truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers." "The word of the beginning

of Christ," which these Hebrews were to "leave," refers to the "Gospels" and the "Acts"

which record the ministry of Christ and the Holy Spirit in connection with the kingdom,

Israel, and Jerusalem.

The words "perfect" and "perfection" are from the word telos, which means "the end,"

and is so translated in verse 8. They were to leave the "word of the beginning" of Christ

for a later revelation--the end, that which is perfect, the teaching of the gospel of the

glory of Christ, and the mystery. The six-fold foundation of doctrines is specified in

verse 1 and 2, and is contrasted with the seven-fold perfection as set forth in Eph. 4:

which is the "one foundation" of I Cor. 3: These doctrines are arranged in three pairs as

\

Internal and Doctrinal

Faith.

/

\

External and Elemental

Laying on of hands.

/

Resurrection of the dead.

\

Judgment everlasting.

/

It is very probable that many readers will be saying, Where are we going? Are we to

leave repentance and faith? Are we to give up the doctrine of resurrection? Are we to

abandon eternal judgment? No! There is a great difference between a careless "drifting

away" (Heb. 2:), and the conscientious obedience of faith to "leave," "not lay again," and

"go on unto perfection" (Heb. 6: 1). Believing that this six-fold summary is divine truth,

we nevertheless see that the dispensation has changed, and just as believers can "leave"

the divine law given through Moses because they are "in Christ" and "under grace," so

we lay aside these elements of a transitional period and step out into the sphere

apportioned for us by divine grace. Let us now consider each of these six statements

Are we then to have no sorrow for sin? No forsaking of evil? Let us not be hasty in

our judgment. "Repent!" was the key word of John Baptist's ministry. "Repent!" was

the opening word of the "beginning of Christ." "Repent!" was the first word of Peter in

Acts 2: 38 the moment he saw that his hearers were convinced of sin. "Repent!"

"Repent!" is echoed throughout the whole period of kingdom proclamation.

Let our readers now turn to Ephesians. Here is no making light of sin. Here is a full

gospel. Here is full prominence given to the atoning blood of Christ, but the words

"repent" and "repentance" are never once used. To show this is no mere coincidence, the

companion epistles of the mystery, Philippians and Colossians, equally exclude the words

from their pages! Why is it that these words, so frequent in the Gospels and Acts, are so

absolutely excluded from these epistles which opened the present dispensation? Is it not