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HEBREWS CHAPTER 6
Heb_6:1-3 The higher doctrines of Christianity are proposed to
be treated of.
Heb_6:4-9 The guilt and danger of apostacy.
Heb_6:10 Charitable deeds will not be forgotten of God.
Heb_6:11,12 An exhortation diligently to imitate the faith and
patience of those who inherit the promises.
Heb_6:13-20 The promise of God to Abraham a sure ground of hope.
The Spirit having reproved these Hebrews for their fault, doth now counsel and direct them to amend it.
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ; seeing ye have lost so much time already, and made so little progress in learning Christ, let us not therefore stay any longer in the principles of it, but proceed to some higher degree: pursuant to which he layeth down the principles of Christian doctrine in which these Hebrews had been initiated, and the doctrine of perfection which they were to pursue.
Leaving is an omitting or letting go, as to any sticking or standing in, so as to make no further progress, but to gain higher degrees of knowledge in the doctrine of the gospel, which enters novices into Christ, having attained the beginning, the matter or work of entrance into the Christian religion, now not to stick at this first and imperfect inchoation in this doctrine.
Let us go on unto perfection; a regular motion must succeed, according to the great Mover, incessantly, for our attaining the perfection of the doctrine of Christ. This perfection notes height of knowledge, faith, utmost repentance and spiritual change, greatest strength of understanding, and the fullest operation, according to the doctrine of Christ, in doing and forbearing, the fullest perseverance of the mind in the knowledge of it, and of the will in cleaving to it.
Not laying again the foundation: that which would hinder this was reiterating foundation work, which the apostle laid with them by initiating of them into the first principles of Christianity, the knowledge and faith of which they professed to receive, 1Co_3:11 Eph_2:20, and were therefore obliged to proceed in the building both of persons and truths on it: and lest they had forgot, or other’s were ignorant, what those fundamental principles and doctrines of the gospel were, he layeth down six heads of them in this and Heb_6:2, which was the common method of teaching either the children of Christians or infidels, that they might be Christians, at least professedly, or upon their lapse to restore them.
Of repentance from dead works: the first Christian principle or doctrine to be learnt, was that of repentance, which is the fundamental change of a sinner’s mind, and, in that, of himself; it carrieth in it knowledge, conviction of sin by God’s law, bitter sorrow for it, and full conversion of the soul to God from it, as it is described, 2Co_7:9-11; as from all sinful works flowing from it while lapsed from God; dead in sins, which would have eaten out and destroyed their souls for ever, Rom_6:23 Eph_2:1,2. It supposeth the knowledge of other truths preceding it, as their creation in God’s image, their apostacy from it, the misery consequent. &c. These Hebrews were to proceed and advance daily in the exercise of this grace.
And of faith towards God: the second Christian principle or doctrine is of faith on God, comprehending the habit and acts of that Divine grace, of evidence, subsistence, assent, and affiance, Heb_11:1, all the effects of it; and this exercised on God in his essence, relations, especially in his gracious contrivance and execution of the work of redemption for sinners; as giving reconciliation, righteousness, holiness, adoption, and eternal salvation, through Christ, fulfilling all righteousness by his death, as a sacrifice satisfying his justice, and meriting, as purchasing, all these blessings for believers, and effectually from heaven is dispensing them to them.