Baptisms, the same word in Greek as for washings in 9:10 and dipping in Mark 7:4, refers to the washing of the utensils and vessels used for God's service in the tabernacle or temple (Lev. 6:28) and also, probably, to the washing of the priests (Exo. 30:18-21; Lev. 16:4). This matter is, of course, related to the background of the Hebrew believers. However, it is the same in principle as the New Testament baptism — both are the washing away and terminating of the negative things.

Or, perfection.

In the experience of our spiritual life, there is always the Lord's doing, on the one side, and our pursuing in cooperation with Him, on the other side. The Lord wants to bring us on to maturity, but we still need to cooperate with Him by being brought on to perfection, to maturity.

The Lord wants to bring us on, but we must let Him do it. This is our willing cooperation with His gracious work. In order to be brought on to perfection, to maturity, we need to share with Christ in His attainments (Heb. 1:9; 3:14), to be diligent to enter into the remaining Sabbath rest (Heb. 4:9, 11), to come forward to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace (Heb. 4:16), and to feed on the solid food to enjoy Christ as our High Priest according to the order of Melchisedec (Heb. 5:9-10, 14).

The beginning of Christ includes not only the beginning of the believers' experience of Christ, e.g., the six items enumerated in the latter half of this verse and the next verse, but also the early ministry of Christ, i.e., all His work on earth, recorded in the four Gospels. All saved believers have already experienced, as had the Hebrew believers, the beginning of Christ; henceforth they must pursue unto perfection, unto maturity. The Lord intends to complete this perfecting in His later heavenly ministry, as revealed in this book.

Or, primary word. The word of the beginning of Christ refers to the six items mentioned in this verse and the next verse, items that constitute the foundation of the Christian life:
1) repentance from dead works,
2) faith in God,
3) the teaching of baptisms,
4) the laying on of hands,
5) the resurrection of the dead,
6) eternal judgment.
These six items form three pairs. The first item of each pair refers to our emergence from a negative situation, and the second speaks of our entering into the positive things. Repentance is a turning away from dead works; faith is the entry into God. Baptisms are separations from and terminations of the negative things; the laying on of hands is the identification and fellowship with the divine things. The resurrection of the dead is the emergence from death; eternal judgment is the entry into eternity and the eternal destiny.

Crucifying and putting modify the predicate renew. To renew unto repentance means to repeat the repentance that has been made already; this is not needed. To do this is to crucify again the Son of God and put Him to open shame.

Fallen away refers to the fact that the Hebrew Christians deviated from the pure Christian faith by returning to their old, traditional, Judaic religion. In principle, this could be applied to any Christians who fall away from the right track of God's way.

Referring to the ministering of material things to the needy saints.

Or, dull; as in Heb. 5:11.

Powers here refers to the divine power, and the age to come refers to the age of the coming kingdom. The divine power of the coming kingdom restores, renews, and revives the things that have become old (Matt. 19:28). At the time of their regeneration (Titus 3:5) the believers all tasted this divine power and were restored, renewed, and revived.

The Greek word denotes the instant word of God. The good word of God here refers to the word of the beginning of Christ, which was mentioned in v. 1 and which was the milk the Hebrew believers tasted when they believed in the Lord. Now they had to go on to the deeper word, the word of righteousness (Heb. 5:13), which is concerned not mainly with God's redemption but with the way of His economy, and which was the solid food by which they could reach perfection, maturity (v. 1).

The Holy Spirit is what God in His gospel promised to give man (Gal. 3:14). God called us from the heavens to the heavenly things that we might become partakers of His Holy Spirit and share in His Holy Spirit. It is by God's Holy Spirit that we can live a heavenly life on earth and partake of the divine holiness. As partakers of the Holy Spirit, we partake of God as our enjoyment. See note Heb. 3:14^1a.

The heavenly gift here refers to God's giving of the heavenly things, such as His forgiveness, righteousness, divine life, peace, and joy, at the time we repented and believed in the Lord.

Those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come have already laid the foundation, at the time they believed. If they fall away and turn back, there is no need for them to lay the foundation again (v. 1); there is only the need to go on, to be brought on to perfection, to maturity. There is no need for them to repeat repentance, for it is impossible for them to renew themselves unto repentance. Verse 1 indicates that it is not needed; v. 4 says that it is not possible; and vv. 7-8 show that it is not right.

I.e., we will do what is mentioned in v. 1: be brought on to perfection, to maturity, not laying again the foundation.

The rain here refers back to the five categories of good things mentioned in vv. 4-5.

Produces vegetation is an illustration of being brought on to perfection, to maturity (v. 1). The believers, as the earth, are tilled for God's sake that they may bring forth Christ, as the vegetation, to perfection, to maturity. By bringing forth Christ they partake of blessing from God.

Strictly, the thorns and thistles here refer to the traditional things of the Hebrew believers' old religion.

Or, rejected, disqualified, counted worthless. The same word is used in 1 Cor. 9:27. If a believer would not be brought on to perfection, to maturity, but rather falls back to the old things, he will be disapproved, be counted worthless, by God.

Once saved, the believers can never be a real curse. However, if they do not go on to grow Christ but rather hold on to things that displease God, they are near the curse of suffering the punishment of God's governmental dealing. (This should be considered with the discipline or chastisement in Heb. 12:7-8.) Being near a curse is absolutely different from the suffering of eternal perdition, which is the real curse.

The earth could never be burned, but what it brings forth could be burned. The believers could never be burned, but all they bring forth that is not according to God's economy will be burned. The believers are God's cultivated land. Whatever they grow as wood, grass, and stubble will be burned (1 Cor. 3:9, 12).

To bring forth thorns and thistles (v. 8) is not a thing that belongs to salvation. To give heed to the things that we have heard (Heb. 2:1), to be diligent to enter into the promised rest (Heb. 4:11), to come forward to the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16), and to be brought on to perfection, to maturity (v. 1) are things that belong to salvation.

Salvation here refers to God's full salvation, the "so great a salvation" mentioned in Heb. 2:3, including the saving mentioned in Heb. 7:25, the salvation mentioned in Phil. 1:19 and Phil. 2:12, and the salvation of the soul mentioned in 1 Pet. 1:9. To be so saved is to be saved from being near the curse of suffering the punishment of God's governmental dealing, mentioned in v. 8.

These two things are God's promise and oath (v. 17).

Lit., fled intensively; implying to flee to a safeguard. Cf. Acts 14:6.

The Lord Jesus entered the heavens, the Holy of Holies within the veil, as mentioned in v. 20, and with Him is the heavenly haven for our refuge, which we can now enter in our spirit (Heb. 10:19).

Anchor signifies that we are on a stormy sea and that without the anchor of hope we may shipwreck (1 Tim. 1:19).

The heavens, into which the Lord Jesus entered, are today the Holy of Holies within the veil. Our hope, as a secure and firm anchor, has entered there, and we may now enter there in our spirit (Heb. 10:19-20).

As the Forerunner, the Lord Jesus took the lead to pass through the stormy sea and enter the heavenly haven to be the High Priest for us according to the order of Melchisedec. As such a Forerunner, He is the Author of our salvation (Heb. 2:10). As the Forerunner, He cut the way to glory, and as the Author, He entered into glory.