achievements (and mistakes) of those who have gone before.  It’s not enough to know about the characters of the Old Testament: we should imitate their faith and perseverance.

Specifically,

‘Imitating these people’s examples of faith in God will help Christians of all times keep from drifting away from Christ (Heb 2:1–4) or becoming hard-hearted (Heb 3:7–4:13).’ (Barton)

Perseverance – NIV, ESV, RSV, NRSV ‘patience’.

According to Donald Guthrie:

‘The word used (makrothymia) means “long-suffering” and occurs in Hebrews only here, but several times in Paul and a few times elsewhere. It is a god-like quality (cf. Rom. 9:22) which is not natural in man, but becomes characteristic of the followers of Jesus. It is among the fruit of the Spirit listed by Paul in Galatians 5:22.’

6:13 Now when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, 6:14 saying, “Surely I will bless you greatly and multiply your descendants abundantly.” 6:15 And so by persevering, Abraham inherited the promise. 6:16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and the oath serves as a confirmation to end all dispute.

6:17 In the same way God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, and so he intervened with an oath, 6:18 so that we who have found refuge in him may find strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us through two unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie.

‘A heathen could say, when a bird, scared by a hawk, flew into his bosom, I will not betray thee unto thy enemy, seeing thou comest for sanctuary unto me. How much less will God yield up a soul unto its enemy, when it takes sanctuary in his name, saying, Lord, I am hunted with such a temptation, dogged with such a lust; either thou must pardon it, or I am damned; mortify it, or I shall be a slave to it; take me into the bosom of thy love, for Christ’s sake; castle me in the arms of thy everlasting strength; it is in thy power to save me from. or give me up into the hands of my enemy; I have no confidence in myself or any other, into thy hands I commit my cause, myself, and rely on thee. This dependence of a soul undoubtedly will awaken the almighty power of God for such a one’s defence. He hath sworn the greatest oath that can come out of his blessed lips, even by himself, that such as thus fly for refuge to hope in him, shall have strong consolation, Heb. 6:17.’ (Gurnall)

6:19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast, which reaches inside behind the curtain, 6:20 where Jesus our forerunner entered on our behalf, since he became a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

‘Jesus, as our forerunner, has opened up the way for God’s people, who formerly were excluded, so that now in him they have access into the very presence of God, and are encouraged to draw near with full confidence.’ (Hughes)

‘If Christ in his ascension be the forerunner, then are there some to follow after; and not only so, but they which follow are to go in the same way, and to attain unto the same place: and if this forerunner be entered for us, then we are they which are to follow and to overtake him there; as being of the same nature, members of the same body, branches of the same vine, and therefore he went thither before us as the first-fruits before those that follow, and we hope to follow him as coming late to the same perfection.  As, therefore “God hath quickened us together with Christ, and hath raised us up together” by virtue of his resurrection, so hath he also “made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” by virtue of his ascension. [Eph. 2:5, 6]  We are already seated there in him, and hereafter shall be seated by him; in him already as in our head, which is the ground of our hope; by him hereafter, as by the cause conferring, when hope shall be swallowed up into fruition.’ (Pearson, Exposition of the Creed)