1 T herefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the 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 doctrine 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 it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

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

5 A nd have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

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

6 I f they shall fall away, 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 earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, 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 that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; 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 labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and 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 every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto 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 slothful, but followers 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, because he could swear by no 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 so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

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

16 F or men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.

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, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by 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 was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon 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 hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that 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 the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

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.