Wherefore leaving {Greek: the word of the beginning of Christ.}the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto {Or, full growth}perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
{Some ancient authorities read, even the teaching of.}of the teaching of {Or, washings}baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
And this will we do, if God permit.
For as touching those who were once enlightened {Or, having both tasted of…and being made…and having tasted &c.}and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
and {Or, tasted the word of God that it is good}tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come,
and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; {Or, the while}seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
For the land which hath drunk the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receiveth blessing from God:
but if it beareth thorns and thistles, it is rejected and nigh unto a curse; whose end is to be burned.
But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that {Or, belong to}accompany salvation, though we thus speak:
for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and the love which ye showed toward his name, in that ye ministered unto the saints, and still do minister.
And we desire that each one of you may show the same diligence unto the {Or, full assurance}fulness of hope even to the end:
that ye be not sluggish, but imitators of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
For when God made promise to Abraham, since he could swear by none greater, he sware by himself,
saying, {Genesis 22:16 f.}Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
And thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
For men swear by the greater: and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.
Wherein God, being minded to show more abundantly unto the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, {Greek: mediated.}interposed with an oath;
that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us:
which we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and stedfast and entering into that which is within the veil;
whither as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Querverweise zu Hebräer 6,12 Heb 6,12
Of {Or, which}whom we have many things to say, and hard of interpretation, seeing ye are become dull of hearing.
Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every {Or, encumbrance}weight, and the sin which {Or, doth closely cling to us Or, is admired of many}doth so easily beset us, and let us run with {Or, stedfastness}patience the race that is set before us,
And thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation?
The hand of the diligent shall bear rule;But {Hebrew: slothfulness.}the slothful shall be put under taskwork.
Remember them that had the rule over you, men that spake unto you the word of God; and considering the issue of their {Greek: manner of life.}life, imitate their faith.
For ye have need of {Or, stedfastness}patience, that, having done the will of God, ye may receive the promise.
For ye have need of {Or, stedfastness}patience, that, having done the will of God, ye may receive the promise.
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing;But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
If thou know not, O thou fairest among women,Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock,And feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents.
By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out unto a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
By faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, {Or, having taken up his abode in tents}dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
for he looked for the city which hath the foundations, whose {Or, architect}builder and maker is God.
By faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive seed when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised:
wherefore also there sprang of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of heaven in multitude, and as the sand, which is by the sea-shore, innumerable.
These all died {Greek: according to.}in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
For they that say such things make it manifest that they are seeking after a country of their own.
And if indeed they had been mindful of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.
But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city.
By faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, {Or, having taken up his abode in tents}dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
The way of the sluggard is as a hedge of thorns;But the path of the upright is made a highway.
Thus saith Jehovah, Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way; and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls: but they said, We will not walk therein.
And that in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it fast, and bring forth fruit with {Or, stedfastness}patience.
By faith Abraham, being tried, {Greek: hath offered up.}offered up Isaac: yea, he that had gladly received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;
He also that is slack in his workIs brother to him that is a destroyer.
and the father of circumcision to them who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had in uncircumcision.
to them that by {Or, stedfastness}patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life:
who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
I went by the field of the sluggard,And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns,The face thereof was covered with {Or, wild vetches}nettles,And the stone wall thereof was broken down.
Then I beheld, and considered well;I saw, and received instruction:
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,A little folding of the hands to sleep;
So shall thy poverty come as a robber,And thy want as an armed man.
Take, brethren, for an example of suffering and of patience, the prophets who spake in the name of the Lord.
But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with {Or, stedfastness}patience wait for it.
{Exodus 3:6.}I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
But his lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful {Greek: bondservant.}servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I did not scatter;
Behold, we call them blessed that endured: ye have heard of the {Or, endurance}patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, how that the Lord is full of pity, and merciful.
And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered;
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels into Abraham's bosom: and the rich man also died, and was buried.
in diligence not slothful; fervent in spirit; serving {Some ancient authorities read the opportunity.}the Lord;
For after this manner aforetime the holy women also, who hoped in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own {Or, husbands (as Sarah…ye are become), doing well, and not being afraid}husbands:
remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and {Or, stedfastness}patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before {Or, God and our Father}our God and Father;
But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in {Exodus 3:6.}the place concerning the Bush, when he calleth the Lord, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble:
as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose children ye now are, if ye do well, and are not {Or, afraid with}put in fear by any terror.
If any man {Or, leadeth into captivity}is for captivity, into captivity he goeth: if any man shall kill with the sword, with the sword must he be killed. Here is the {Or, stedfastness}patience and the faith of the saints.
Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
Here is the {Or, stedfastness}patience of the saints, they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
And this is the promise which he promised {Some ancient authorities read you.}us, even the life eternal.
And I heard a voice from heaven saying, Write, Blessed are the dead who die {Or, in the Lord. From henceforth, yea, saith the Spirit}in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them.