Dual Panel1Therefore, leaving behind the elementary message about Christ, let us move on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and faith in God,
2teaching about baptisms and laying on of hands, and resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
3And this we will do, if God permits.
4For [it is] impossible [concerning] those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and become sharers of the Holy Spirit,
5and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the coming age,
6and having fallen away, to renew [them] again to repentance, [because they] have crucified again for themselves the Son of God and held him up to contempt.
7For ground that drinks the rain that comes often upon it, and brings forth vegetation usable to those [people] _for whose sake_ [it is] also cultivated, shares a blessing from God.
8But [if it] produces thorns and thistles, [it is] worthless and near to a curse, whose end [is] for burning.
9But even if we are speaking in this way, dear friends, we are convinced of better [things] concerning you, and belonging to salvation.
10For God [is] not unjust, [so as] to forget your work and the love which you demonstrated for his name [by] having served the saints, and continuing to serve [them].
11And we desire each one of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the full assurance of [your] hope until the end,
12in order that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and patience.
13For [when] God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater to swear by, he swore by himself,
14saying, "Surely _I will greatly bless_ you, and _I will greatly multiply_ you.
15And so, [by] persevering, he obtained the promise.
16For people swear by what is greater [than themselves], and the oath for confirmation [is the] end of all dispute for them.
17In the same way God, [because he] wanted to show even more to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his resolve, guaranteed [it] with an oath,
18in order that through two unchangeable things, in which [it is] impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge may have powerful encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before [us],
19which we have like an anchor of the soul, both firm and steadfast, and entering into the inside of the curtain,
20where Jesus, the forerunner for us, entered, [because he] became a high priest _forever_ according to the order of Melchizedek.