Hebrews 5:11--6:12

The Need to Move on to Maturity

5:11 On this topic we have much to say ¹  and it is difficult to explain, since you have become sluggish ²  in hearing. 5:12 For though you should in fact be teachers by this time, ³  you need someone to teach you the beginning elements of God’s utterances. ⁴  You have gone back to needing ⁵  milk, not ⁶  solid food. 5:13 For everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the message of righteousness, because he is an infant. 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, whose perceptions are trained by practice to discern both good and evil.

6:1 Therefore we must progress beyond ⁷  the elementary ⁸  instructions about Christ ⁹  and move on ¹⁰  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, ¹¹  if God permits. 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, ¹²  to renew them again to repentance, since ¹³  they are crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again ¹⁴  and holding him up to contempt. 6:7 For the ground that has soaked up the rain that frequently falls on ¹⁵  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; ¹⁶  its fate is to be burned. 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, ¹⁷  but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.

[5:11]  ¹ tn Grk “concerning which the message for us is great.”

[5:11]  ² tn Or “dull.”

[5:12]  ³ tn Grk “because of the time.”

[5:12]  ⁴ tn Grk “the elements of the beginning of the oracles of God.”

[5:12]  ⁵ tn Grk “you have come to have a need for.”

[5:12]  ⁶ tc ‡ Most texts, including some early and important ones (א² A B* D Ψ 0122 0278 1881 Ï sy Cl), have καί (kai, “and”) immediately preceding οὐ (ou, “not”), but other equally significant witnesses (Ì⁴⁶ א* B² C 33 81 1739 lat Or Did) lack the conjunction. As it was a natural tendency for scribes to add a coordinating conjunction, the καί appears to be a motivated reading. On balance, it is probably best to regard the shorter reading as authentic. NA²⁷ has καί in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[6:1]  ⁷ tn Grk “Therefore leaving behind.” The implication is not of abandoning this elementary information, but of building on it.

[6:1]  ⁸ tn Or “basic.”

[6:1]  ⁹ tn Grk “the message of the beginning of Christ.”

[6:1]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “leaving behind…let us move on.”

[6:3]  ¹¹ tn Grk “and we will do this.”

[6:6]  ¹² tn Or “have fallen away.”

[6:6]  ¹³ tn Or “while”; Grk “crucifying…and holding.” The Greek participles here (“crucifying…and holding”) can be understood as either causal (“since”) or temporal (“while”).

[6:6]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “recrucifying the son of God for themselves.”

[6:7]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “comes upon.”

[6:8]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “near to a curse.”

[6:12]  ¹⁷ tn Or “dull.”