Hebrews 6:1-3 (HCSB)
Therefore, leaving the elementary message about the Messiah, let us go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God, teaching about ritual washings, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And we will do this if God permits.
As frustrated as the writer of Hebrews is with many of his readers for being slow to mature, being stuck in the “baby” stage and needing to be spoon fed milk instead of being ready for a diet of meat (5:12-14) like mature Christian should be, he is optimistic of better things moving forward. Therefore, from this point on, he isn’t going to rehash the initial information that all mature Christians should have under their belts.
The scope of this “elementary knowledge” is instructive. The first thing that is listed is repentance from dead works, or repentance from acts that lead to death. All Christians should know that it is not enough to be “sorry” for the sins they have committed. They must completely renounce and turn away from them entirely, the true meaning of repentance. A Christian must consider themselves as dead those sins and alive to Christ, serving him only as those who are no longer enslaved to the sins of the past.
Next is faith in God. Faith is not something that is manufactured or “worked up” in a person through force of will. As we will see in Chapter 11, faith is simply a solid belief in what God has promised, and then bold action based on those promises, acting as if they were true. For example, faith in God’s promise to provide for His people and to be ever present with them must necessarily lead to a person obeying boldly, and not being preoccupied with the necessities of life that God has promised to provide.
Next is instruction about baptism or “ritual washings”. Many Christians both then and now look upon baptism as an option. The reasoning is that since we are saved by grace through faith and not by rites such as baptism, then baptism must not be vital. But Jesus instructed His followers to baptize every one of their converts in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). And a quick scan of the book of Acts shows that whenever someone receive Jesus, they were baptized on the spot. Thus, even though baptism isn’t what saves us, it is a vital part of the process of becoming a disciple and is thus not optional.
Next is laying on of hands. Today this phrase has been interpreted in many ways, including ordination of elders and priests, and even healing. But the writer of Hebrews has something else in mind as well – something that is vital to the life and maturity of a disciple: being filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17, 1 Timothy 4:14, 2 Timothy 1:6). All followers of Jesus have been promised the filling or baptism with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2: 38-39) who will live in them (John 14:17), purify their hearts (Acts 15:8-9), guide them into all truth (John 15:26, 16:13), and empower their ministry (Acts 1:8). Thus, being filled with the Holy Spirit is not an option reserved for the “super saints”, but is basic equipment for all Christians.
Finally, teaching about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. Again, this is not advanced knowledge, but part of the elementary teachings of the gospel. At the end of days, there will be a resurrection of all who have died, both the righteous and the unrighteous. All must stand before God’s throne, where they will be judged on the basis of their actions, good or evil, and sent to heaven or hell, the lake of fire, for all eternity (1 Corinthians 15:12, Revelation 20:11-15).
All these things are the basics of the faith, the ABC’s of being a member of God’s Kingdom. Thus, with these people who have been Christians for some time, the writer must assume that they have already been faithfully taught them as a foundation for more advanced learning, so that they can move on.
Father, I wonder how many of the people in our congregations today really have been thoroughly taught these “ABC’s”, and how many have been left to discover them for themselves through generic Sunday School classes, generic small groups, and instructions to read their Bibles each day. It seems like we should be more intentional in laying these foundation stones as soon as someone receives Jesus, so that they can learn more of the “deeper things” as they grow and mature. Help me to consider these things with my own church, my own family, so that we can help everyone be well-positioned for powerful growth as a disciple. Amen.