ø     eBIBLE         ȸ             伺뵶     Ǵ    ȸҰ
  eBIBLE       ּ            

Library > Commentaries > John Gill's Exposition of the Bible > 6 > Introduction
  Introduction  
<< Hebrews 5:14      Hebrews 6:1 >>
  

\\INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS 6\\

In this chapter the apostle exhorts the believing Hebrews not to rest
in the rudiments of the Christian religion they had learned; and much
less to lay them again in the foundation after the Jewish manner, of
which he instances in six particulars; but to seek after a perfect
knowledge of evangelic truths, which, under a divine permission, was
his determination to do, \\#Heb 6:1-3\\ which was the best method
to prevent apostasy, he dissuades from; by giving the characters of
apostates, showing how far they may go in the knowledge of divine
things, and yet fall away; by asserting the impossibility of their
repentance and recovery, with the reason of it, taken from the
blackness of their crimes, \\#Heb 6:4-6\\ and the difference
between them, and true believers, he illustrates by two sorts of
earth, the one takes in the rain that comes down from heaven, and
brings forth herbs for the use of its dresser, and is blessed of God:
such are true believers in Christ, \\#Heb 6:7\\ the other bears
thorns and briers, and is rejected and cursed, and in the issue
burned; and to such earth the above apostates may be compared,
\\#Heb 6:8\\ but lest the believing Hebrews, such as were truly gracious
among them, should conclude that this was their case, and that it was
desperate; and lest they should think the apostle had an ill opinion
of them, he declares he was otherwise persuaded of them, and hoped
and believed they were interested in the things of salvation,
\\#Heb 6:9\\ the reasons of which persuasion are taken from the work of
grace, which was wrought in them; from their laborious love they
showed to the name of God, and to his people, and which they
continued to show: and from the righteousness of God in not
forgetting all this, \\#Heb 6:10\\. And then he proceeds to exhort
them to diligence in the exercise of grace, and discharge of duty,
that so they might arrive to a full assurance of hope, \\#Heb 6:11\\
and not to indulge slothfulness, but to be followers of the saints
that were gone before them; whose character is, that through faith,
and patience, they had inherited the promises, things the apostle
would have those believers imitate them in, \\#Heb 6:12\\ and
particularly instances in Abraham, the father of this people, and of
all believers; who having a promise from God, to which an oath was
annexed, patiently waited for it, and obtained it, \\#Heb 6:13-15\\ and
having made mention of an oath, the apostle takes notice of the nature
and use of one among men, \\#Heb 6:16\\ and of the design of God in
making use of one himself, which was to confirm his promise, and show
its immutability to the heirs of it; and that by observing these two
immutable things, which could never fail, they might have solid and
abiding comfort: even all such, who, under a sense of danger, flee to
Christ for refuge, who is the ground of hope proposed to them in the
Gospel, to lay hold upon, \\#Heb 6:17,18\\ and because of the firmness
of the grace of hope, as it is conversant with Christ, and is cast on
him, the good ground of it, it is compared to an anchor; and is said to
be sure and steadfast, and to enter within the vail, where Christ is
gone as a forerunner; and which is an encouragement to that grace to
enter in after him; who is further described by his name Jesus, by his
office as an high priest, and by the order of which he is, that of
Melchizedek, \\#Heb 6:19,20\\ which is mentioned, to lead on to what
the apostle had to say concerning him, in the next chapter.