Years ago I found F. F. Bruce’s commentary on Hebrews 6:1-2 to be insightful and very helpful for me in understanding the foundations taught in those passages in light of the broader book of Hebrews, and the whole Bible. So I wanted to pass this on to others for spiritual nourishment and challenge as well:

New International Commentary on the New Testament, The Epistle to the Hebrews, by F. F. Bruce, D.D., 1964,
Printed in the Netherlands by Drukkerij Meijer – Wormerveer.
Pages 110-118:

Ch. 6:1-8

  1. Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
  2. of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
  3. And this will we do, if God permit.
  4. For as touching those who were once enlightened, and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
  5. and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come,
  6. and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again until repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
  7. For the land which hath drunk the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receiveth blessing from God:
  8. but if it beareth thorns and thistles, it is rejected and night unto a curse; whose end is to be burned.

1

The opening words of this section are surprising. Our author has just told his readers that they are not really able to assimilate the solid food which he would like to give them–the teaching about the priestly order of Melchizedek–because they are immature. We might have expected him to say, as Paul says to the Corinthians [1 Cor. 3:2] in a similar situation: “Therefore I must continue to feed you with milk”. But he does not say this; he says: “let us press on”. He judged that no good purpose would be served by going over the first principles again. That being so, we might have expected him to say: “You are not ready for solid food yet, you still need milk; nevertheless I am going to press on with the provision of solid food”. But he does not say “nevertheless”; he says “therefore”. “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrines of Christ and press forward to maturity.” Why “therefore”? Probably because their particular condition of immaturity is such that only an appreciation of what is involved in Christ’s high priesthood will cure it. Their minds require to be stretched, and this will stretch them as nothing else can. They have remained immature too long; therefore he will give them something calculated to take them out of their immaturity.

“So”, he says, “let us stop discussing the rudiments; do not let us start laying our foundations all over again.” The rudiments (“the elementary doctrines of Christ”, RSV) and the foundation are the same thing described in two different figures. Before he goes on, however, he lists some of the rudiments… Six matters are listed, which fall naturally into three pairs: (a) “repentance from dead works” goes closely with (b) “faith toward God”; (c) “the teaching of baptisms”–or better, “instruction about ablutions [washings]” (RSV)–goes with (d) “laying on of hands”; while there is a patent association between (e) “resurrection of the dead” and (f) “eternal judgment”.

We are thus given some insight into what was regarded as a suitable foundation of Christian teaching in a non-Pauline church, and one which had a Jewish basis. When we consider the “rudiments” one by one, it is remarkable how little in the list is distinctive of Christianity, for practically every item could have its place in a fairly orthodox Jewish community. Each of them, indeed, acquires a new significance in a Christian context; but the impression we get is that existing Jewish beliefs and practices were used as a foundation on which to build Christian truth. “it is significant,” wrote Alexander Nairne, “that the points taken as representing the foundation of penitence and faith are all consistent with Judaism. ‘Doctrines of washing’–how unnatural are the attempts to explain this plural as referring to Christian Baptism; ‘imposition of hands, resurrection of dead, eternal judgment’–all this belonged to the creed of a Pharisaic Jew who accepted the whole of the Old Testament.” Very true; but it belonged equally to the creed of a nonconformist Jew of Essene or comparable outlook…

3

It was on a foundation already laid in the Old Testament, then, and one on which their way of life was already based, that these people had received the gospel. All these things were now given a fresh and fuller significance because of the coming of Christ into the world. But the “Hebrews” were exposed to a subtle danger which could not be experienced by converts from paganism. If a convert from paganism gave up Christianity and reverted to paganism, there was a clean break between the faith which he renounced and the paganism to which he returned. But it was possible for the recipients of this letter, yielding gradually to pressures from various quarters, to give up more and more those features of faith and practice which were distinctive of Christianity, and yet to feel that they had not abandoned the basic principles of repentance and faith, the realities denoted by religious ablutions [washings] and the laying on of hands, the expectation of resurrection and the judgment of the age to come. To go on insisting on these things, therefore, would not really help them; it would be better to press on to those teachings which belonged to spiritual maturity, in the hope that the maturity would come with the teachings. “And this will we do, if God permit”–that is to say, not merely will our author go on to give his mature teaching about the Melchizedek priesthood, but he and his readers together will advance to full growth in Christ, God permitting.

4-6

The reason why there is no point in laying the foundation over again is now stated: apostasy is irremediable. Once more our author emphasizes that continuance is the test of reality…

The Epistle to the Hebrews (New International Commentary on the New Testament) by F. F. Bruce, 1964, pp.110-118

In other words, the big takeaway for me is that the 6 foundations of Hebrews 6:1-2 are specifically those shared by Judaism (though with different meaning for Christians). And if the Hebrew Christians never move beyond those (while still holding to the foundations themselves), they are in danger of reverting to a Christ-less Judaism that has no redemption (see the sobering warning of Heb. 6:4-6).

Said another way, the book of Hebrews is a call for Jewish-Christians to detach themselves from external rituals and Old Testament limitations that find their fulfillment and surpassing greatness in Christ:

the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order [i.e. the New Covenant of Christ].

Heb. 9:9-10

This is the plea throughout Hebrews:

  • don’t look to the Levitical priesthood of the Old Covenant, but to the new Priesthood of Christ that surpasses it (Heb. 5-7)
  • don’t look to the Sabbath of the Old Covenant, but to the eternal resting by faith in Christ that surpasses it (Heb. 3-4)
  • don’t look to animal sacrifice, but to the sacrifice of Christ that surpasses it (Heb. 8-10)
  • Etc.

For those who can’t go beyond what Jews and Christians both share (such as the common foundations of Heb. 6:1-2), they are in grave danger of apostasy because they are choosing the inferior regulations over the superiority of Christ and the New Covenant.

Be warned my friends.