1 W herefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

So let us leave the first things you need to know about Christ. Let us go on to the teaching that full-grown Christians should understand. We do not need to teach these first truths again. You already know that you must be sorry for your sins and turn from them. You know that you must have faith in God.

2 o f the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

You know about being baptized and about putting hands on people. You know about being raised from the dead and about being punished forever.

3 A nd this will we do, if God permit.

We will go on, if God lets us.

4 F or as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,

There are those who have known the truth. They have received the gift from heaven. They have shared the Holy Spirit.

5 a nd tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come,

They know how good the Word of God is. They know of the powers of the world to come.

6 a nd then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

But if they turn away, they cannot be sorry for their sins and turn from them again. It is because they are nailing the Son of God on a cross again. They are holding Him up in shame in front of all people.

7 F or the land which hath drunk the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receiveth blessing from God:

It is the same with a piece of ground that has had many rains fall on it. God makes it possible for that ground to give good fruits and vegetables.

8 b ut if it beareth thorns and thistles, it is rejected and nigh unto a curse; whose end is to be burned.

But if it gives nothing but weeds, it is worth nothing. It will be hated and destroyed by fire.

9 B ut, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak:

Dear friends, even as we tell you this, we are sure of better things for you. These things go along with being saved from the punishment of sin.

10 f or God is not unrighteous to forget your work and the love which ye showed toward his name, in that ye ministered unto the saints, and still do minister.

God always does what is right. He will not forget the work you did to help the Christians and the work you are still doing to help them. This shows your love for Christ.

11 A nd we desire that each one of you may show the same diligence unto the fulness of hope even to the end:

We want each one of you to keep on working to the end. Then what you hope for, will happen.

12 t hat ye be not sluggish, but imitators of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Do not be lazy. Be like those who have faith and have not given up. They will receive what God has promised them. God’s Promise

13 F or when God made promise to Abraham, since he could swear by none greater, he sware by himself,

When God made a promise to Abraham, He made that promise in His own name because no one was greater.

14 s aying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

He said, “I will make you happy in so many ways. For sure, I will give you many children.”

15 A nd thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

Abraham was willing to wait and God gave to him what He had promised.

16 F or men swear by the greater: and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.

When men make a promise, they use a name greater than themselves. They do this to make sure they will do what they promise. In this way, no one argues about it.

17 W herein God, being minded to show more abundantly unto the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath;

And so God made a promise. He wanted to show Abraham that He would never change His mind. So He made the promise in His own name.

18 t hat by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us:

God gave these two things that cannot be changed and God cannot lie. We who have turned to Him can have great comfort knowing that He will do what He has promised.

19 w hich we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and stedfast and entering into that which is within the veil;

This hope is a safe anchor for our souls. It will never move. This hope goes into the Holiest Place of All behind the curtain of heaven.

20 w hither as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Jesus has already gone there. He has become our Religious Leader forever and has made the way for man to go to God. He is like Melchizedek.