Hebrews 6:1. The Apostle Paul is instructing Christians to grow into mature believers. He’s saying don’t constantly focus on the basic teaching about Christ; don’t rebuild your foundation beliefs again and again – beliefs like repentance from dead works and faith toward God. For example, as a child we learn addition and subtraction, but as adults we do not need to relearn this skill. We should be moving on to more advanced computations – so to speak.
Repentance from dead works refers to our conversion and not repeating the embarrassing things we did in the past. We should not need to lay the foundation of faith toward God over and over.
Verse 2. Instruction about baptisms. Baptisms, plural, refers to the difference between the baptism of John the Baptist versus the baptism into Christ. In Mark 1:4, John preached a baptism of repentance, but his baptism did not relate to the Christian’s baptism. Recall that after Jesus was baptized, he said in Luke 12:50, “But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!” The real baptism, that water baptism symbolizes, is that of dying to self and being raised in newness of life.
Laying on of hands refers to the process of Church leadership.
Resurrection of the dead is about the doctrine of the resurrection, the just and the unjust. John 5:28-29, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.”
Eternal judgment. This is the understanding that though all will be raised, instructed and given life again in Christ Jesus, there will be those that will ultimately fail and be found worthy of 2nd death.
Verse 3. And we will do this, if God permits. If through our studies, we have understood the aforementioned doctrines, then we should be able to move forward toward a deeper understanding of God’s plans and how we might obey His will in our lives.
Verses 4-6. “…Impossible to restore again to repentance those who… have shared in the Holy Spirit. and have tasted the goodness of the word of God…and then have fallen away, since on their own they are crucifying again the Son of God and are holding him up to contempt.” This means if we do not move forward in our understanding, it is likely that we will backslide, and if we backslide to the point of “holding him up to contempt” then there is not much hope for us.
Verse 7. Ground that drinks up the rain and produces a useful crop receives a blessing from God. God is like a farmer cultivating us, and so we must be diligent to grow the fruit of the spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law…let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:22-25. Additionally, the parable of the talents teaches we must use our talents; because if we don’t, God will “Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.” Matthew 25:28-39
Verse 8. But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and on the verge of being cursed; its end is to be burned over. If after the Lord has instructed us and given us ample opportunity to do that which is right, and we continue to reject his ways, then the Lord has no other recourse than to destroy us. God will not permit anyone to hurt or destroy in his Kingdom Isaiah 11:9 & 65:25
