(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.1"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. )
Press on to perfect maturity
- Therefore, having left the elementary teaching of the Anointed, we should press on to perfect maturity, not again laying a foundation of repentance from dead works and faith in God,
- of instruction on baptism, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and the judgement of ages.
- And we will do this if God allows.
- For it’s impossible for the men who were once enlightened – who tasted both the heavenly gift and became partakers of the Holy Spirit,
- and tasted both God’s good word and the powers of the coming age
- and then fell away – it’s impossible to restore them to repentance again; since they’re again crucifying the Son of God for themselves and publicly shaming Him.
- For the land which drank the rain that often comes upon it and produces useful forage for those who tilled it partakes in a blessing from God.
- But the land bearing thorns and thistles is worthless and near a curse, the end of which is burning.
- But beloved, we are *convinced of better things concerning you, and of you having salvation, even though we speak like this.
- For God isn’t unjust, so as to overlook your work and the ^love that you showed toward His name, having served the saints and still serving them.
- Now we yearn for each of you to show the same diligent zeal toward the full assurance of the hope until the end,
- so you might not become dull, but might become imitators of the men who through faith and patience are inheriting the promises.
God promises are sure
- For having made the promise to Abraham – since God had no one greater to swear by – He swore by Himself,
- saying: “Surely I will bless your blessing, and I will multiply your multiplying.”1quotation/allusion to Genesis 22:17
- And having patiently endured in this way, he obtained the promise.
- For men swear an oath by one who’s greater, and confirmation of the oath brings every dispute of theirs to an end.
- In this way – being abundantly determined to prove the unchangeableness of His plan to the heirs – God guaranteed it with an oath,
- so that through two unchangeable matters in which it’s impossible for God to lie, we – the men who fled to Him for refuge – might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope which is set before us,
- which we have like an anchor of the soul; both firm and steadfast, even entering into the inner veil,2“veil” this Greek word is used in other places to refer to the veil in the temple which separated the Holy place from the Most Holy Place.
- where our forerunner – Jesus – entered for our sake, having become a high priest through the ages according to the order of Melchizedek.
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