The Progress to Spiritual Maturity (6:1-3)
As we noted in the last article, the exhortation in 6:1-2 commences with “therefore” and thus addresses the infantile condition to which the Hebrew believers had reverted (5:11-14). The essence of the exhortation is that they must advance from the state they are in and the foundational things they have learned (or been accustomed to) from the Old Testament. The reason they must make progress and the solemn implications for not advancing are given in verses 4-8, which we shall consider in the next two articles.
The exhortation is threefold. First, they are to leave “the principles of the doctrine of Christ.”1 Second, they must “go on unto perfection.” And third, they must not lay again a “foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgement.”
The word for “principles” means the beginning or origin of something (see 1:10; 3:14; 7:3; also, “first,” 2:3; 5:12). “Doctrine” is from logos, which denotes the expression of thought; the most common rendering is “word” (2:2; 5:13; 12:19, etc.). As “Christ” is preceded by the definite article, the literal expression is “the beginning word of the Christ (or Messiah).” The beginning word of the Messiah was given “in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms” (Luk 24:44). Hence, it refers to the doctrinal foundation of the Messiah laid in the OT. They are not to abandon such, but to go on to something far more fulfilling. The very idea is seen in leaving the alphabet to go on to the use of words and sentences to express thought and to comprehend. We don’t abandon the alphabet, but we move on from it to more profitable things. It is futile to linger at the beginning.
“Let us go on” is from a single word meaning “let us be borne along.” Like a ship being carried along by the wind (see “driven,” Act 27:15,17), it denotes being carried forward. Just as we cannot control human growth by our own strength, they are to progress, being conscious of God’s hand in bearing up (or “upholding,” 1:3) all things. The appeal to go on to “perfection” (“full age,” 5:14) assumes they must have at some point begun. This confirms that the recipients are children of God, as is further proven by the writer’s addressing them as “beloved” and commending them for their “work and labour of love” shown “toward His name,” and their continuing service “to the saints” (6:9,10). Hence, the exhortation is not for the unsaved, for such are dead and cannot advance.
“Not laying again” confirms they already had a foundation. As with constructing a house, they are to leave the foundations and get on with the building. There are six foundational aspects (in three groups of two) that they must not lay again: (1) repentance from dead works, and faith toward God; (2) doctrine of baptisms, and laying on of hands; and (3) resurrection of dead ones, and eternal judgment. Recognising the recipients were of Hebrew origin, we take these to be OT oracles which, as a whole, form a foundation for understanding the mystery of the Christ (see Eph 3:2-12).
The first pair marked the righteous from the ungodly. “Repentance from dead works” would have been expressed in sacrifice and offering with a “broken spirit” and “contrite heart” (e.g., Psa 51). Throughout all ages, “faith in God” is the means by which a man is justified, or declared righteous (e.g., Heb 11:4,7; Gen 15:6; Rom 3:22,28). But if faith is the primary thread of the letter, why are the Hebrews exhorted to advance from “faith in God”? Furthermore, if unbelief was the cause of the nation’s failure “to enter into his rest,” why are they exhorted to leave this foundation? While “faith in God” was right and proper for OT saints, the gospel calls people to exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal 2:16). Hence, these Hebrews are to press on to something more – “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Act 20:21).
The term “doctrine of baptisms” is literally “teaching (or instruction) of washings” and refers to ceremonial cleansing or purification (see 9:10; Mar 7:4,8). It is not believers’ baptism, for that is always singular whereas the word here is plural. Rather, they must understand that external washing was illustrative of inward cleansing by the Word and the Spirit to maintain personal holiness and communion with God (see Joh 13:10; Eph 5:26; Heb 10:22). The “laying on of hands” was associated with sacrifice and offering (Lev 1:4; 3:2; 4:4; 16:21), imparting God’s blessing (Gen 48:13-20), and conferring authority upon His servants (Num 27:18-23). They are to recognise that the physical act was symbolic of a work now done by the agency of the Spirit through faith, not man. Any external or physical act they had seen in apostolic times (1Ti 4:14) was but transitory and only served the purposes of transitioning from the dispensation of Law to grace.
While the “resurrection of the dead” (lit. “of dead ones,” te nekros) was known to OT saints (Joh 11:24; Heb 11:19), resurrection was largely mentioned in high-level terms (Dan 12:2; Ecc 3:17). The Hebrews are to grasp NT revelation on the hope of the resurrection to life “out from” among the dead (ek nekros), beginning with Christ and followed by saints from different dispensations (Act 26:23; 1Co 15:23,51-57). The “resurrection of condemnation” of the (unbelieving) dead from all dispensations occurs at the final resurrection at the great white throne judgment (Rev 20:5,11-14). Likewise, they must understand that God’s judgments are manifold and vary in nature according to God’s dealings with the world, Israel, the nations, the Church and the unbeliever.
In verse 3, the writer includes himself as he has done in the previous warnings (“us” and “we”), reminding us that every Christian, young or old, has a responsibility to fulfil. There are solemn implications for the attention we give to our spiritual lives. Even the apostle Paul recognised the possibility of being disqualified and forfeiting “the prize” (1Co 9:24-27; Php 3:13-16), despite being an heir of eternal life. The clause “if God permits” further reminds us that growth is also subject to the sovereign will of God. Since it is possible for God to withhold blessing and reward because of persistent neglect and squandering of soul, let us press on all the more earnestly to perfection, to “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph 4:13).
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV.
