Hebrews

¹Therefore, going beyond the teaching of the basic principles about Christ, let us move on to perfection! Let us not lay again a foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith toward God, ²of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. ³If God allows, let us do this.

⁴Regarding those who were once enlightened, who tasted of the heavenly gift, became partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶but then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance! They crucify the Son of God for themselves all over again and expose him to shame! ⁷On the other hand, the land which has absorbed the rain that comes often upon it and thus brings forth a crop suitable for those who till it—such a land receives blessing from God. ⁸Yet if it bears thorns and thistles, it is rejected, close to being cursed; and its end is to be burned.

⁹But, beloved, even though we speak like this, we are persuaded of better things for you, of things that accompany salvation. ¹⁰God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed for his Name by serving the saints even as you still serve them. ¹¹We desire that each one of you may show the same zeal to the end, to [obtain] the fullness of hope. ¹²Do not be sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience have inherited the promises.

God’s unchangeable oath

¹³When God made a promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, ¹⁴saying, “I will surely bless and multiply you.”^{2167 15}Thus, having patiently endured, Abraham obtained the promise. ¹⁶For humans indeed swear by someone greater, and in every dispute they have, the oath is final to get things settled. ¹⁷In this way, being determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable nature of his purpose, God intervened with an oath. ¹⁸And so, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, may we have a strong encouragement, since we have sought refuge and taken hold of the hope set before us. ¹⁹We have this hope as an anchor of the soul, a hope which is both sure and solid. It reaches beyond the veil, ²⁰where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Melchizedek, Abraham, and Christ

2167. Genesis 22:17