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If these are indeed the opening and closing members of the underlying structure, there
will be confirmation in the context. These soon emerges:
"Thou remainest. Thou art the same" (Heb. 1: and 2:).
"Things that remain. Jesus Christ the same" (Heb. 12: and 13:).
"How escape if neglect." "Not escape if refuse" (Heb. 2: and 12:).
"Bring in again the first begotten." "Brought again from the dead" (Heb. 1: and 13:).
The matter now passes from the possible to the certain. We have the opening and
closing members of the structure confirmed to us. We seek further and are struck with
the alternations that are brought forward in chapters 6: and 10::
"Let us GO ON unto perfection" (Heb. 6: 1).
"We are not of them who DRAW BACK unto perdition" (Heb. 10: 39).
These two headings commend themselves at once, and we soon discover that they are
supported "up to the hilt" by their contexts. "Let us come boldly" is answered by "let us
draw near" (Heb. 4: 16; 10: 22). The examples of unbelief of chapter 3: are gloriously
answered by the examples of faith in Heb. 11: In chapter 5: we have "babes" set over
against "full grown", but in chapter 12: we have "sons" over against "firstborn". That
dreadful passage which has caused so much anxiety to sensitive souls, "no renewal unto
repentance" finds its explanation in the corresponding section of the epistle in Esau who
"found no place for repentance", and which shows us that the fear in chapter 6: was not
the loss of salvation but of birthright and the firstborn's position.
Let us now assemble our material.