Heb. 6:1-6, Foundational and Elementary Principles (1)

Here is another post to further explain Hebrews.  In Heb. 6, my view is that v1-2 give a description of the foundation of faith for the Hebrew believers.  It refers to their Jewish upbringing.  On the other hand, v4-5 describe the “milk” that these same believers experienced when they became believers.  They should have grown beyond these things in the normal course of discipleship.  So, v1-2 are their foundation; v4-5 are the “first principles of the oracles of God” (5:12), the “elementary principles of Christ” (6:1).  The first they should not go back to, but would return to them if they return to temple worship.  The second they have experienced and now need to move on to “meat” and to “full age” (adulthood).

Let’s consider each of these lists.  I believe it will help make this clearer.  First, from v1-2, the “foundation.”  One way to consider this list is to ask which of the items are OT and which are NT.  I would say that all of them are doctrines related to OT worship.  Some might argue that faith, resurrection and judgment are NT doctrines, and might try to argue the same for the others.  Think about this as we work through the list.

·       Repentance from dead works.  “Dead works” refers to the worship of the temple that became vain or empty after Christ made the perfect sacrifice. 

·       Faith toward God.  Being “toward” God indicates a faith looking forward to God’s salvation.  This fits faith in OT times because they looked forward to what was coming.  We look back.  Our faith is “in” Christ.

·       Doctrine of baptisms.  This refers to the ceremonial washings that had become common in Judaism.  Acts 19:3 refers to this when Paul asks, “Into what then were you baptized?”  The men answered, “Into John’s baptism.”  Then Paul explained Christ more fully to them and they were baptized “in the name of the Lord Jesus.”  In Christ there is only one baptism (Eph. 4:5).

·       Laying on of hands.  This is not the laying on of hands by, for example, Paul when he ordained Timothy (2 Tim. 1:6).  It refers to what worshipers did when they brought a sacrifice to the temple.  They laid hands on the animal as it was killed, symbolizing the transference of guilt to the one whose blood was shed (e.g. Lev. 1:4).

·       Resurrection of the dead.  The OT promised a life after death (e.g. Ps. 23:6).  But the details and reality of this awaited the resurrection of Christ.

·       Eternal judgment.  Likewise, the OT speaks often of the coming judgment of God (e.g. Ps. 96). 

The case is solid, that this is describing the Judaism that the Hebrew believers had come out of.  That is why the writer tells them not to go back and lay again that foundation, which is what they would do if they returned to temple worship.