Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: HEBREWS #5 - 5:11-6:20)
E. 5:11-6:20. ABRAHAMIC COVENANT: BASIS FOR INHERITANCE IN CANAAN
1. 5:11-6:8 FOUNDATION TRUTHS: SHED LIGHT ON MELCHIZEDEK & COVENANT
a. 5:11 CHRIST’S HIGH PRIESTLY MINISTRY: DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND
PeRI hou poLUS heMIN ho LOgos, kai du-serMEneu-tos [1421]LEgein,
Of whom we have many things to say, and hard of interpretation,
ePEI noTHROI [3576]geGOna-te a-koAIS.
since you are become dull of :hearing.
b. 5:12 MILK CHRISTIANS CANNOT UNDERSTAND MEAT DOCTRINE
kai gar oPHEIlon-tes [3784]EInai diDASka-loi [1320]diA ton CHROnon,
For when by reason of the time you ought to be teachers,
PAlin CHREIan Eche-te tou diDASkein huMAS
you have need again that some one teach you
tiNA ta stoiCHEIa [4747]tes arCHES ton loGIon tou TheOU;
the rudiments of the beginning of the oracles of :God;
kai geGOna-te CHREIan Echon-tes GAlak-tos [1051], ou ste-reAS [4731]troPHES.
and are become such as need milk, not solid food.
c. 5:13 For every one that partakes of milk is inexperienced in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe.
pas gar ho meTEchon [3348]GAlak-tos Apei-ros [552] LOgou di-kai-oSUnes; NEpi-os [3516]GAR es-tin.
d. 5:14 MATURE DISCERNMENT: COMES BY EXPERIENCE
teLEIon [5046]DE es-tin heste-reA troPHE[5160], ton diA ten Exin
But the solid food is for perfect men, who by reason of :use
ta ais-theTEri-a [145]ge-gum-nasMEna [1128]eCHONton pros diAkri-sin [1253]kaLOU te kai kaKOU,
have theirsenses exercised to discern both good and evil.
e. 6:1-2 AN EXHORTATION: GO BEYOND FOUNDATIONS
Di’ ho aPHENtes ton tes arCHES [746]tou ChrisTOU LOgon,
Wherefore leaving the word of the beginning of the Christ,
ePI ten te-leiOte-ta [5047]pheROme-tha; mePAlin theMEli-on [2310]ka-ta-balLOme-noi
let us be borne on unto the perfection; not laying again a foundation
me-taNOIas [3341]Apo neKRON ERgon, kai PIste-os [4102]ePI TheON, --
of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, --
bap-tisMON [909]di-daCHEN, e-piTHEseOS [1936]te chreiON,
2 the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands,
a-naSTAse-os [386]neKRON, kai KRIma-tos [2917]ai-oNIou.
and of resurrection of thedead, and of eternal judgment.
f. 6:3 And this will we do, if only :God permit.
kai TOUto poiEso-men, eANper e-piTREpe[2010]ho TheOS.
g. 6:4-6 THE SERIOUS STATE OF APOSTATES
aDUna-ton gar tous HApax pho-tisTHENtas [5461] geu-saMEnous [1089]te tes do-reAS[1431]tes e-pou-raNIou,
For as to those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly :gift,
kai meTOchous [3353]ge-neTHENtas PNEUma-tos HaGIou,
and became partakers of theHoly Spirit,
kai kaLON geu-saMEnous TheOU ‘REma [4487],
5 and tasted the good word of God,
duNAmeis te MELlon-tos aiOnos, kai pa-ra-peSONtas [3895],
and the powers of the age to come, 6and fell away,
PAlin a-na-kaiNIzein [340]eis meTAnoi-an;
it is impossible to renew themagain unto repentance;
a-na-stauROUNtas [388]he-auTOIS ton huiON tou TheOU kai pa-ra-deig-maTIzon-tas [3856].
they crucifying again to themselves and openly shaming the Son of :God.
