HEBREËRS 6
1 Laat ons nie stilstaan by die eerste dinge wat aangaande Christus verkondig word nie, maar verder gaan na die volle inhoud van die boodskap. Ons wil nie opnuut die fondament lê deur te praat oor die bekering uit 'n leefwyse wat tot die dood lei nie, of oor geloof in God, 2 die leer van die doop en die handoplegging, die opstanding van die dooies en die ewige oordeel nie. 3 Ons sal dus verder gaan as God dit toelaat.
4 Wanneer mense een keer deur God verlig is, die hemelse gawe ontvang en deel gekry het aan die Heilige Gees, 5 die goeie woord van God leer ken het en die kragte van die toekomstige wêreld ondervind het 6 en dan nogtans afvallig geword het, is dit onmoontlik om hulle weer tot bekering te bring. In hulleself kruisig hulle immers weer die Seun van God en maak hulle Hom in die openbaar tot 'n bespotting. 7 Dit is soos met grond wat die reën indrink wat dikwels daarop val. As dit bruikbare gewasse voortbring vir dié wat dit bewerk, word dit deur God geseën. 8 Maar as dit doringstruike en dissels oplewer, is dit waardeloos en is die tyd naby dat God dit vervloek. Die uiteinde daarvan is die vuur.
9 Maar, geliefdes, al praat ons in hierdie trant, is ons oor julle oortuig van beter: dat julle gered sal word. 10 God is nie onregverdig nie: Hy sal julle werk nie vergeet nie en ook nie die liefde wat julle vir sy Naam betoon het deurdat julle julle medegelowiges gedien het en nog dien nie. 11 Dit is ons vurige wens dat elkeen van julle end-uit dieselfde ywer as vroeër aan die dag sal lê totdat die dinge waarop julle hoop, vervul is. 12 Julle moet dus nie traag word nie, maar die voorbeeld navolg van dié wat deur geloof en geduld deel gekry het aan die dinge wat God beloof het.
Die sekerheid van die belofte van God
13 Toe God aan Abraham die belofte gemaak het, het Hy niemand groter as Hyself gehad by wie Hy dit met 'n eed kon bevestig nie. Daarom het Hy dit met 'n eed by Homself bevestig 14 en gesê: “Ek sal jou beslis ryklik seën en jou 'n baie groot nageslag gee.”t 15 En so het Abraham dan, nadat hy geduldig gewag het, gekry wat aan hom beloof is. 16 Mense lê 'n eed af by iemand groter as hulleself. Vir hulle is dit die bevestiging van 'n saak, en dit sluit alle teëspraak uit. 17 En omdat God aan die erfgename van die belofte bo alle twyfel wou verseker dat sy besluit onveranderlik is, het Hy dit met 'n eed gewaarborg. 18 Die twee onveranderlike dinge, die belofte en die eed, waarborg dat God sy woord gestand sal doen, en is vir ons wat ons toevlug tot Hom geneem het, 'n kragtige aansporing om vas te hou aan die hoop op wat vir ons weggelê is. 19 Hierdie hoop besit ons as 'n veilige en onbeweeglike lewensanker, wat agter die voorhangsel vas is. 20 Daar het Jesus, ons Voorloper, ter wille van ons ingegaan, en Hy is vir ewig Hoëpriester volgens die orde van Melgisedek.
Hebrews 6
1 THEREFORE LET us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ (the Messiah), advancing steadily toward the completeness and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity. Let us not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works (dead formalism) and of the faith [by which you turned] to God,2 With teachings about purifying, the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment and punishment. [These are all matters of which you should have been fully aware long, long ago.]3 If indeed God permits, we will [now] proceed [to advanced teaching].4 For it is impossible [to restore and bring again to repentance] those who have been once for all enlightened, who have consciously tasted the heavenly gift and have become sharers of the Holy Spirit,5 And have felt how good the Word of God is and the mighty powers of the age and world to come,6 If they then deviate from the faith and turn away from their allegiance--[it is impossible] to bring them back to repentance, for (because, while, as long as) they nail upon the cross the Son of God afresh [as far as they are concerned] and are holding [Him] up to contempt and shame and public disgrace.7 For the soil which has drunk the rain that repeatedly falls upon it and produces vegetation useful to those for whose benefit it is cultivated partakes of a blessing from God.8 But if [that same soil] persistently bears thorns and thistles, it is considered worthless and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. 9 Even though we speak this way, yet in your case, beloved, we are now firmly convinced of better things that are near to salvation and accompany it.10 For God is not unrighteous to forget or overlook your labor and the love which you have shown for His name’s sake in ministering to the needs of the saints (His own consecrated people), as you still do.11 But we do [strongly and earnestly] desire for each of you to show the same diligence and sincerity [all the way through] in realizing and enjoying the full assurance and development of [your] hope until the end,12 In order that you may not grow disinterested and become [spiritual] sluggards, but imitators, behaving as do those who through faith (by their leaning of the entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) and by practice of patient endurance and waiting are [now] inheriting the promises.13 For when God made [His] promise to Abraham, He swore by Himself, since He had no one greater by whom to swear,14 Saying, Blessing I certainly will bless you and multiplying I will multiply you. 15 And so it was that he [Abraham], having waited long and endured patiently, realized and obtained [in the birth of Isaac as a pledge of what was to come] what God had promised him.16 Men indeed swear by a greater [than themselves], and with them in all disputes the oath taken for confirmation is final [ending strife].17 Accordingly God also, in His desire to show more convincingly and beyond doubt to those who were to inherit the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose and plan, intervened (mediated) with an oath.18 This was so that, by two unchangeable things [His promise and His oath] in which it is impossible for God ever to prove false or deceive us, we who have fled [to Him] for refuge might have mighty indwelling strength and strong encouragement to grasp and hold fast the hope appointed for us and set before [us].19 [Now] we have this [hope] as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it--a hope] that reaches farther and enters into [the very certainty of the Presence] within the veil, 20 Where Jesus has entered in for us [in advance], a Forerunner having become a High Priest forever after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek.