Warning Against Apostasy

11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become ^jdull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the ^kbasic principles of the oracles of God. You need ^lmilk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a ^mchild. 14 But solid food is for the ⁿmature, for those who have their powers of discernment ^otrained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

1 Therefore let us leave the ^pelementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from ^qdead works ^rand of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings,¹ the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For ^sit is impossible, in the case of those who have once been ^tenlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and ^uhave shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have ^vtasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, ^wsince they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. 7 For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But ^xif it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and ^yits end is to be burned.

9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your ^zwork and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the ^afull assurance of ^bhope until the end, 12 so that you may not be ^csluggish, but ^dimitators of those who through faith and patience ^einherit the promises.

The Certainty of God’s Promise

13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, ^fhe swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” 15 And thus Abraham,² having patiently waited, ^gobtained the promise. 16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to ^hlie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to ⁱhold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that ^jenters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 ^kwhere Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, ^lhaving become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.