h. 6:7-8 STERILE LAND: A PICTURE OF APOSTATES
gegar hepiOUsa [4095]ton ep’ auTES erCHOme-non polLAkis hu-eTON [5205],
For land which drinks the rain that comes oft upon it,
kai TIKtou-sa [5088]boTAnen [1008]EUthe-ton eKEInois di’ hous
and brings forth herbsmeet for them for whose sake
kai ge-orGEItai [1090], me-ta-lamBAnei [3335]eu-loGIas [2129]aPO tou TheOU:
it is also tilled, receives blessing from :God:
ekPHErou-sa de aKANthas [173]kai triBOlous [5146], aDOki-mos [96]
8 but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is disapproved
kai kaTAras [2671]enGUS; hes to TElos eis KAUsin [2740].
and nigh a curse; whose :end is to be burned.
2. 6:9-12. ENCOURAGEMENT: PRESS INTO BLESSING BASED ON FOUNDATIONS
a. 6:9-10 PAUL’S ESTIMATE OF HEBREWS: NOT APOSTATES
PePEISme-tha [3982]de peRI huMON, a-ga-peTOI,
But of you, beloved, we are persuaded
ta KREISso-na [2908]kai eCHOme-na so-teRIas, ei kai HOUtos laLOUmen:
:better things and having salvation, even if we thus speak:
ou gar Adi-kos ho TheOS e-pi-laTHESthai [1950]tou ERgou huMON
10 for :God is not unrighteous to forget your :work
kai tes aGApes hes e-neDEIxas-the [1731]eis to Ono-ma auTOU,
and the love which you showed toward his :name,
di-a-koNEsan-tes [1247]tois haGIois, kai di-a-koNOUNtes.
in that you ministered unto the saints, and do minister.
b. 6:11-12 DILIGENCE: PRESERVES SAINTS FROM APOSTASY
e-pi-thuMOUmen [1937]de HEkas-ton huMON ten auTEN enDEIKnus-thai [1731]spouDEN [4710]
And we desire that each of youshow the same diligence
pros ten ple-ro-phoRIan [4136]tes elPIdos Achri TElous:
unto the fulness of the hope even to the end:
HIna menoTHROI [3576]GEnes-the, mi-meTAI [3402]de ton
12 that you be not sluggish, but imitators of them
diA PIste-os kai ma-kro-thuMIas [3115]kle-ro-noMOUNton [2816]tas e-pag-geLIas.
who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
3. 6:13-20 UNUSUAL APPLICATION OF ABRAHAMIC COVENANT: MELCHIZEDEK
a. 6:13-14 UNUSUAL IMPORTANCE OF GOD TAKING OATH OF HIMSELF
Togar A-braAM e-pag-geiLAme-nos {1861]ho TheOS,
For when :God made promise to :Abraham,
ePEI kat’ ou-deNOS EIchen MEIzo-nos oMOsai [3660], Omo-sen kath’ he-auTOU,
since he had none greater to swear by, he swore by himself,
LEgon, Ei men eu-loGON eu-loGEsose, kai pleTHUnon [4129]ple-thuNOse.
14 saying, Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.
b. 6:15 And thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
kai HOUtos, ma-kro-tuMEsas [3114], ePEtu-chen tes a-pag-geLIas.
c. 6:16 THE FINALITY OF AN OATH
ANthro-poi gar kaTA tou MEIzo-nos omNUou-sin [3660]:
For men swear by the greater:
kai PAses auTOIS an-ti-loGIas [485]PEras eis beBAIo-sin [951]ho HORkos.
and in every dispute of theirsthe oath is final for confirmation.
