Today we will be looking at a chiasmus in Hebrews. If you do not know what a chiasmus is have a look at this video: Our commentary will be on chapter 6.1-12
Let us begin by reading:
“1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do, if God permits. 4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. 7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.
Better Things for You
9 But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. 10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Hebrews 6:1-12 NASB (This has been taken from Olive Tree Bible software)
The video link below explains what a chiasmus is.
(This is third party)
The book of Hebrews is full of small gems. Before I move on, I want to explain that it is possible that we have a chiasm here:
“[7] Warning against falling away (Heb. 5:11-6:12)
A(5:11-6:3) 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties are trained by practice to discern good and evil.(5:14)
B(6:4-6) 6:6 and then have fallen away, to bring them to repentance again (6:6)
B'(6:7-8) 6:8 But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is rejected; it will soon be cursed and finally burned. (6:8)
A'(6:9-12) 6:12 so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who, through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises. (6:12)
A: Wish for growth. B: Person who cannot be saved.” (From http://www.bible.literarystructure.info/bible/58_Hebrews_pericope_e.html#7)
(This is a literary device that was used in the ancient world, and it is also found in the Bible.
So, point A corresponds to point A1 and B corresponds to B1 This literary form helps to give a particular writing a beautiful structure and according to 村井源 Hajime Murai there are about 17 of these structures in the book of Hebrews. This shows a serious consistency in the book of Hebrews that might otherwise have been missed out. I am surprised that some of the commentaries I have looked at miss this type of structure because we not only look at the meaning of words and grammar but also at structure. So how does this help us. It means that the ethical material of Hebrews continues all the way through to chapter 6 verse 12.)
So in a sense a chiasmus can make the meaning of what is said more forceful. If I was to paraphrase it:
“Solid food is for the mature so stop being lazy and sluggish. Those who fall away from the living God are about to be cursed and burned.”
This is pretty strong language! Apollos is not mincing words. It is no accident that this paraenetic material is sandwiched between chapters 5 and 7. In chapter 5 we have the theme of the obedience of the Son. It follows naturally that the believers should also follow in the footsteps of their king and Great High Priest. In this chapter the writer is giving the readers a hard time because he is telling them that they should have progressed in the Christian faith, and they haven’t progressed.
Verses 1 – 3
“1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 3 And this we shall do, if God permits.”
Apollos gives them a list of things that the Jewish Christian believers should understand and be doing.
Verse 3. The correct translation is ‘We shall do’ although there is another version that says, ‘We may do’. Apollos is one who does not mince his words and he is not afraid to state things as they are for me this is a good enough reason to follow ‘we shall do’. The internal evidence gives the readings from Papyri 46 is from AD 200 Alexandrinus is from AD 500. ‘Shall do’ wins.
(The NASB correctly translates ‘we shall do’ (future plural) This follows papyri 46. There is another reading though that follows Alexandrinus. The difference is one letter s + omricon = future tense and s + omega = the aorist plural subjunctive!)
Verses 4 – 8
“4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. 7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.”
These verses are hard hitting, and it is aimed at those who turn their back on the Gospel. I’m sure that Armenians and Calvinists would have a serious disagreement on these verses. Herman Bavinck gives some useful information in his Reformed Ethics pages 406 and 407 as he writes:
“And third, in their wills and passions, unregenerateness about and fight against their sins (2 Cor. 7:10, “worldly sorrow”); biblical examples include Pharaoh (Exod. 9:27), King Saul (1 Sam. 24:17; 26:21), Felix (Acts 24:25), and Judas (Matt. 27:4). Such people can have a love for virtue, as Balaam did (Num. 22:18; 24:13); think also of men like Cicero and Seneca. They can have some taste of God’s common grace258 (Heb. 6:4–5; Num. 23:10), and even have a desire for grace (the foolish virgins in Jesus’s parable desired oil, Matt. 25:8). If they have a hope for heaven and expect him, they may suffer for Christ (1 Cor. 13:2). They can have the Spirit of God like Balaam (Num. 24:2), prophesy like Saul (1 Sam. 10:11), and, like Judas, cast out devils. Meade enumerates some twenty things that an unregenerate person can have, and Perkins lists about thirty-three. 25” (from page 406)
This is very important because according to these findings both the people of the world and the Christian can have the same types of experience of God’s grace. Somethings are best left in God’s hands and let God deal with it. Election is a mystery as we were chosen from before the foundation of the world. Let us also remember that we live the life of faith and if we stay constant, we are the elect. We are not any better than those who do not accept the Gospel but we can be encouraged that we are living in Christ.
Verses 9 – 12
“9 But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way. 10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” NASB
This is in contrast to the unbelief sections. Those who are being faithful to Christ and his Gospel. I find this very interesting because it follows the same type of pattern as Psalm 95 being worked out in the Church. We looked at this Psalm earlier and obviously Apollos is living this Psalm and he is expecting the Jewish believers to follow the same pattern. In these verses I also feel empathy for the readers.
Reflection
Hebrews chapter 6.1-12 is ethical material as well as being theological. He is exhorting his readers to stay faithful to Christ. Obviously if we were to mirror read the text, we would have to think that some of these believers were thinking about quitting the Christian faith and perhaps go back to traditional Judaism. Let us even in the 21st century take Apollos’ warning seriously and be faithful to Christ even to the end of our time here on earth.
Weaver1has's Blog 
Leave a Reply