Hebrews 6:1,2

Hebrews 6:1. It must be carefully marked that this chapter does not begin a new subject; still less is it implied that the first principles of the Gospel have been considered in previous Chapter s, and now the writer proceeds to doctrines that are more profound. It is all part of the argument begun in Hebrews 6:11, and is a digression on the danger and weakness of the Hebrew Christians, and indeed of us all, the writer included, unless we aim at higher knowledge and clearer understanding.

Hebrews 6:1. Therefore; rather, wherefore, i.e for which (not for that) reason viz., because the Christian cannot remain a child, but must either grow or decay, and because you yourselves seem decaying, losing even your perception of the meaning of your economy.

Let us leave (behind, as something which should be done with) the principles of the doctrine of Christ (literally, the word or instruction of the beginning of Christ, the elementary truths with which men began when they first believe or preach the Gospel, the things mentioned in the next verse). ‘The first principles of the oracles of God' describe the primary and essential truths taught in Judaism. ‘The principles of the doctrine of Christ' represent the corresponding truths of the Gospel.

And press on unto perfection (maturity, the state of full-grown men). A question is raised here on which the commentators widely divide. Have these words to do with the writer's task, in which he unites his readers with himself in his work, or have they to do with the hearers' condition and their need of a spiritual manhood, in which case he unites himself with them in their deficiencies and duty? Is he urging them to listen to his arguments, or is he urging them to greater advances in holiness? Most authorities favour the former view. Against this interpretation is the fatal objection that the writer has affirmed that they are not fit for such instruction. The meaning seems therefore to be, that he puts himself by their side, and urges himself and them to seek such maturer knowledge as will increase their spiritual discernment and promote their stedfastness. Not mere teaching which the writer alone has to give, but knowledge and life, which his readers are to share with him.

Wherefore, seeing that we (you and I) are children, not grown men, let us, etc. He then proceeds to name six particulars which are specimens of the ‘first principles' of the Gospel. Two of these refer to the spiritual requirements of Christianity, two to the introductory rites, and two to its final sanctions; or better, the six particulars are really two essential qualities of Christian life, followed by four subjects of doctrine rites and sanctions. These former (to repent and believe) the Hebrew Christians ought not to have to do again, and the other four they ought not to have to learn again.

Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God. ‘Laying again' describes naturally the preacher's work, but as naturally the work of the hearer, who builds his own character and busies himself with every part of the process. The foundation consists of repentance, the true inward change of heart, without which no man can see or enter the kingdom (John 3:3; John 3:5).

Repentance from dead works (perhaps works devoid of all spiritual life, consciousness, and power, but more likely, from the use of the same phrase in chap. Hebrews 9:14, guilty works, works that deserve death; see 1 Kings 2:26), and faith in God as having fulfilled the promise in the gift and death of His Son.

Of the doctrine of baptisms, and the laying on of hands. The form of the word for ‘baptism' means ‘baptizing,'as distinguished from ‘baptism,' and is generally applied in the New Testament to the washings of the ancient law. It probably includes also the baptism of John and of Christ. The nature of each, and the distinction between them, became important practical questions with the Jews in the first age. The laying on of hands had several uses in the early Church. With that rite the sick were healed; pastors and elders were admitted to their offices; the Holy Ghost was given, and converts were fully admitted into the fellowship of the Church, generally with the impartation of spiritual gifts also. It is to this last chiefly that the expression refers.

And of resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. All these particulars are under the grammatical government of ‘the doctrine,' showing that it is not to the facts themselves, but to the doctrine and the belief of the facts, the writer is referring as the foundation of the Christian life. These were Jewish doctrines as well as Christian, only they were brought into clearer light by the Gospel. The resurrection is that of both good and evil (John 5:29); and the judgment (here the sentence, rather than the process, though both forms of the word are used for the judgment, see Hebrews 10:27) is called eternal because its results are eternal, and so final (Matthew 5:46). That these first principles of the Gospel were proclaimed by the first teachers as principles which a man must know and believe in order to be a Christian, will be seen by an examination of the passages given in the margin of the text. The Hebrew believers are exhorted to leave them just as St. Paul tells us he himself left them, ‘forgetting the things that were behind;' not because they are unimportant, for they are in truth essential, but because to stop there is to risk our stedfastness. How important these elementary principles are is clear from the fact that there is no true godliness without them; how unsatisfactory if Christians have no profounder knowledge is clear from the fact that the divisions and the lesser errors that have paralyzed the powers and marred the beauty of the churches of Christ have nearly all originated with men who understand first principles, and had no clear perception of anything beyond. We must have godly people in our churches, or they are not churches of Christ at all; but if they are ignorant godly people, with small insight into the spirit and nature of the Gospel and of the Church, these churches will be robbed of half their power and of half their holiness.