d. 6:17-20 OATH UPON PROMISE: NO HIGHER SECURITY
en hope-risSOte-ron [4054]bouLOme-nos [1014]ho TheOS, e-piDEIxai [1925]
Wherein :God, intending to show more abundantly
tois kle-roNOmois [2818]tes e-pag-geLIas to a-meTAthe-ton [276]tes bouLES auTOU,
to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his :counsel,
e-meSIteu-sen [3315]HORko; HIna diA DUo pragMAton a-me-taTHEton [276],
mediated with an oath; 18 that by two immutable things,
en hois aDUna-ton PSEUsas-thai [5574]TheON,
in which it is impossible for God to lie,
is-chuRAN paRAKle-sin [3874]Echo-men, hoi ka-ta-phuGONtes [2703]
we may have strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge
kraTEsai 2902]tes pro-keiMEnes [4295]elPIdos:
to lay hold of the hope set before us:
hen hos AGku-ran [45]Echo-men tes psuCHES, as-phaLE[804]te kai beBAIan [949]
19 which we have as the soul’s anchor, a hope both sureand firm
kai ei-ser-choMEnen eis to eSOte-ron tou ka-ta-peTASma-tos [2665];
and entering into what is within the veil;
HOpou PROdro-mos [4274]huPER heMON eiSELthen IeSOUS,
20 whither as forefunner Jesus entered for us,
kaTA ten TAxin Mel-chi-seDEK ar-chi-eREUS [749]geNOme-nos eis ton aiOna.
having become a high priest unto the age after the order of Melchizedek.
NOTE: According to the Numeric Paragraphing of the Greek New Testament discovered by Ivan Panin, the book of Hebrews has 18 paragraphs, but no equivalent chapter divisions.
The fifth paragraph contains the subject that we are considering in this section. Also, Panin discovered that out of the 66 books of the Bible, there are 33 writers that can be identified, and of the 27 books of the New Testament, 14 are written by the apostle Paul, including the book of Hebrews.
I have linked the tribe of Simeon with this section because of the “Doctrine of Baptisms” as mentioned in Hebrews 6:2 and 4. There are 3 baptisms for believers in a doctrinal sense in the New Testament. At regeneration, the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the Body of Christ; next, human agency baptizes us into water to identify us with the death and resurrection of Christ. It is not a washing. Then Jesus takes the believer according to John the Baptist, and baptizes us into the Holy Spirit. Three elements, three baptizers – but the same candidates in each case. Dr. J. Edwin Orr, Revivalist from Belfast, Ireland – loved to use these analogies. He added – “If the believer is like a cup placed in a sink with a stopper; and then it is filled with water – that is a picture of salvation. But if it remains in the sink and the tap is left on to fill the sink with water – then the cup is submerged inside and out with water. Then we see how we can have Christ in us – and at the same time we also are then in Christ – intimately, and controlled by Him – because we have fully accepted His Lordship as well as His Saviorhood.
The seven Foundation Truths of Hebrews 6:1-2 are the “milk of the Word” -- and are for babes. They are the foundations for going on in the Christian Life. They are not to be relaid again and again – but built upon! The other 13 Word Studies in this series – are the building blocks that we then use. The Apex built upon the Foundations of this passage we reach in the Book of Ephesians. Here we find 3 marvelous Word Studies: the 7 unities of Ephesians 4:4-6; the 5-fold ministries of 4:11-12; and the armor of God in 6:14-20.
With this Interlinear presentation, we will supply an 8-fold Outline of the Book of Hebrews, plus the 7 Foundation Truths of Hebrews 6:1-2 in Greek Word Study form.
To see Simeon in this context can be helpful. His name means “Hearing,” which reminds us of the Holy Spirit, who like Jesus on earth – only speaks what He “hears”. We can be the same.
Read “Rees Howells, Intercessor” by Norman P. Grubb to see a living illustration of what it is like to be filled and possessed by the Holy Spirit.
Thanks to all of you who are praying not only for these 14 Word Studies to be completed in the context of their part in the Interlinear Greek New Testament – but also for the full Interlinear Greek New Testament to appear on our Website, with key articles from our Archives.
Pray also for my grandson Keelan Long who is serving as my “WebMaster,” who is getting close to bringing forth an entirely new Website to meet the needs for all of the above. - J.A.W.